Design and calculation of mixed steel-concrete slabs

A composite slab is an element used in the construction of metal buildings with composite frames. It consists of a ribbed sheet on which a concrete slab is cast, with a light reinforcing mesh designed to limit concrete cracking due to shrinkage and the effects of temperature. In this type of slab (also known as collaborative floors), the ribbed sheet serves as a work platform during assembly, as formwork for the concrete and as the lower reinforcement for the slab once the concrete has hardened. It can also be used as temporary horizontal bracing during erection of the building's load-bearing structure, provided it is adequately fastened to the beams.

This article includes a section devoted to the design of composite floors, as well as a section dedicated to the analysis and dimensioning of composite plates and slabs themselves. A clear distinction is made between the construction stage, where only the sheet contributes to strength, and the final stage, where the slab constitutes a mixed element thanks to the contribution of hardened concrete. The methods described are in line with current European standards for the calculation of load-bearing structures, the "Structural Eurocodes" (standards EN 1991 to EN 1994).