Non-Iterative Optimal Design Method Based on LM Index for Steel Double-Beam Floor Systems Reinforced with Concrete Panels

Abstract

Steel double-beam floor systems reinforced with concrete panels can improve the structural and environmental performance of buildings by reducing moment demands and embodied CO2 emissions. However, for steel double-beam floor systems, a time-consuming iterative analysis is required to derive an optimal design proposal owing to the rotational constraints in the composite joints between the concrete panel and steel beams. In this study, a non-iterative optimal design method using the LM index is proposed to minimize the embodied CO2 emissions of steel double-beam floor systems. The LM index is a measure that can be used to select the optimal cross-section of the steel beams considering the decreased moment capacity according to the unbraced length. The structural feasibility of the proposed design method was verified by investigating whether safety-related constraints were satisfied by the LM index with respect to the design variables under various gravity loads. The applicability of the proposed optimal design method is verified by comparing the embodied CO2 emissions derived from the proposed and code-based design methods. Applicable design conditions were presented based on the LM index to aid engineers. The proposed design method can provide environmentally-optimized design proposals to ensure structural safety by directly selecting the LM index of steel beams.