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Options for attaching checker floor plate to HSS beams

hemiv

Structural
Dec 7, 2018
90
I have inherited a project where 5/16" HSS is being used for an industrial platform which will be decked in checker plate. The HSS is already purchased.

The previous designer had the floor plate field welded to HSS in overhead position. This is a hell of a lot of overhead welding, and think there should be some better solution to attach them with fasteners.

I have seen Hollo-Bolts used before, but not in this application. I believe it should be fine, but would love to get more opinions.
 
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You could shop weld a small angle to the side of HSS beams that the checker plate can be clipped to. There are numerous clip types out there.
 
HSS also has radiused corners which complicates that welding.
Is there any specific requirement that all of that area has to be welded/enclosed?
Can some or all of it be welded upside down prior to going into place?
If not, the bolts/clips sounds good.
Or attach only around the edges. You could conceivably get some wind flutter and noise in that case.
Ideally, detail the deck and structure to to facilitate whatever connection needs to be made.
 
Use self tapping screws. M6 DIN 7500 work well in my experience. Or if your client is fussy use a countersunk screw but that is more work.

All the checkerplate that I use for industrial applications adopt this approach.
 
Use self tapping screws. M6 DIN 7500 work well in my experience. Or if your client is fussy use a countersunk screw but that is more work.

All the checkerplate that I use for industrial applications adopt this approach.
This is the way.
 
I didn’t realize self-tapping screws were an option for this thick of material. The decking is min 1/4” and the HSS is 5/16”. I’ll certainly do that if it’s an option.

What about “sidelaps,” as in fluted metal decking? Does this get spec’d or is the plate typically cut for bearing on all edges?
 
I didn’t realize self-tapping screws were an option for this thick of material. The decking is min 1/4” and the HSS is 5/16”. I’ll certainly do that if it’s an option.
You typically need to predrill for that thickness. And sometimes you can do a stepped hole, so that the screw thread is engaging 3 thread or thereabouts, and the rest is larger bore, without engagement.
 
I checked my old documents and found the following figure.



1746602835225.png

EDIT: If welded option is chosen , the welding position should normally be horizontal staggered fillet weld. I found the welded detail also ..
1746621762686.png
 
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Just a thought, you could explore plug welding the decking from above to the HSS. If that could be made to work, the seams wouldn't have to land on the beams, as is the case for the fillet welding solution suggested by @HTURKAK above.

 
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