We have updated our guidance on the design of steel fibre reinforced concrete slabs on metal decking
Steel fibre reinforced concrete is not a new concept. Historically it’s been specified for use in Shotcrete, and for ground bearing or pile supported industrial flooring. Now, as a result of the continuing development of steel fibre technology, the scope of its use has been significantly widened to include more structural concrete elements, including upper floor composite slabs. Deformed steel fibres can be used as the sole reinforcement, or combined with traditional reinforcement such as rebar, wire mesh or pre-stressing elements, to provide enhanced performance in numerous applications.
The deformed fibres form a positive mechanical bond with the concrete matrix and transform it from a brittle material into one that’s more ductile with an enhanced post-cracking behaviour and, due to the nature of their distribution throughout the slab, increased multidirectional strength. Use of steel fibre reinforced concrete reduces the need for storing and handling unwieldy sections of steel mesh reinforcement on site and results in more efficient concreting operations.
ArcelorMittal Wire Solutions has been one of the leaders in steel fibre concrete technology for over 30 years. Based on this experience TAB®Deck was developed by ArcelorMittal Wire Solutions in conjunction with SMD and is successfully used with our floor deck profiles on upper floor composite steel decks.
Following rigorous testing and the experience we’ve gained over the last 10-15 years since the launch of TAB®Deck, we have now updated our literature to reflect the latest technology and development. Our design guidance document Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete Slabs on Metal Decking has been revised to incorporate this more recent knowledge and experience and our floor deck reference manual, The White Book now contains separate span and slab depth graphs for concrete reinforced with traditional mesh reinforcement and with the originally popular HE type fibres.
The tables for the TAB®Deck steel fibre reinforced concrete design also cover an option for reduced dosages with the use of high tensile fibres, designated HE++. With HE++ fibres, the original TAB®Deck dosages of 25, 30 or 35kg/m³ can be reduced to 20, 25 or 30kg/m³ respectively.
The steel fibre type/dosage combinations offer the designer increased flexibility and cost effectiveness as well as an alternative to traditional mesh reinforcement. In all there are now six different fibre type/dosage combinations available.
With the recently published updates and the SMD Elements® Design Software (to which the range of TAB®Deck steel fibre reinforced concrete options has been added within the last year), designers should have all they need at their fingertips to design a TAB®Deck steel fibre reinforced concrete slab using the R51+, TR60+ or TR80+ products available from SMD. The SMD Elements® Design Software can be downloaded for free. In fact, all the technical literature relating to this solution, including the updated design guide, is available on our SMD website.
There are a variety of circumstances in which the TAB®Deck solution may require traditional rebar or wire mesh in order to meet the reinforcement requirements. Some of these situations are set out in the design guide and further advice can be sought from SMD or ArcelorMittal Wire Solutions. The design guide also includes information on the use of concrete additives to achieve the required slump once the steel fibres have been added to the mix.
ArcelorMittal Wire Solutions can provide advice on individual concrete mix designs and check their suitability for specific projects. The support team’s contact email address is fibresupport@arcelormittal.com.
TAB®Deck performance data has been fully assessed and approved by The Steel Construction Institute.
Download our latest document PDF’s or use the contact form below to request a hard copy* to be sent via post.
Design Guide for Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete Slabs on Metal Decking (* only available in pdf format)
The White Book – Floor Deck Design Guide and Tables
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