Composite Steel Decking and the construction process.

Steel decking acts as permanent or 'lost' formwork for suspended in situ concrete floor or roof slabs in new and refurbished buildings. On most projects it will also act as all or part of the tensile bottom reinforcement for the concrete slabs, hence the term 'composite'.

As well as the provision of steel edge formwork, the services provided include the supply and installation of site-welded shear studs. In conjunction with decking systems, shear studs can enhance the performance of steel frame structures allowing reductions in member sizes and the cost of building.

The use of steel decking profiles is especially suitable for 'fast-track' construction methods where their speed, simplicity and affinity with steel framed structures make the products ideal for high and low rise buildings. Decking is also used to speed up and simplify the construction of brickwork, blockwork and concrete framed buildings.

Unlike traditional shuttering for in situ concrete floors steel deck permanent formwork is not struck and removed after casting the slab and requires no temporary propping in most circumstances during the placing and curing of the concrete.