Design and Use of Wood-Concrete Composites

Wood-concrete composites are floor and deck systems, which are comprised of a concrete slab integrally connected to wooden beams beneath by means of a shear connector. Use of a shear connector can significantly improve a deck's strength and stiffness (up to approximately 2 and 4 times, respectively (when compared to that of a nonconnected structure-resulting in a highly efficient use of materials. Sound and vibration performances, as well as fire resistance, are also improved when compared to timber floors. This paper discusses the structural design and use of wood-concrete composites in existing or new floor construction. A composite-mechanics analysis for semirigid shear connectors, taken from the European code for timber design (Eurocode 5), is described. It is further adapted to the allowable stress design method in the design of a commercial floor application using a high-performance glued-in shear connector system from Germany.