Design for Deconstruction Using Sustainable Composite Beams with Precast Concrete Planks and Clamping Connectors

This paper presents the results of full-scale flexural testing of deconstructable composite beams that are part of a sustainable composite floor system. In this system, steel beams are attached with precast concrete planks utilizing deconstructable clamping connectors to achieve composite action as well as design for deconstruction. The beam specimens were designed with varied levels of composite action and demonstrated very ductile behavior. It is shown that the elastic stiffness of the beams can be conservatively estimated using a lower-bound moment of inertia, and the ultimate flexural strength of the beams closely matches the strength predicted by standard design provisions of the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). The AISC effective-width provisions can be utilized to calculate the effective widths of the deconstructable composite beams. Under moderate loading, the specimens behaved as composite beams with full interaction due to the friction generated at the steel–concrete interface.