Chapter -2

Introduction
to Composite construction
of buildings

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 Need for Composite Structures
Commonly encountered engineering
challenges
 increase in service loads,
changes in use of the structure,
design and/or construction errors,
changes in design code regulation
seismic retrofits

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Composite construction of buildings

consisting of a rolled or a built-up structural

steel shape
 either filled with concrete
encased by concrete
 structurally connected to concrete slab

act together to resist load

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 Benefits of Structural
Steel
• High Strength
• High Stiffness (Modulus of Elasticity)
• High Ductility
• Very good for floor framing
Concrete
• Excellent Fire Resistance
• Low Cost
• Ability to Be Cast into Any Shape
• Very good for floor slabs
• speed of construction

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 Applications
The main advantages of combining the use of steel
and concrete materials for building construction are:
 Steel and concrete may be arranged to produce an
ideal combination of strength
with concrete efficient in compression and steel in
tension
 Composite systems are lighter in weight (about 20
to 40% lighter than concrete construction)
 Because of their light weight, site erection and
installation are easier, and
 labor costs can be minimized.
Foundation costs can also be reduced
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composite floors are economical
composite slabs allow reduced construction
time

by eliminating the need for propping and

false work in the slab-pouring phase.

composite beams are reduce the structural

depth of the floor

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 The construction time is reduced, since casting of
additional floors may proceed without having to
wait for the previously cast floors to gain strength
 The steel decking system provides positive moment
reinforcement for the composite floor, requires only
small amounts of reinforcement to control cracking
 The construction of composite floors does not
require highly skilled labor
 The steel decking acts as permanent formwork
 Concrete provides corrosion and thermal
protection to steel at elevated temperatures

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Composite Construction Systems for
Buildings
Composite Floor Systems
• typically involve
• steel beams, joists, girders, or trusses

• made composite via shear connectors, with a concrete

floor slab
• to form an effective T-beam flexural member

• resisting primarily gravity loads

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floor slab
may be constructed by the following methods:
a flat-soffit reinforced concrete slab
 precast concrete planks with cast in situ concrete
topping
 precast concrete slab with in situ grouting at the
joints
 a metal steel deck with concrete
 The composite action of the metal deck results from
side embossments incorporated into the steel sheet
profile
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composite beams
 Steel and concrete composite beams may be formed by shear
connectors connecting the concrete floor to the top flange of
the steel member

 Concrete encasement will provide fire resistance to the steel

member

 The most common arrangement found in composite floor

systems is a rolled or built-up steel beam connected to a
formed steel deck and concrete slab

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 The metal deck providing a working platform for concreting work

 From a construction point of view, a relatively wide and thick top

flange must be provided for proper installation of shear studs
and metal decking

 short- to medium-span (6- to 12-m) composite floor beams

perform quite well

 Particular care is required for long-span beams of more than 12

m.

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Composite Column Systems
• The initial application of composite columns was for
fire rating requirements of the steel section
• Later developments saw the composite action fully
utilized for strength and stability
• Composite action in columns utilizes the favorable
tensile and compressive characteristics of the steel
and concrete, respectively.
• These types of columns are still in use today where
steel sections are used as erection columns, with
reinforced concrete cast around them.

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One major benefit of this system has been the
ability to achieve higher steel percentages
than conventional reinforced concrete
structures
On other method of composite column
construction
The steel column acts as permanent and integral
formwork.
The steel column provides external
reinforcement

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 Material Properties
 The principal material properties that need to be
considered in composite members include
 Structural steel(mild or high strength)
 concrete
reinforcing steel
 profiled steel sheeting
shear connectors

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Mild Structural Steel
Mild structural steel typical of hot-rolled steel sections exhibits
the stress–strain characteristics

which shows an elastic region, followed by a plastic plateau,

that extends for approximately ten times the yield strain

This is then followed by a strain-hardening region leading to a

maximum ultimate stress.

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Other material properties related to steel
design are:
 Modulus of elasticity, E : 210 kN/mm a 2

 Shear modulus, G : E /[2(1 + Vn )]

a a a

 Poisson’s ratio, Vn : 0.3a

 Density, 7850 kg/m 3

For structural steel of composite sections,

the common steel grades are below in
table

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High-Strength Steel
• The idealized stress–strain curve for high-strength structural

steel is shows an elastic range and a plastic plateau with no

significant strain hardening occurring for the material

• Typical values of yield strengths for high-strength steel are

about 700 Mpa

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Unconfined Concrete
• In composite structures, concrete can be in an
unconfined state of stress in compression
• generally when used as a slab component of a
composite beam
• In the modeling of these types of structures, it is
important to have a model that represents the
concrete stress as a function of strain.
• Concrete strengths as defined in Eurocode 4 are based
on the characteristic cylinder strength, f , measured
ck

at 28 days
• The classification of concrete, such as C20/25, refers
to the cylinder/cube concrete strength at the
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specified age
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Confined Concrete
• Concrete in composite structures may be
confined in a tri-axial state of stress when
used in applications such as concrete-filled
steel sections

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Reinforcing Steel
• Reinforcing steel is often used as tensile reinforcement in the
hogging moment regions of
continuous composite beams
for crack control in the slabs of simply supported
composite beams
 Types of reinforcing steel are classified as follows:
high (class H) or normal (class N)
according to ductility characteristics
 plain smooth or ribbed bars according to
surface characteristics
.

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Profiled Steel Sheeting
• if the floor slabs are cast on permanent steel
formwork that acts as a working platform,
and then as bottom reinforcement for the slab

profiled steel sheeting

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Shear Connectors
• headed shear studs
• In the design of the shear connection in
composite structures, the designer is mainly
interested in the strength that each stud can
transfer in shear

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 Generally
2.1 Composite Beams and slabs
The steel beam was designed to carry the whole
weight of the RC slab and its loading
shear connectors
profiled steel sheeting
Development of shear connectors had made it
practicable to connect the slab to the beam and
so obtain T-beam action as in RC

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2.2 Composite Columns and Frames
steel frames were first encased in concrete to
protect them from fire,

where fire protection for steel is not required, a

composite column can be constructed w/o the
use of formwork filling a steel tube with
concrete.

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• In framed structure, there may be composite
beams, composite columns, or both.

• design methods have to take account of the

interaction b/n beams and columns, so that
many types of beam-to-column connections
must be considered

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 Composite Slabs
Serviceability
deflections, vibrations, and crack control
1. Deflections
• Deflections of composite slabs are treated very
similar to deflections of reinforced concrete
slabs
• In determining the deflections it is important to
be able to
calculate the effective second moment of
area of the composite section
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2. Vibrations
• For long-span composite slabs, which are
those types of slabs with deep troughs

it may be necessary to determine the vibrations

of the slab and compare these with acceptable
vibrations

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3. Crack Control
• Crack control requirements are important
criteria for composite slabs, particularly when
continuous composite slabs are used.
• Typical crack control requirements are covered
by most international reinforced concrete
structures codes

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Limit State Design Philosophy
There are two classes of limit states:
ULS, associated with structural failure; and
 SLS, such as excessive deformation,
vibration, or wide cracks in concrete
There are three types of design situation:
Persistent, corresponding to normal use;
Transient, e.g., during construction; and
Accidental, such as fire or earthquake

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Actions
 direct, e.g. forces acting on structures or
indirect, e.g. deformations imposed on
structures by settlements of foundations,
temperature changes, shrinkage, etc.
Action effects
resulting stress resultants, stresses, strain,
crack widths, etc)

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Advantage
Advantageous properties of both steel and
concrete are effectively utilized
Faster construction and hence quick return of
the invested capital
Ability to cover large column free area in
buildings and longer span for bridges
Better seismic resistance
higher stiffness

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 Disadvantage
Additional costs for shear connectors and their
installation

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