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Tray flooring being supported by a system of permanent supports, forming a part of the structural superstructure of the building. Where no temporary props are used, construction is said to be ‘unpropped.’ Slabs in this type of construction are generally thinner and spans between permanent supports shorter than propped slabs.

propped slabs using tempoary props

The performance of a ‘Propped’ slab is in part dependant on the installation of temporary props and the time for which the floor is propped. Consequently, it is impressive that propping placement comply with the following:

Propping must be placed in lines parallel to permanent supports. Propping lines must be braced in accordance with the applicable formwork code. Propping lines must consist of bearers of minimum 100mm width supported by vertically placed acrow props. Bearers and props must be adequately designed.

Props must remain in position until the composite slab has reached 75% of it’s specified 28 day strength.
Full design load shall only be placed on the tray floor once it has reached its 28 day strength.

A continuous fibreboard packer should be placed between temporary prop bearers and the tray floor soffit to ensure that excessive deformations do not occur locally.
Propping requirements, specified in this manual assume, that concrete is placed such that the tray floor is not overloaded by impact or heaping of concrete.

'unpropped' slabs

On particular projects where there are a number of floors and wide expanses of floor area, it is becoming common construction practise to utilize ‘Unpropped slabs’. Traditionally, where different levels of floors are placed at a faster rate than 28 days per floor, large numbers of props are required to be installed over significant areas and to extend down through a number of levels, to ensure floors are not loaded prematurely.
For unpropped slabs, permanent secondary beams are placed at the allowable propping spans, generally eliminating the need for any temporary propping. As this becomes the critical design parameter, the complete composite slab design, its thickness and associated reinforcing are completely determined from this.

+ Aco
ustic Design

general propping theory

propping tables

constructional live loading

screeding to thickness


screeding to level

limitations

(b) complete overhaul of bearing rules
The spanning ultimate limit state capacity of a tray profile, particularly flooring spanning over multiple bays, is related to the interaction between it’s flexural and bearing capacities. The introduction to AS/NZS4600 states that the 2005 edition includes a complete overhaul of its bearing rules:
‘The introduction of a whole new set of equations for web crippling (bearing) of webs without holes and removal of unconservatism in the previous edition which was discovered by Australian research.”

The consequent reductions in bearing capacities introduced within the 2005 edition significantly reduces the capacities of double and triple span systems under combined bearing and bending stresses.

(c) new rules for stiffened elements
Cold formed sections are analysed by dividing a members cross-section into
propping

Propping is required where the tray floor profile is not able to support the weight of wet concrete along with construction live loads at the full composite design span. Effective propping of tray flooring may occur by:

Tray flooring being supported by a combined system of permanent supports along with temporary rows of acrow props (or similar) which provide interim support until the concrete has gained sufficient strength for composite action to support imposed loadings. Slabs in this type of construction are generally thicker and spans between permanent supports longer than ‘unpropped’ slabs.

Tray flooring being supported by a system of permanent supports, forming a part of the structural superstructure of the building. Where no temporary props are used, construction is said to be ‘unpropped.’ Slabs in this type of construction are generally thinner and spans between permanent supports shorter than propped slabs.

relationship between 'ponding and propping'

‘Propping’ and ‘ponding’ are related as a result of current construction practise for multi-storied buildings leaning heavily on ‘unpropped’ construction. The emphasis of prevailing design is to maximise the span of tray flooring between secondary beams. Both the spanning capability of individual trayflooring profiles, and the total depth of wet concrete influence design outcomes. Profiles which have a high inherent stiffness and allow reduced overall slab depths (or more correctly, reduced volumes of concrete) have a distinct advantage in the market. However, maximising the ‘unpropped’ span also increases ‘ponding’ effects or the added weight of concrete a slab must carry, due to the deflection of the slab and supporting structure. These are impacted by flatness requirements imposed on the top surface of the slab. A much reduced span is pertinent for an ‘unpropped’ slab which is required to have a flat surface (screed to level) compared to a slab which is permitted to have a constant thickness, but which may not be particularly flat (screed to thickness).

All manufacturers propping tables, to date have not catered for this variation but have been prepared on a “one design fits all” basis. The consequent result can be either conservative and therefore uneconomic, or alternatively unconservative and therefore dangerous, depending on the circumstances they have been used in.

extend propping tables / charts

In the past propping tables have been produced on the basis that the tray flooring would always be propped, and this has limited the full advantages of ‘unpropped’ construction to be utilized. The publication of HERA REPORT R4-107:2005 ‘composite floor construction handbook’, has given serviceability criteria which can be standardized and allow designers to provide a variety of solutions contingent on a projects requirements. Depending on the degree of supervision, designers can specify spans on serviceability (flatness) requirements along with construction procedures (screed to level or thickness), allowing extended spans which are able to be used in confidence.

compliance with NZBC

Compliance with the New Zealand building code Clause B1-structure is by use of the acceptable solutions provisions. Approved documents which are permitted under verification Method B1/vm1 include:

design of tray floor
AS/NZS4600:2005 “Cold formed steel structures code.

loading specification and serviceability limits
BS5950: Part 4: 1994 “code of practise for design of composite slabs with profiled steel sheeting.” By reference from NZS3404: Part 1

It is to be noted that the overriding document for compliance with NZBC with regard to the design of profiled steel sheeting supporting loads before composite action is developed is AS/NZS4600 “cold formed steel structures”. Further, should verification by testing be proposed, then such testing is to be in compliance with section 8.0 of AS/NZS4600.

Both constructional live loads and serviceability deflection limits are specified within BS5950:Part4:1994

The use of obsolete standards (in particular BS 5950: Part 4:1982) do not constitute compliance with NZBC provisions. Specifically, the empirical ‘material code’ provisions included within the 1982 edition were removed from the current 1994 edition and have since been superseded by firstly
AS/NZS4600:1996 and subsequently
AS/NZS4600:2005 as the governing document.

important changes to AS/NZS4600 “cold formed steel structures" standard, 2005 edition

A number of critically important changes have been incorporated within the current 2005 edition of AS/NZS4600 “cold formed steel structures”, which tray flooring manufacturers must upgrade to if they are to provide compliance t the New Zealand Building Code. These changes include but are not limited to:

(a) restriction of G550mPa grade steels
Both the 1996 and 2005 editions place a reduction factor to the designs yield strengths of grade 550mPa steels, based on both yield and rupture strengths being relatively close and resulting in a lack of ductility for that grade of steel. While the 2005 edition allows a slight relaxation of this reduction, it also removes previously accepted exclusions to this provision. A note to the 1996 edition stated that for structural members which were subject to bending, shear, bearing, and compression, ductility may not be a significant factor. Where such interaction occurred, it was accepted the reduction in the design yield strength was not required. It has previously been accepted that roofing, purlins and trayflooring were eligible for this exception.

The consequence of this change is a net reduction in the ultimate strength capacity of tray flooring.

a variety of elements, of which compression elements form a significant part.
Design rules reduce the area of compression elements in accordance with its imposed stress levels, to model the effect of local buckling occurring within them. Revised rules have impacted those compression elements which have intermediate stiffeners and depending on the profile, have reduced dramatically their contribution to the member’s
strength and stiffness.

All three amendments to AS/NZS4600 may result in a reduction in both the ultimate limit and serviceability limit state capacities of trayflooring.

compliance of formsteel tray flooring with NZBC

Extensive designs have been undertaken to ensure compliance with the recently released AS/NZS4600:2005 standard. Propping spans of Formsteel tray flooring profiles, Unifloor, Svelte floor 60, and Svelte floor 80 fully comply by calculation with the relevant rules of AS/NZS4600:2005 and BS5950: Part 4: 1994.

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