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3.1 Introduction
Composite slabs are structural plates made of
steel profiled sheeting and reinforced
concrete. (The sheeting is very thin for
economic reasons, usually between 0.8 mm
and 1.2 mm).
During construction the permanent steel
formwork serves as a working platform, and
after the concrete has hardened as bottom
reinforcement for the slab
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3.2 Design of composite slab

Area of the steel sheeting that is needed

for the construction phase often provides
more than enough bottom reinforcement
for the composite slab.
It is usual to design the slabs as simply
supported
The concrete is continuous over the
supporting beams, so are also the
alternate sheets(sheets are typically 1m
wide up to 6m long)

The simply supported "slabs require top

longitudinal reinforcement at their supports, to
control crack widths
EC4 specifies 0.2% of the concrete area above
the steel ribs for unpropped construction and
0.4% for propped construction
Long span slabs are sometimes designed as
continuous
To avoid local buckling, the breadth/thickness
ratio does not exceed 35.
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3.3 Resistance of composite slabs to positive

bending
The total depth ht is required by EC4 not to
be less than 80 mm, and the topping not less
than 40 mm
Normally the topping is 60 mm thick or more,
to provide sufficient sound or fire insulation,
and resistance to concentrated loads

Except where the sheeting is unusually deep,

the NA lies in the concrete where there is full
interaction
For partial interaction there is always NA
within the steel section
Local buckling of compressed sheeting has
to be considered

This is done by using effective widths of flat

regions of sheeting which are allowed to be
up to twice the limits given for class 1 steel
web plates in beams, because the concrete
prevents the sheeting from buckling
The effective area per meter width, Ap, and
the height of the center of area, e, are usually
based on tests. These usually show that ep,
the height of the PNA, is different from e.
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Because local buckling is allowed in this way, the

bending resistance can be calculated by simple
plastic theory.

compressive force in the concrete component, Ncf

axial load capacity of the steel component, Npa
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There are three cases

(i) Neutral axis above the sheeting and full
shear connection
The compressive force in the concrete
component, Ncf, is equal to the axial load
capacity of the steel component, Npa
Horizontal equilibrium for pure bending
Ncf = Npa = Apfyp/p
x= Ncf/(b(0.85fck/c))
MP,Rd = Ncf(dp 0.5x)

Where fyp = the characteristic yield strength of the sheeting

MP,Rd The design resistance to bending, x=NA depth

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(ii) Neutral axis within the sheeting, and full

shear connection
Now the axial load capacity of the steel
component Npa is greater than the capacity of
the concrete, and neglecting the compression
in the concrete within the ribs, Ncf is given by:
Ncf = bhc(0.85fck/c) . . . (f stands for full interaction)
There is no simple method of calculating x,
because of the complex properties of profiled
sheeting
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the following approximate method is used

in EC4
The tensile force in the sheeting is
decomposed into a force at the bottom equal
to Nac (the compressive force in the sheeting)
and a force Na, where the following criteria is
satisfied:
Na = Ncf

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The equal and opposite forces Nac provide a

resistance moment Mpr, equal to the plastic
moment resistance for the sheeting Mpa,
reduced by the effect of the axial force Na.
the value represented by the symbol NC,f
depends on the ratio x/hc.
The relationship Mpr/Mpa and Ncf/Npa depends
on the profile, but is typically as shown by the
dashed line ABC in figure.

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This is approximated in EC4 by the equation:

Mpr =1.25Mpa(1-Ncf/Npa)Mpa

which is shown by as ADC

Thus, the resistance moment is then given by:
Mp,Rd = Ncfz + Mpr (see previous figure)

Check the two points E and F for validity of the

extreme cases:
The lowest level that the NA can reach is the
centroidal axis, because NA below that requires
tension in the concrete for horizontal equilibrium.
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Now investigate the situation as the NA enters the

profile
Point F corresponds to the beginning where the
NA is at the interface at the top of the sheeting
here, Ncf = Npa Nac = 0 Mpr = 0
The design moment resistance
MpR,d = Ncf(dp 0.5x) with x =hc
The lever arm z is found by the approximation
shown by line EF.
z = dp 0.5hc= ht e 0.5hc as given by point F.
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To check point E, we assume that Ncf is nearly

zero (e.g. if the concrete is too weak) Na0
and Mpr Mpa
The NA for Mpa alone is at the height ep from
the bottom of the sheet, and the lever arm is:
z = ht e 0.5hc as given by point F.
This method has been validated by tests
The line EF is given by:
z = ht 0.5hc ep =(ep e)Ncf/Npa

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(iii) Partial shear connection

The compression force in the slab, Nc, is now
less than the compressive strength of the
slab, as is the tensile force Na less than Npa.

The forces Nc, and Npa are determined by the

strength of the shear connection
The NA depth x in the concrete component is
determined by:
x = Nc/(b(0.85fck/c) <hf

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There is a second NA within the steel

sheeting, and the stress blocks are as shown
in the previous figure.
The calculation of MpR,d is as for method (ii),
except that Ncf is replaced by Nc, Npa by Ncf,
and hc by x, so that:
z = ht 0.5x ep +(ep e)Nc/Npa
Mpr =1.25Mpa(1-Nc/Ncf)Mpa
Mp,Rd = Ncz + Mpr
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3.4 Resistance of composite slabs to

longitudinal shear
For profiled sheeting that relies on frictional
interlock to transmit longitudinal shear, there
is no satisfactory conceptual model.
This led to the development of the shearbond test, and the empirical m-k method of
design where the shear resistance is given by
the EC4 equation:

Vl,Rd = bdp(mAp/bLs+k)/vs

(refer chapter 2)

Where m and k are constants

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For uniformly distributed load on a span L, the length Ls, is

taken as L/4 (from equivalent area of SFDs for UDL and
two point loading in the experiment)
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Defects of the m-k method

(i)The m-k method is not based on a
mechanical model, so that conservative
assumptions have to be made in design when
the dimensions, materials, or loading differ
from those used in the tests (e.g. calculation
of Ls)
(ii) many additional tests are needed before
the range of application can be extended; for
e.g., to include end anchorage or the use of
longitudinal reinforcing bars

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(iii) The method of evaluation of test data is

the same, whether the failure is brittle or
ductile. The use in EC4 of a penalty factor of
0.8 for brittle behavior does not adequately
represent the advantage of using sheeting
with good mechanical interlock, because this
increases with span

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Partial interaction
The method based on shear-bond tests
according to Bode is described first
The method based on slip-block tests, takes
more specific account of the effects of
friction near supports and can be more
economical for short spans

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For composite slabs of given x-section and

materials, the result of each shear-bond test
on a profile with ductile behavior enables the
degree of partial shear connection in that test
to be calculated
This gives the compressive force Nc
transferred from the sheeting to the slab
within the shear span of known length Ls

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The ultimate uniformly distributed (assumed)

shear stress u over the shear span Ls can then be
determined from the following equation:
u = (testNcf)/(bLs)

There is usually a mid-span region where full

shear connection is achieved, and Mp,Rd is
independent of x.
For safe design, this curve of Mp,Rd as a function
of x (the resistance diagram) must at all points lie
above the BMD for the applied loading.
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3.5 Resistance of composite slabs to vertical

shear
Tests show that resistance to vertical shear is
provided mainly by the concrete ribs.
For open profiles, their effective width bo is
taken as the mean width, though the width at
the centroidal axis is accurate enough.
Design methods are based on those for in RC
T-beams

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EC4 gives the design shear resistance of a

composite slab, Vv,Rd with ribs of effective
width bo at spacing b as:
Vv,Rd =(bo/b)dpRdkv(1.2 + 40) per unit width

Where:
dp = the depth to the centroidal axis
Rd= the basic shear strength of the concrete
Rd = 0.25fctk 0.05/c dp in m. allows for higher
Kv = (1.6 dp)

shear strength of shallow

members.

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Resistance to vertical shear is most likely to

be critical in design where span/depth ratios
are low, as is the case for beams.

Punching Shear
Where a thin composite slab has to be
designed to resist point loads, resistance to
punching shear should be checked.

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Critical perimeter

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Serviceability limit states for composite slabs

ASSIGNMENT
Consider different codes and discuss
Deflection
Cracking of concrete and
Fire resistance and temperature

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Cracking of concrete

EC4 specifies minimum amounts of

reinforcement above internal supports;
0.2% and 0.4% of the area of concrete
above the sheeting for unpropped and
propped construction respectively.

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EC4 specifies that the deflection of the

sheeting due its own weight and wet
concrete slab should not exceed L/180
or 20 mm, where L is the effective
span. This span can be reduced to any
desired level by using propped
construction-but cost increases
For service: the maximum deflection
should not exceed L/250
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All buildings are vulnerable to damage from

fire, which is usually the first accidental
design situation to be considered in design
thermal insulation criterion, denoted I,
concerned with limiting the transmission of
heat by conduction, and
integrity criterion, denoted E, concerned with
preventing the passage of flames and hot
gases into an adjacent compartment.

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Partial safety factors for fire (=1)

Design action effects for fire

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Design Example: Composite Slab

NEXT CLASS

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The calculation of MpR,d is as for method (ii),

except that Ncf is replaced by Nc, Npa by Ncf,
and hc by x, so that:
z = ht 0.5x ep +(ep e)Nc/Npa
Mpr =1.25Mpa(1-Nc/Ncf)Mpa
Mp,Rd = Ncz + Mpr

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These enable MRd to be calculated for

any value of between zero and 1.0

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V=0.23*112*1000/3.3=25.7kN/3.3= 7.78kN
per meter
Assume there are
3.3 studs (19mm)
per meter.

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