A study on force equilibrium method to determine the effect of slenderness on composite slab with profiled steel decking

• Main Author: Tay, Li Jing.
• Other Authors: School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/53372
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Numerous researches have confirmed that longitudinal shear failure is the most critical mode of rupture for composite slabs with profiled steel decking. To assess the horizontal shear capacity between the concrete and steel sheeting interface, Eurocode 4 recommended two methods for experimental analysis – m-k and partial interaction method. However, due to their limitations, a new evaluated and modeled method proposed by Abdullah and Easterling is adopted in this study. The technique, known as force equilibrium method, addresses the relationship between the longitudinal shear bond strength and slab slenderness. The latter was found to be an influential factor to the former in their earlier studies. Full-scaled experiment will be carried out in accordance to the standard test procedure suggested by Eurcode 4 Section B.3. A total of eight composite slab specimens will be tested – four of them are long spans (4 m x 1 m x 0.11 m) while the remaining are short spans (2.6 m x 1 m x 0.11 m). To illustrate the impact of slab slenderness on horizontal shear strength, the experimental results obtained by Mok and Tay are combined with the present findings. Both experiments were carried out on composite slabs with similar materials, set-up and environmental conditions. The study has concluded that shear bond-end slip relationship varies for different slenderness. A slender slab exhibits lower longitudinal shear resistance but higher resistance against concrete-steel deck slippage. The usability of force equilibrium method is justified by its comparable results with the ones obtained by well-established partial interaction and m-k methods. Lastly, the procedure is suitable for the use of composite slabs with trapezoidal or re-entrant profiled decking, and any concrete grade.