Reliability-Based Evaluation of U.S. Design Provisions for Composite Steel Deck in Construction Stage

Abstract

This paper presents a reliability-based evaluation of the American National Standards Institute/Steel Deck Institute (ANSI/SDI) C1.0 and Structural Engineering Institute/American Society of Civil Engineers (SEI/ASCE) 37 design provisions for composite steel decks in the construction stage. Reliability of the allowable stress design (ASD) and load and resistance factor design (LRFD) methods at the strength and deflection limit states was evaluated in terms of reliability indices employing the first-order reliability method. A large number of composite slab configurations, which cover the range of slab parameters typically used in the U.S. construction practice, were investigated. Obtained results demonstrate that the current design provisions for steel decks in the construction stage are overconservative. Modifications of the ANSI/SDI C1.0 construction load requirements are proposed. The modified load requirements result in longer maximum unshored construction spans and acceptable reliability. Safety of the deck designed according to the modified load requirements is more uniform across the typical design parameters when compared with the current design provisions.