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Also known as roof deck, non-composite floor deck, composite floor deck, metal deck, decking or just deck. Steel deck is a cold-formed steel panel usually used as a structural platform to form a roof or floor. In order to understand exactly what is metal deck used for, you first need to understand a few basic principles of how metal deck works:
Metal deck profiles can be broken down into several different components of the metal deck.
The cover width is from the midpoints of the furthest apart flanges on a sheet.
Embossments are used in composite metal deck to grab onto the poured concrete slabs.
The overlapping of neighboring longitudinal edges steel deck. The steel deck panels must have the same profile to be able to overlap. Some shapes of steel deck profiles are not able to overlap.
Interlocking Side Lap
- Also called button punch and a bayonet side lap
- Horizontal return on "female" lip
- Can be button punched, welded, or screwed
Interlocking Alternative
- Also called button punch and a bayonet side lap
- Can only be button punched
- No horizontal return on female lip
Overlapping
- Also called barge & foot or nestable
- Can be welded or screwed
What Are Metal Deck Spans?
All Span Conditions
- Roof deck uses center to center dimensions for calculations.
- Floor deck uses clear span or edge to edge of beam dimension for calculations.
1 or Single Span Condition
- A single sheet of deck with 2 supports. Typically beams or joists.
2 or Double Span Condition
- A single sheet of deck with 3 supports. Typically beams or joists.
3 or Triple Span Condition
- A single sheet of deck with 4 supports. Typically beams or joists.
Cellular Deck
Has plate shop welded to underside of deck. Also known as "electrical" deck.
Vented Deck
Is used with form deck and lightweight insulating fills.
Acoustical Cellular Deck
Has perforated bottom plate and sound absorbing "mats".
Acoustical Deck
Has perforated webs and sound absorbing batts.