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Introduction To Composite Construction

Composite construction combines structural materials like steel and concrete. In composite structures, shear connectors connect the steel beam and concrete slab so they act as a single unit and experience composite action. This allows for smaller steel sections, reduced costs, and increased load resistance compared to ordinary steel structures. Common applications include multi-story buildings, bridges, and offices.

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abdelrahman emad
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15 views

Introduction To Composite Construction

Composite construction combines structural materials like steel and concrete. In composite structures, shear connectors connect the steel beam and concrete slab so they act as a single unit and experience composite action. This allows for smaller steel sections, reduced costs, and increased load resistance compared to ordinary steel structures. Common applications include multi-story buildings, bridges, and offices.

Uploaded by

abdelrahman emad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Introduction to Composite Construction

Composite Construction is a combination of structural materials - most commonly steel and concrete - in
construction.

Difference between Steel Buildings with concrete slabs and Composite steel
Buildings:
 In Ordinary steel structures, the steel sections consisting of steel beams and steel columns carry
the whole structure.

 In Composite steel structures the concrete section acts with the steel beam section as one unit.

Application of Composite Steel and Concrete:


1. Multi-Storey commercial buildings
2. Multi-Storey industrial buildings and factories
3. Bridges
4. Office Buildings with large free - span columns
Advantages of Composite Structures:
1. Composite sections have greater stiffness and higher load resistance.
2. A smaller steel section is required.
3. Saving in material i.e. low cost.
4. Less depth of construction which leads to lower storey heights in buildings.
5. It is more economic for larger spans construction and buildings that require column-free spans and
it provides greater flexibility in plan layout.
6. The compressive stresses are resisted by the concrete section, while the tensile stresses are resisted
by the steel section.

Composite Structural Members:


1. Composite beams
2. Composite columns
3. Composite slabs

1- Composite Beams:

Shape:
 Rolled section with or without haunch slab
 Built-up section
 Steel box girder
 Partially encased composite beams
Partially Encased Composite Beams:
Advantages:

 Increase in fire resistance without the need of additional protection measures.


 Other services can be fastened to the free lower flange.

Disadvantage:

 The lower flange remains unprotected against fire.

Composite Action in Beams:


 Steel and concrete are inter-connected by using shear connectors. These shear connectors provide
interaction between steel and concrete i.e. the composite section acts as one composite unit, see
Fig.(3). The shear connectors transfer direct longitudinal shear between the concrete slab and the
steel beam, so that slip between them is eliminated (complete composite action) or reduced
(partially composite action).
 If slip is eliminated or reduced, the concrete slab and the steel beam will act together as one
composite unit. This leads to the increase of resistance in the beam section due to the composite
action. If slip occurs between the steel beam and concrete slab, each component will act
independently, i.e. there will be no interaction between both components, see Fig.(4). The Steel is
subjected to all compressive and tensile stresses.
 The degree of interaction depends mainly on the degree of shear connection used.
 Incomplete interaction occurs when flexible connectors are used and partial slip occurs, see Fig.
(4). The concrete slab is subjected to compressive stresses, while the steel beam is subjected to
both compressive stresses and tensile stresses.
 The connection is considered complete, if the resistance of the composite beam is decided by
bending resistance and not by the horizontal shear resistance. The concrete slab is only subjected
to compressive stresses, while the steel beam is only subjected to tensile stresses.

Summary:

 Steel and concrete are inter-connected by using shear connectors. These shear connectors provide
interaction between steel and concrete i.e. the composite section acts as one composite unit.

 The shear connectors transfer direct longitudinal shear between the concrete slab and the steel
beam, so that the slip between them is eliminated (complete composite action) or reduced
(partially composite action).

 If slip occurs between the steel beam and concrete slab, each component will act independently,
i.e. there will be no interaction between both components. The Steel is subjected to all
compressive and tensile stresses.

 The degree of interaction depends mainly on the degree of shear connection used.
Types of Interaction:
 No Interaction:

No connectors are used and slip occurs. The Steel is subjected to all compressive and tensile stresses.

 Partial interaction:

Flexible connectors are used and partial slip occurs. The concrete slab is subjected to compressive
stresses, while the steel beam is subjected to both compressive stresses and tensile stresses.

 Complete interaction:

The concrete slab is only subjected to compressive stresses, while the steel beam is only subjected to
tensile stresses.
Types of Concrete Slab:
1. Cast in-situ reinforced concrete slab:

2. Precast concrete floor units:

One of the advantages of composite construction is the reduce of on-site construction operations
by using precast concrete floor units instead of cast in-situ reinforced concrete slab. The units
themselves are cast on steel formwork in a shop to ensure high quality and small tolerances.
Fig.(6a) shows a system using large prefabricated deck elements with longitudinal joints. The
gaps between the units would be filled with mortar, thereby giving composite action with the
beams. The use of precast deck units reduces on-site construction operations and avoids wet
trades. Such structural systems were introduced during the early 1960's.

Fig.(6b) shows thin prefabricated concrete elements, supported by the steel beam flange. These
elements act as permanent formwork when casting the in situ concrete. This type of composite
section is often used in parts of Europe today.
Slide 1: Precast concrete floor or deck units

3. Slab with metal decking:

The usual practice however, in the case of commercial and industrial buildings is to construct the
floors by using metal decking, see (Slide 2). The metal decking acts as a permanent formwork to the
concrete slab, see Fig. (7) and (15).

Slide 2: Slab with metal decking


Advantages of using metal decking:

 Very economic
 Speeds up the construction
 Supports the loads before and during concreting ( acts a permanent formwork)
 Later acts compositely with the cast in-situ concrete slab ( as part of the reinforcement of the
concrete slab)
Methods of Construction:
1. Unshored Construction:

 The steel section alone supports the dead and construction loads.
 The composite section supports live loads and superimposed loads ( Finishing of floors,
walls …etc) after the concrete hardens and develops adequate strength.

2. Shored Construction:

 The Steel section is supported during construction until the concrete hardens.
 The composite section supports dead, live and superimposed loads.
 The concrete slab and steel member act compositely at all times.

Advantage: Structural performance will be greatest.

How? Temporarily supports (props) are enough at quarter and mid spans. Supports are left in
place until concrete hardens and develops adequate strength.

Whether the section is shored or unshored it leads to:

 Different stress states


 Different force distributions
 Different Deflections

Note: Failure occurs at the same value of bending moment for both construction methods.

Local buckling and lateral torsional buckling:


 During Construction: The compression flange must satisfy local buckling and lateral torsional
buckling requirements defined by the Code.

 After Construction: The composite section is exempt from such requirements, since the
compression flange is completely attached to the concrete slab by shear connectors (after the
concrete hardens), i.e. compressive stresses are carried by the concrete slab alone.

Structural System of the Composite Section:


 It is a group of interconnected T-beams with wide concrete flanges. In such a system, the flange
width may not be fully effective in resisting compression due to "shear lag". This phenomenon,
which is taken into account by the well known "effective width" approach.
 Local buckling in the steel section can be neglected in simply supported composite beams, since
the compression flange is attached to the concrete slab by shear connectors, and the depth of the
web in compression is usually small.
 In the case of partial interaction, the depth of the compressed part of the web is greater. In this
case it is theoretically possible that local buckling could occur in the web of a deep plate girder.

Continuous Beams:

 Many composite beams in buildings can be considered continuous beams.


 At the interior support the steel reinforcement in the slab resists the tensile stresses developed due
to the continuity of the beam.
 No composite action takes place at the interior support, no shear connectors are constructed in the
region of negative bending moment.

Bending Moment distribution in continuous beams

Effective Sections

Advantages:

 Greater load resistance due to redistribution of moment


 Greater Stiffness
 Smaller Steel Section

Disadvantages:

 Complicated Design
2- Composite Columns:

 Concrete Encased Steel I-section


 Concrete Partially Encased Steel I-section
 Concrete filled steel tube

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