Designing cold-formed steel sheets for composite slabs: An experimentally validated FEM approach to slip failure mechanics

The aim is to understand the steel–concrete slip mechanisms and its dependence on geometrical and physical parameters, in order to improve designs for steel decking for composite slabs. A new methodology to build 3D non-linear FEM models has been developed to simulate the longitudinal slip mechanics of composite slabs in “pull-out” tests. Sensibility of shear resistance is analysed in relation to: friction coefficient, embossing depth and slope, sheet thickness, inclination, length, width and spacing of embossments and profiling angle of rib shape. A new steel sheet design has been developed and optimised. On the other hand, several pull-out tests as well as reduced “m–k” shear-bond bending tests have been carried out in order to corroborate and validate FEM results, as well as to evaluate some other aspects. This paper summarizes the conclusions regarding to design recommendations and general slip behaviour matters. Several parameters, such as the embossing slope, the retention angle, the surface friction conditions, etc., have shown to be very significant in slip resistance.