©COMPUTERS AND STRUCTURES, INC.

, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA DECEMBER 2001

COMPOSITE BEAM DESIGN AISC-LRFD93
Technical Note
Partial Composite Connection with a Plastic
Stress Distribution

Partial composite connection for an elastic stress distribution is described in

Technical Note Elastic Stresses with Partial Composite Connection Composite
Beam Design AISC-ASD89 and Technical Note Composite Section Elastic Mo-
ment Capacity Composite Beam Design AISC-LFRD93. These Technical Notes
describes partial composite connection for a plastic stress distribution. In par-
ticular, it describes how the positive moment capacity of the composite beam
using a plastic stress distribution is calculated for partial composite connec-
tion.

Estimating the Required Percent Composite Connection

The program uses Equation 1 to estimate the required percent composite
connection (PCC) for a composite beam.
2
 M u − φM n steel beam 
PCC =   * X% Eqn. 1
 φM n X % comp − φM n steel beam 
 

where,

PCC = Required percent composite connection, unitless.

Mu = Required flexural strength, that is, the applied factored

moment, kip-in.

Mn X% comp = Nominal flexural strength (capacity) of composite section

with X% composite connection, kip-in.

Mn steel beam = Nominal flexural strength (capacity) of the steel beam

section alone as determined from Technical Note Moment
Capacity for Steel Section Alone Composite Beam Design
AISC-LRFD93, kip-in.

Estimating the Required Percent Composite Connection Page 1 of 7

Composite Beam Design AISC-LRFD93 Partial Composite Connection with a Plastic Stress Distribution

X% = Percent composite connection that Mn X% comp is based

on, unitless. For 50% composite connection use X% =
0.50.

φ = Resistance factor that was used when calculating Mn for

full composite connection, unitless. It is either φbcpe or
φbcpp.

Equation 1 is based on Example 3 in Vogel (1991). Equation 1 might be con-

sidered the LRFD equivalent to Equation 2 in Technical Note Elastic Stresses
with Partial Composite Connection Composite Beam Design AISC-ASD89, with
some rearrangement of terms.

The program initially uses Equation 1 with Mn X% comp equal to the Mn for full
(100%) composite connection to estimate the required percent composite
connection (PCC) for a composite beam. The program checks the moment ca-
pacity using this PCC. If the moment capacity is adequate, the iteration is
complete. If the moment capacity is not adequate, the program calculates a
new PCC, using the last considered PCC for X% and Mn X% comp, and deter-
mines a new moment capacity. This process continues until a PCC that pro-
vides an adequate moment capacity is found.

Calculating MPFconc
The program calculates MPFconc as the smaller of the values obtained from the
equations specified in Table 1 for the particular circumstances of the beam
considered.

Table 1:
Table identifying equations to be used to calculate initial value of ΣQn for partial com-
posite connection
Deck Orientation
Deck Ribs Perpendicular
to Beam Span, or
Beam Type Deck Ribs Parallel No Metal Deck Exists
to Beam Span (Solid Concrete Slab)
Rolled Beam from Database 2b, 2c 2a, 2c
User-Defined Beam 2b, 2d 2a, 2d

Calculating MPFconc Page 2 of 7

Composite Beam Design AISC-LRFD93 Partial Composite Connection with a Plastic Stress Distribution

MPFconc = φbcc(PCC) [(0.85f'c beff tc)left + (0.85f'c beff tc)right] Eqn. 2a

 wrhr 
MPFconc = φbcc(PCC) [(0.85f'c beff  t c +  )left +

 Sr 

 wrhr 
(0.85f'c beff  t c +  )right ] Eqn. 2b

 Sr 

MPFconc = φbcs(PCC) (AsFy + bcp tcp Fycp) Eqn. 2c

MPFconc = φbcs(PCC) (bf-toptf-topFyf-top +

twh + bf-bottf-botFyf-bot + bcp tcp Fycp) Eqn. 2d

In Equations 1a through 1d, the term PCC is the percent composite connec-
tion. For 50 percent composite connection PCC is 0.5, not 50. The next sub-
section describes how the program initially estimates PCC.

Location of the PNA

The location of the PNA for partial composite connection with a plastic stress
distribution is calculated using the method described in Technical Note
Composite Plastic Moment Capacity for Positive Bending Composite Beam De-
sign AISC-LFRD93 for full composite connection except that the value used for
MPFconc is that obtained from one of Equations 2a through 2d, as appropriate,
instead of that obtained from Equation 3a or 3b of Technical Note Composite
Plastic Moment Capacity for Positive Bending Composite Beam Design AISC-
LFRD93, as appropriate.

Determining the Effective Portion of the Concrete Slab

When different composite decks and or spans are specified on each side of
the beam, the effective portion of the slab is determined as follows: The pro-
gram first puts the following six items in order, from highest elevation to low-

Location of the PNA Page 3 of 7

Composite Beam Design AISC-LRFD93 Partial Composite Connection with a Plastic Stress Distribution

est, to determine how much of the concrete slab is effective for partial com-
posite connection:

! Top of concrete slab on the left side of the beam.

! Top of concrete slab on the right side of the beam.

! Top of metal on the left side of the beam.

! Top of metal on the right side of the beam.

! Bottom of metal on the left side of the beam.

! Bottom of metal on the right side of the beam.

Next the program sums the compressive forces of these eight items, starting
with the item at the highest elevation and proceeding downward. As each
item is added into the sum, the sum of compressive forces is compared with
the MPFconc as determined in one of Equations 2a through 2d.

As soon as the sum of forces exceeds MPFconc, the program recognizes that
the last location considered is below the bottom of the effective concrete, and
the second to last location considered is above the bottom of the effective
concrete. Using this information, the program can solve directly for the loca-
tion of the bottom of the effective concrete.

Figure 1a shows the internal concrete forces for a rolled steel section (a user-
defined steel section is similar) for the condition where the bottom of the ef-
fective concrete is in the concrete slab above the metal deck. In this case, a1
represents the distance from the top of the concrete slab to the bottom of the
effective concrete. Note that the distance a1 can be different on the left and
right sides of the beam.

Location of the PNA Page 4 of 7

Composite Beam Design AISC-LRFD93 Partial Composite Connection with a Plastic Stress Distribution

a1
CC 1

Bottom of effective concrete

Beam Section Beam Elevation Beam Internal Forces

Figure 1a: Rolled Steel Section With Bottom of Effective Concrete in Concrete
Slab Above Metal Deck, Positive Bending With Partial Composite
Connection

Figure 1b shows the internal concrete and rebar forces for a rolled steel sec-
tion (a user-defined steel section is similar) for the condition where the bot-
tom of the effective concrete is within the height, hr, of the metal deck ribs.
In this case, a2 represents the distance from the top of the metal deck ribs to
the bottom of the effective concrete. Note that the distance a2 can be differ-
ent on the left and right sides of the beam.

The program obtains the distances a1 and/or a2 using an iterative solution

technique.

If the bottom of effective concrete is in the concrete above the metal deck, a2
is set equal to 0. If the bottom of effective concrete is within the height of
the metal deck, a1 is set equal to tc.

Location of the PNA Page 5 of 7

Composite Beam Design AISC-LRFD93 Partial Composite Connection with a Plastic Stress Distribution

CC 1
CC 2

a2
Bottom of effective concrete

Beam Section Beam Elevation Beam Internal Forces

Figure 1b: Rolled Steel Section With Bottom of Effective Concrete Within
the Height, hr, of the Metal Deck Ribs, Positive Bending With
Partial Composite Connection

Moment Capacity of a Partially Composite Beam with a

Plastic Stress Distribution
The moment capacity for partial composite connection with a plastic stress
distribution is calculated using the method described for full composite con-
nection in the section entitled "Plastic Moment Capacity for Positive Bending"
in Technical Note Composite Plastic Moment Capacity for Positive Bending
Composite Beam Design AISC-LFRD93 with the following changes:

! Equation 12b in Technical Note Composite Plastic Moment Capacity for

Positive Bending Composite Beam Design AISC-LFRD93 is replaced with
Equation 3.

CC1 = 0.85φbcc f'c beff a1 Eqn. 3

! Equation 14b in Technical Note Composite Plastic Moment Capacity for

Positive Bending Composite Beam Design AISC-LFRD93 is replaced with
Equation 4.

Moment Capacity of a Partially Composite Beam with a Plastic Stress Distribution Page 6 of 7
Composite Beam Design AISC-LRFD93 Partial Composite Connection with a Plastic Stress Distribution

w ra 2
C C2 = 0.85φ bcc f c' b eff Eqn. 4
Sr

! Equation 21b in Technical Note Composite Plastic Moment Capacity for

Positive Bending Composite Beam Design AISC-LFRD93 is replaced with
Equation 5.

a1
xPNA = z p − Eqn. 5
2

! Equation 22b in Technical Note Composite Plastic Moment Capacity for

Positive Bending Composite Beam Design AISC-LFRD93 is replaced with
Equation 6.

a2
xPNA = z p − a 1 − Eqn. 6
2

When calculating the moment capacity, concrete or reinforcing steel below

the bottom of the effective concrete is not considered in the calculation.

Note that the PNA for a partially composite beam always falls within the steel
beam section, not the concrete slab. Thus it is not necessary to check for the
PNA location within the concrete slab.

Reference
Vogel, R. 1991. “LRFD-Composite Beam Design with Metal Deck,” Steel Tips,
Technical Information & Product Service, Steel Committee of Califor-
nia, March.

Reference Page 7 of 7