Shear connection rules to Eurocode 4 published by SCI

Steel Construction Institute (SCI) has published ‘Minimum degree of shear connection rules for UK construction to Eurocode 4’, guidance that was produced with British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA) and Tata Steel funding.

The downloadable publication is available on www.steelconstruction.info and www.steelbiz.org for registered users who are members of either SCI or BCSA.

“For many years composite construction has played a major role in the commercial success of the steel construction sector in the UK. The rules given in this new publication complement those given in Eurocode 4, and in so doing will enable valid designs to be produced for a broader range of beams,” said SCI CEO Graham Couchman.

This publication presents design resistances for shear studs when used in the presence of modern forms of decking. It includes rules for the minimum number of studs that are needed on a range of beams (the minimum degree of shear connection).

In many cases this minimum is lower than would be required by EN 1994-1-1 (and BS 5950-3.1 prior to its amendment in 2010).

The combination of less onerous requirements for minimum degree of shear connection, and lower stud resistances, allows many composite beams to be designed that would not satisfy the rules given in EN 1994-1-1.