Flexural performances of deep-deck plate slabs: Experimental and numerical approaches

This work presents experimental and numerical investigations on the flexural performances of composite deep-deck plate slabs. Seven deep-deck plate slab specimens with topping concrete were fabricated; the height of the topping slab as well as presence and type of shear connector were set as the main variables to perform bending experiments. The flexural behaviors of the specimens and composite behaviors of the deck plate and concrete were analyzed in detail. The contributions of the deck plate to the flexural stiffness and strength of the slab were identified through finite element (FE) analysis. FE analysis was carried out using the validated FE model by considering the varying bond strengths of the deck plates and concrete, thickness of the deck plate, and types and spacings of the shear connectors. Based on the results, the degree of composite of the deep-deck plate was examined, and a flexural strength equation for the composite deck plate slabs was proposed.