Steel Decking Sheets

Steel deck is made by cold forming structural grade sheet steel into a repeating pattern of parallel ribs. The strength and stiffness of the panels are a result of the shape of the ribs and the material properties of the steel. The present version of the Indian Standard for Cold Rolled Cold Annealed (CRCA) steel (IS 513) is not rich in content in respect to the structural applications that CRCA steel has been witne~sing in the country. With hot rolled (HR) Steel long available in grades like Yst 240 and Yst 310 for processing into CR ste~l, the exclusion of structural grade steel from IS 513 remains an enigma. Indian steel manufacturers also make Yst 550 grade of HR and thus availability of high tensile structural steel is a reality for structural grade CRCA material. However, because of the low ductility of high tensile steel (elongations are generally about 1 to 4% for Yst 550 grade CR), its use for deck applications where they act as formwork to support green concrete and unforeseen erection loads until the slab attains its properties may not be wise. Transport considerations would generally limit the length of deck sheets to about 7.2 m. The sheets are furnished in standard width with ends square cut. Any cutting for width, e.g. cuts for openings, angular fits etc. are done at the job site by the fitting crew.