Lecture 7 - Page 1 of 10

Lecture 7 Composite Steel Beams

Steel beams are usually used to carry a metal deck-supported concrete slab. In
non-composite construction, the beam does NOT interact structurally with the
slab the slab is simply dead weight. This is because the slab is not adequately
bonded to the beam.


Non-Composite Construction

The word composite means 2 or more different materials. In composite
construction, the slab is adequately bonded to the steel beam by means of
headed shear studs resulting in a composite beam. The concrete acts like a
large flange in compression, while a much greater portion of the steel beam
acts in tension. The result is a VERY efficient beam as much as 40% to 60%
lighter weight steel than non-composite.


Composite Construction

Headed shear studs
welded thru metal deck to
beam flange
Lecture 7 - Page 2 of 10













Notice that the neutral axis (N.A.) in the non-composite beam is located in the
middle of the section. This indicates that half of the beam section is in tension
and half is in compression.

In the composite section, the compression is carried ENTIRELY by the concrete,
while the tension is carried by the beam.

Composite Design per LRFD

AISC Spec Ch. I3 (p. 16.1-83)
AISC Part 3 Table 3-19 (p. 3-156 thru 189)
AISC Part 3 Table 3-21 (p. 3-207)

From a side view, a composite beam looks like the following:



















Y
con

Ten.
Comp.
N.A
Non-Composite Section
Composite Section
N.A
Ten.
Comp.
d
Shear stud
Concrete
Metal Deck
Beam
Lecture 7 - Page 3 of 10

For LRFD composite design, the following terms are used:
















where: b =Effective slab width (from AISC Spec. p. 16.1-83)


8
BeamSpan


=smaller of
2
g BeamSpacin


Distance to edge of slab



a =Effective concrete thickness
2 for initial trial size

=
b f
F A
c
y s
' 85 . 0


A
s
=Cross-sectional area of beam
=from properties

f
c
=Specified concrete compressive strength
=4 KSI (usually)

Y2 =Y
con
-
2
a

Y2
b =Effective slab width
a
Y
con

Lecture 7 - Page 4 of 10
The best way to see how the design of a composite beam is accomplished is thru
an example problem:

Example 1 (LRFD)
GIVEN: A floor structure using A992 steel beams and the following
superimposed SERVICE loads:

Service live load =75 PSF
Service dead load (not incl. beam weight) =63 PSF

In addition, use diameter shear studs, 4 concrete over 1 metal
deck and normal weight concrete f
c
=4000 PSI.

REQUIRED: Design the lightest weight W14 beam A using composite
construction.















Step 1 Determine factored maximum moment M
u
:

w
u
=1.2D +1.6L
=1.2[8(63 PSF +30 PLF)] +1.6[8(75 PSF)]
=1601 PLF
=1.6 KLF

M
u
=
8
2
L w
u


=
8
) ' 30 ( 6 . 1
2
KLF


=180 KIP-FT
Beam A
30-0
3
@
8

-
0

=

2
4

-
0

Assumed beam weight
Lecture 7 - Page 5 of 10
Step 2 Determine Trial approx. beam weight:

Approx. Beam weight =

+
2 2
85 . 0
) / " 12 (
4 . 3
a
Y
d
F
ft M
con y
u


Assume d =14 (since using W14)
a =2
Y
con
=4

Approx. Beam weight =

2
" 2
" 4
2
" 14
) 50 ( 85 . 0
) / " 12 ( 180
4 . 3
KSI
ft FT KIP


=17.28 PLF

From AISC Table 3-19 p. 3-184 TRY W14x22

Step 3 Determine concrete flange force, Q
n
:

Q
n
=A
s
F
y


where: A
s
=Area of beam
=6.49 in
2
(from properties for W14x22)

Q
n
=(6.49 in
2
)(50 KSI)
=324.5 KIPS

(NOTE: From AISC Table 3-19 p. 3-184 the value of Q
n
can
be found looking at Y1 =0.000 Q
n
=325 KIPS)

Lecture 7 - Page 6 of 10
Step 4 Determine effective concrete slab width, b:



8
BeamSpan
=
8
) / " 12 ( ' 30 ft
=45 USE

b =smaller of
2
g BeamSpacin
=
2
) / " 12 ( ' 8 ft
=48

Distance to edge of slab =N/A


Step 5 Determine Y2 for usage in AISC Table 3-19 p. 3-184:

Y2 =Y
con
-
2
a


where a =
b f
F A
c
y s
' 85 . 0


=
) " 45 )( 4 ( 85 . 0
325
KSI
KIPS


=2.12

Y2 =4 -
2
" 12 . 2


=2.94

Use Y2 = 3

Step 6 Determine required beam size from AISC Table 3-19:

W14x22
Y2 =3
Q
n
=325 KIPS

Design strength in flexure =240 KIP-FT >180 KIP-FT
See Table 3-19 Below
Lecture 7 - Page 7 of 10


Page 3-184
Lecture 7 - Page 8 of 10
Step 7 Determine number of shear studs required:

Number of studs required =
) (
2
stud n
n
Q
Q


where: Q
n
=A
s
F
y

=325 KIPS

Q
n(stud)
=Nominal horz. shear strength of stud
=From AISC Table 3-21 p. 3-207


=17.2 KIPS


Number of studs required =
stud per KIPS
KIPS
_ _ 2 . 17
) 325 ( 2


=37.8 studs

Use 38 dia. studs

Step 8 Check beam shear at coped end:

Assume beam is coped 1













Factored beam end reaction =
2
) ' 30 ( 6 . 1 KLF


=24 KIPS

13.7
1
W14x22 beam
Girder
Normal wt. conc. f
c
=4 KSI
Deck perpendicular
1 weak stud per rib
Lecture 7 - Page 9 of 10
Set up a ratio of
v
V
n
for the full W14x22 beam section to the
reduced beam section:

depth duced
V
depth Full
V
n v n v
_ Re _

=

From AISC p. 3-67
v
V
n
=94.8 KIPS for full depth

) " 5 . 1 " 7 . 13 ( " 7 . 13
8 . 94

=
n v
V KIPS

v
V
n
=84.4 KIPS >24 KIPS for reduced section OK

Step 9 Draw summary sketch:




















30-0 span
W14x22 A992 beam
38 Dia. shear studs welded
thru metal deck along center of
beam spaced evenly along length
of beam
Lecture 7 - Page 10 of 10
Example 2
GIVEN: The beam from Example 1. All loads and other conditions are
the same.
REQUIRED: Design lightest weight W14 Beam A using NON-
COMPOSITE construction.

Step 1 Determine M
u
:

M
u
=180 KIP-FT

Step 2 Design lightest weight W14 beam:

From AISC Z
x
Table p. 3-18:

Use W14x34
b
M
px
= 205 KIP-FT > 180 KIP-FT

(Note: The W14x34 non-composite beam is 55% heavier
than a W14x22 beam that is used as a composite beam.)