steel sheeting diaphragms 1

[hugoxxl]

Hi to everybody,

I hope that anybody could give me an answer to the following questions:

I am actually doing some research action of steel sheeting diaphragms which are only fastened at the two edges, which are normal to the span of the profiles. Several standards say that the diaphragm has to be fastened at all four sides to use the stabilizing effect of the shear stiffness to the supporting structure.

I am interested if there are any comparable investigations known. Does any American standard covers the possibility to use the stabilizing effect of steel sheeting diaphragms with only two edges fastened?

I have heard of the SDI-method. Does this method apply only for four-sided fastened diaphragms?

Thanks for your answer,
kind regards,
Hugo

 

[DaveAtkins]

A steel deck diaphragm does not need sidelap fasteners (the fasteners which are on the sides parallel to the span of the deck)in order to function. All sidelap fasteners do is increase the strength and stiffness of the diaphragm.

DaveAtkins

 

[JAE]

Contact SDI as they sponsor most of the research done in the US.

http://www.sdi.org

The diaphragm research was initially spearheaded by Larry Luttrell at West Virginia University.

 

[hugoxxl]

Thanks for your answers!

I do know, that a steel deck diaphragm does not need sidelap fasteners in order to function. What I am actually interested in is if there is the possibility to calculate the stiffness of such a diaphragm.

Does the SDI-method gives formulae to calculate this stiffness?

regards,
Hugo

 

[DaveAtkins]

Yes.

DaveAtkins

 

[hugoxxl]

I bought the Diaphragm Design Manual 3rd edition from the SDI, but I can not find anything about calculation of a diaphragm without sidelap connections? Can anybody give me some more information how to go on?

 

[WillisV]

Look in diaphgragm stiffness section. Equation 3.2-3 is the stiffness formulation which involves a factor "C". This "C" factor (the slip coefficient) is calculated in Eq.3.3-1 in Section 3.3. The C coefficient contains a n sub s term for the number of sidelaps - set it equal to 0 for your case with no sidelaps.