In: Civil Engineering
Why are the slabs for composite construction designed as simply supported rather than continuous?
The composite decks is a slab system in which the metal deck acts like tension reinforcement of the concrete slab. The deck has corrugated surface which forms a rough surface which bonds with concrete when the concrete is hardened. The deck is effective in reinforcing the concrete when when the deck is in tension due to bending of slab. If the slab is considered as continuos over support, then the slab would see hogging moment at support due to continuity. Therefore, tension is at top of the slab and there is no deck at the top of the slab.
Also, in composite deck slab, the rebar that is typically provided is welded wire mesh to control thermal and shrinkage cracks and not to resistance any moment. Therefore, the composite decks are simply supported so that the moment in the slab is always sagging, i.e., the tension due to bending is always at bottom of slab where we have the deck effective in resisting tension.