Week 6 Challenge

CHALLENGE 6

Aim: The main aim of this challenge is to gain the knowledge about the concept of design of a chequered plate when subjected to the loading is understood and the various parameters that are to be taken into consideration while designing of a chequered plate is learnt. And to determine the sizes that are required for the chequered plate to taken up the both bending moment and the shear force is also learnt. The design concept for the deck slab is also learnt.

Introduction: Chequer plate also called chequered plate is a plate with a regular pattern of projections on one side, showing diamond or other shapes, with the reverse side being smooth. It can be in the form of tear drop mild steel chequered plates, diamond shape mild steel chequered plates, and embossed mild steel plates. This kind plate frequently is made of steel, stainless steel or aluminium plate materials. Chequer plate is skid-proof because of the projections. Steel chequer plate enjoys a good wear ability, slip resistance as well as self-draining surface.

Features of chequered plates

• Anti-skid. It is benefit from the raised surface of the checker plate.
• Anti-corrosion and rust.The aluminium and galvanized material can help the checker plate from the corrosive and dusty environments.
• Anti-high temperature and alkaline.This is the main feature of the stainless steel checker plate.
• The bright surface, especially the polished aluminium checker plate has outstanding decorative affection.
• Self-cleaning and minimized the maintenance.The channel-shaped safety grating, expanded metal grating and the serrated bar steel grating all have the big holes, they can let the extra materials dropped down, so that we can reduce the maintenance.
• Easy to install and economical.They are one-piece structure and lightweight, we can install them with few people and less cost

Various application

• Checker plate can be made from different material, so they can be used in various environment. Such as the places exposed to the chemical, heat, corrosion, and dust and watering. It is usually used in the chemical workshops, wastewater treatment plants, and offshore oil production platforms and so on.
• Benefit from the anti-slip feature, the checker plate is used as the anti-slip floorings in the majority situations. Such as the workshops, running boards of car, stair treads, subways, walkways, lifting equipment’s, etc.
• Because of the decorative feature, the checker plate is usually used as the decorative materials in the inner and outer architectures. Such as the ceilings, furniture, cabinets, elevators, tiles, design studios and so on.
• Since there is a durable non-magnetic, making it suitable for use in a corrosive environment, such as harsh chemical plant. Beautiful surface finish is also well-suited to applications such as architectural decorative elements is required. Since paint is not necessary, does not take extra effort to maintain.

Deck slab: Metal decking or steel decking has become one of the most preferred methods of construction in the recent years and there are various metal deck sheet suppliers that have emerged recently due to its newfound popularity in constructions of multi-storeyed buildings because of the flexibility that it provides combined with high strength. It also considerably speeds up the construction process. Due to such benefits, it has found usage in residential, commercial as well as industrial building constructions.

Advantages of Metal Decking:

• Less Weight:

Slabs made with steel decking have high structural strength compared to traditional concrete slabs. This creates a high strength-to-weight ratio which allows for a massive weight reduction. This proves to be much more beneficial for multi-storeyed buildings as it brings down the entire weight of the construction significantly which can allow for lower foundation sizes. Metal decking makes the slabs lightweight and reduces the amount of work or support props required for slab casting. 

• Cost Saving:

Due to the reinforcement and strength given by the metal deck, in cases of composite slabs, the amount of concrete used in the slabs can be reduced by a large amount while maintaining the same strength. Moreover, the reinforcing steel can be reduced by 25% as the deck profile itself contributes largely to the tensile reinforcing property and thereby saves time and material required. This results in lower costs.

• Easy Handling:

Steel decking can be transported in pre-cut sizes according to the application on-site which can then be quickly laid out over the construction area. This greatly minimises work on-site and can help in faster construction. Moreover, the laying out of steel decking does not have to obstruct other processes being carried out on various parts of the construction site. In fact, the deck can be used as a working platform during construction and the masonry and other work can be carried out unhindered during and after the casting of the slab thereby reducing cost, time and labour. This allows for speedy and safe construction and requires less manpower to handle the activities.

• Easy Installation of Shuttering Material:

Metal deck sheets act as composite members and as permanent shuttering resulting in savings of supply installation and installation of shuttering material. Additionally, provisions can be made on the steel decking or metal decking to fix cable trays and pipes which can then be easily laid out once the metal decking is in place. This significantly reduces costs incurred during the installation of these services on conventional slabs.

• High Strength:

Composite slabs made of concrete reinforced with metal decking can provide immense strength to the structure. The strength of the concrete combined with flexible reinforcement of the metal decking serves to provide an all-round stronger slab that can withstand a great amount of load over a long period of time. No major reinforcement is required unless the design parameters demand. The slab thickness can be reduced which can allow for lighter slabs while maintaining the same strength. This makes way for reduced foundation loads resulting in lesser material consumption and thus lowering the cost. 

Those were some of the benefits of metal decking which have made it such a popular method of construction these days. Bansal Roofing is a leading supplier of metal decking in Vadodara and Gujarat and the stock levels of steel or metal decking that have allowed us to deliver throughout the region in record times compared to any other conventional flooring systems. 

 Conclusion:

From the project carried out it can be concluded that the concept of the design procedure of the chequered plate and the deck slab is learnt and the various reasons for the failure of the same is learnt. The method for the determination of the size of the chequered plate and the deck slab and the calculation of the reinforcement of a deck slab is also learnt.

Vijayalakshmi S H