Structural decking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10465384-B2
Application number	US-201715845653-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2017
Priority date	Apr 23, 2014
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include structural decking systems with at least a four-layered seam and methods for manufacturing and assembling structural decking systems with at least four-layered seams. The decking panels may be provided with an edge having an exposed “male lip” with two layers, and an opposite edge having a “female lip” with two layers. Individual panels may be coupled together by placing the female lip of a first panel over the male lip of an adjacent panel, thus creating an unjoined seam. In order to couple the panels together, the panels may be secured through various couplings configurations. The couplings may be formed by deforming, cutting, and/or welding the seam. Not only do the couplings help prevent vertical separation between adjacent panels, the couplings minimize lateral shifting along the seam, and ensure a desired level of shear strength in the seam and across the structural decking system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A structural decking system for providing diaphragm strength to a building, comprising:
a first structural decking panel comprising:
a plurality of first decking panel flutes, wherein each of the first decking panel flutes comprise a top flange, a bottom flange, and webs operatively coupling the top flange and the bottom flange; and
at least one edge comprising a male lip;

a second structural decking panel comprising:
a plurality of second decking panel flutes, wherein each of the second decking panel flutes comprise a top flange, a bottom flange, and webs operatively coupling the top flange and the bottom flange; and
at least one edge comprising a female lip;

wherein the female lip and the male lip are formed before forming a seam, and wherein the female lip of the second structural decking panel is placed over the male lip of the first structural decking panel to create the seam with four or more layers;
wherein the male lip and the female lip are generally perpendicular to a plane formed from the first structural decking panel and the second structural decking panel;
two or more support members, wherein the first structural decking panel and the second structural decking panel are secured to the two or more support members; and
couplings formed in the male lip and the female lip of a portion of the seam with the four or more layers in order to couple the first structural decking panel to the second structural decking panel, wherein the couplings are formed by fasteners through the four or more layers, cutting the four or more layers, or forming welds through the four or more layers, wherein the couplings provide shear strength in the seam, wherein the seam comprises the couplings at a plurality of coupling locations, and wherein the seam is unjoined where the female lip is placed over the male lip at a plurality of locations without the couplings; and
wherein the structural decking system formed prevents movement between the structural decking panels with respect to each other and with the two or more support members.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the male lip comprises:
a first male layer; and
a second male layer;
wherein the second male layer is folded over the first male layer to form the male lip with two layers.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the second male layer is an inwardly folded second male layer or an outwardly folded second male layer.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first male layer and the second male layer are straight sections without additional bends.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the female lip comprises:
a first female layer; and
a second female layer;
wherein the second female layer is folded with respect to the first female layer to form a v-shaped or u-shaped female lip with two layers.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the female lip further comprises a third female layer, wherein the third female layer is folded with respect to the second female layer to form the v-shaped or the u-shaped female lip with three layers.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seam with the four or more layers comprises straight surfaces in adjacent portions of each of the four or more layers, and wherein the couplings are formed through the straight surfaces in the adjacent portions of each of the four or more layers.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein when the couplings are tabs, the tabs are formed through the straight surfaces of the four more layers, and wherein the tabs are formed by shearing through the straight surfaces in the four or more layers.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein when the couplings are top-seam welds or side-seam welds in the seam, the top-seam welds or the side-seam welds are formed through the four or more layers of the portion of the seam.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the male lip and the female lip have tolerances to allow for alignment of the female lip over the male lip along a length of the first structural decking panel and the second structural decking panel with spaces between the male lip and the female lip.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seam is formed in the bottom flange formed between the top flange of the first structural decking panel and the top flange of the second structural decking panel.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the seam extends from the bottom flange formed between the first structural decking panel and the second structural decking panel to below the top flange of the first structural decking panel and the top flange of the second structural decking panel.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the couplings in the seam with the four or more layers improves the shear strength of the seam by greater than 5 percent over a three-layer seam with the couplings with all other factors being equal, wherein the couplings in the seam with the four or more layers of the structural decking system results in the shear strength that is the same as or similar to a three-layer seam shear strength with at least 5 percent fewer couplings in the seam with the four or more layers and with all other factors being equal, or wherein the couplings in the seam with the four or more layers of the structural decking system results in the shear strength that is the same as or similar to the three-layer seam shear strength with a material thickness of the first structural decking panel or the second structural decking panel that is at least 5 percent thinner than the three-layer seam structural decking panel thickness and with all other factors being equal.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first structural decking panel and the second structural decking panel of the structural decking system has a first material thickness, a first number of couplings from the couplings, and a first shear strength that is the same or similar to a second shear strength of a second structural decking system utilizing a three-layer seam having a second material thickness greater than the first material thickness and a second number of couplings greater than the first number of couplings, and wherein a length and a width of the structural decking system is the same as the second structural decking system and with all other factors being equal.

15. A structural decking system for providing diaphragm strength to a building, comprising:
a first structural decking panel comprising:
a plurality of first decking panel flutes, wherein each of the first decking panel flutes comprise a top flange, a bottom flange, and webs operatively coupling the top flange and the bottom flange; and
at least one edge comprising a male lip, wherein the male lip comprises:
a first male layer; and
a second male layer;
wherein the second male layer is folded over the first male layer to form the male lip with two layers; and

a second structural decking panel comprising:
a plurality of second decking panel flutes, wherein each of the second decking panel flutes comprise a top flange, a bottom flange, and webs operatively coupling the top flange and the bottom flange; and
at least one edge comprising a female lip;

wherein the female lip and the male lip are formed before forming a seam, and wherein the female lip of the second structural decking panel is placed over the male lip of the first structural decking panel to create the seam with four or more layers;
wherein the male lip and the female lip are generally perpendicular to a plane formed from the first structural decking panel and the second structural decking panel;
two or more support members, wherein the first structural decking panel and the second structural decking pa

Assignees

• Nucor Corp

Inventors

• Bogh Brian Hansen
• Brown Christopher Lawrence
• Martin Jeffrey Reino

Classifications

• E04D3/364

  by folding of the edges · CPC title

• E04B2103/06

  of metal · CPC title

• E04B5/32 Primary

  Floor structures wholly cast in situ with or without form units or reinforcements · CPC title

• E04B5/40 Primary

  with metal form-slabs · CPC title

• E04C2/08

  of metal, e.g. sheet metal (E04C2/26 takes precedence) · CPC title