Composite steel deck floors in fire
A composite steel deck floor, shown below, is designed in bending as either a series of simply supported spans or a continuous slab. Strength in fire is ensured by the inclusion of reinforcement. This can be the reinforcement present in ordinary room temperature design; it may not be necessary to add reinforcement solely for the fire condition.
Assessment of composite slabs
In the fire condition it is normal, although conservative, to assume that the deck makes no contribution to overall strength.
Deck voids
Research has shown that filling the gaps between the raised parts of the deck profile and the beam top flange in composite construction is not always necessary.
