BICOL STATE COLLEGE OF APPLIED SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

Activity 08
Composite Construction Method

SUBMITTED BY
MA. FRANCIA S. CADIZ
BSA 4A

SUBMITTED TO
AR. IAN KENNETH ORASA UAP
INSTRUCTOR
What is Composite Construction Method?
The composite construction is a modern building method that is based in the
combination of steel cross sections and reinforced concrete elements and is aimed at the
maximum possible utilization of their properties to the benefit of the structure. The
construction of the composite structure from a metal bearing body is also far superior to the
classical prefabrications.
The flexibility of composite construction in terms of the architectures that can be
achieved, as well as the anti-seismicity provided by the accompanying technological
superiority cannot be answered in classical prefabricated buildings.

A. Concept
Composite construction is a generic term to describe any building construction
involving multiple dissimilar materials. Composite construction is often used in building
aircraft, watercraft, and building construction. There are several reasons to use composite
materials including increased strength, aesthetics, and environmental sustainability.
In structural engineering, composite construction exists when two different materials
are bound together so strongly that they act together as a single unit from a structural point
of view. When this occurs, it is called composite action. One common example involves steel
beams supporting concrete floor slabs.
If the beam is not connected firmly to the slab, then the slab transfers all of its weight
to the beam and the slab contributes nothing to the load carrying capability of the beam.
However, if the slab is connected positively to the beam with studs, then a portion of the slab
can be assumed to act compositely with the beam.
In effect, this composite creates a larger and stronger beam than would be provided
by the steel beam alone. The structural engineer may calculate a transformed section as one
step in analyzing the load carry capability of the composite beam.

B. Advantages and Disadvantages over Conventional

Advantage Disadvantage
It is typical to have a reduced structural steel The additional subcontractor needed for shear
frame cost connector installation will increase field costs
Weight of the structural steel frame may be
decreased which may reduce foundation costs
Shallower beams may be used which might Installation of shear connectors is another
reduce building height operation to be included in the schedule
Increased span lengths are possible
Reduced live load deflections A concrete flatwork contractor who has
Stiffer floors experience with elevated composite slabs
should be secured for the job

C. Time of Delivery
The time of delivery required for a house of area 100-120 m2 is 90 – 150 working days.
D. Carrying Organization
The system consists of a metal frame (columns, beams, diagonal stiffeners), which
are connected to each other by screw connections composing the load-bearing structure of
the building. The cross-sections are obtained after a static study of the body, according to
the Eurocodes and are open or closed cross-sections.
The slabs are made of reinforced concrete and can be concreted in formwork (just
like in conventional construction) or in metal formwork from trapezoidal sheet metal. The
whole plate is then plastered. In the case of the prototype it is simply painted. The
cooperation of the metal elements and the concrete of the slabs is achieved by placing shear
nails in the upper tread of the beams on which the slabs are based. Plasterboard for the
interior and cement board or waterproof plasterboard for the exterior are placed under the
metal form.

E. New Trends
Increasing Demand from Civil Construction Sector

• Civil construction is involved in the building of bridges, dams, roads, airports, canals,
railway infrastructure, and related buildings.
• In China, edging toward the end of 2021, several Chinese provinces in recent days
have announced major infrastructure projects. South China's Guangxi Zhuang
Autonomous Region unveiled a batch of major construction projects last week, with a
total investment of 185.9 billion yuan (USD 29.15 billion). Those projects cover a
wide range of sectors, including transportation, new energy, logistics and basic
infrastructure.
• Furthermore, China plans to expand its railway network, the second largest in the
world, by one-third in the next decade and a half, as part of a long-term plan to propel
urbanization and stimulate local economies. According to a plan issued by state-
owned China State Railway Group, China aims to have about 200,000 kilometers
(124,274 miles) of railway tracks by the end of 2035, including about 70,000 km of
high-speed railway.
• In Germany, the Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure is planning to invest
EUR 300 million in future technologies, such as electric mobility or automated and
networked driving for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, which, in turn, is further
expected to increase the consumption of composite materials. Furthermore, The
country has started working on the A49 highway project connecting Schwalmstadt
and the Ohmtal interchange in Central Hesse.
• This project is based on the public-private partnership model with an investment of
EUR 700 million with a total construction of 93 Km road and is expected to complete
in the third quarter of 2024. These massive railway and road construction projects will
drive the demand for construction composites during the forecast period.
• In 2020, the United Kingdom government announced the investment of EUR 27.4
billion by 2025 for road construction projects under the second road investment
strategy (RIS2). Highways England Company Limited is a government-owned
company responsible for operating, maintaining, and improving the country road has
further planned to spend EUR 27.4 billion.
• The country is also investing in railway projects, including constructing a new rail
network and redeveloping the existing railway network. The great north rail project is
one such project with an investment of EUR 13 billion, and the project is expected to
complete by 2022.
 • Furthermore, In Canada, as a part of the ‘Investing in Canada Plan’, the government
has announced plans of making an investment of nearly USD 140 billion for major
infrastructure developments in the country by 2028. In 2019-20, the government was
in plans to approve investments valuing USD 5.6 billion for new infrastructure
projects in the country.
All such factors are likely to influence the civil construction sector, thereby affecting the
construction composites market.

F. Work Samples & illustrations

Concrete and Steel Composite Construction

Anatomy of Composite Construction Composite Slab Reinforced with Profiled

Millennium Tower (Vienna Austria)

Heydar Aliyev Center (Baku, Azerbaijan)

German Museum of Technology (Berlin, Germany)