Patent Publication Number: US-2022220734-A1

Title: Panelized serrated beam assembly

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/199,592 filed on Jan. 11, 2021 entitled “PANELIZED SERRATED BEAM ASSEMBLY”, which application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a structural beam and deck assembly primarily intended to transfer vertical loads through shear and flexural actions along the length of the member to one or more structural supports. 
     Description of Related Art 
     Composite beams and joists are widely used in conventional steel construction. Typically, the beam or joist is located entirely below the composite slab-on-deck assembly. The transfer of horizontal shear forces between the concrete slab and the steel beam or joist is most commonly accomplished through the use of shear connectors, often in the form of headed anchor studs, which are welded to the top of the beam or joist prior to slab placement. Beams and decking to support the concrete slab are usually manufactured and installed as separate, individual elements. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention utilizes beam members, each with a serrated top flange encased in the concrete slab wherein the headed serrations provide for the transfer of horizontal shear forces between the steel member and the concrete slab. Portions of the overall cross section of the beam members are attached to each end of decking prior to installation to create a beam and deck assembly. Installation of the beam and deck assemblies involves connecting adjacent beam and deck assemblies by attaching the portions of each beam member to create the overall cross sections of the beam members. The present invention is directed toward a structural beam and deck assembly spanning substantially horizontally between one or more supports wherein the top flange of the cross section of the beam members is comprised of serrated geometry. In one embodiment, the serrated geometry comprises portions of one or both sides of the top flange of an I-beam being cut out in an alternating pattern. Many cut-out patterns in the flange, as well as configurations of steel beam member shapes and flange orientations are possible. The top flange of the cross section is intended to be encased by a typically concrete slab such that the serrations in the top flange of the beam member are encapsulated or encased by the concrete slab and, thereby facilitate horizontal shear transfer between the cross section and the surrounding slab medium thereby creating composite action between the member and surrounding slab. The primary function of this composite beam member is to transfer vertical loads applied along the length of the beam member to one or more supports along the length of the member through shear and flexural forces in the composite assembly. 
     The portions of the beam member attached to each deck assembly may be comprised of unitary construction or built-up of structural plates, angles, ‘T’ shaped, ‘I’ shaped, ‘C’ shaped, rectangular or other similar geometric cross sections, though the use of other cross sections are also within the scope of the present invention. The serrations each side of the top flange of the member may be aligned in various configurations, such as alternating portions on the respective sides of the web, or mirror images on either side of the web. Multiple shapes of cut-outs and remaining portions of the flange are provided but may take the form of any shape which facilitates the composite action contemplated herein. 
     In one embodiment, the member may be self-contained as a beam acting compositely with the surrounding slab. While the shape of the serrations in this embodiment is substantially rectangular, the use of square, circular, elliptical, bulbed, ‘L’ shaped, ‘T’ shaped or other geometry is within the scope of the present invention. 
     While the member is envisioned to be comprised of steel material, the decking comprised of corrugated steel material and the slab comprised of concrete material, the use of other materials is also within the scope of the present invention. The member in its entirety or individual components of the member may be formed from metal, primarily structural steel, through known fabrication processes such as cutting from plate, casting, built up of welded or bolted shapes, machining, forming from cold bending of plates, extruding, hot rolling, or from other fabrication or manufacturing processes. However, other known materials, such as carbon fiber or other metals, and other manufacturing processes are also within the scope of the present invention. Other decking materials such as wood, plastic, carbon fiber or other metals are also within the scope of the present invention. Other slab materials, such as asphalt, epoxy or other cementitious materials are also within the scope of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith, in which like reference numerals are employed to indicate like or similar parts in various views. 
         FIG. 1  is an overall isometric view of one embodiment of a load carrying structural beam and deck assembly in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is blown-up partial isometric view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3A  is a section view of one embodiment of a load carrying structural beam and deck assembly in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3B  is a section view of one embodiment of a load carrying structural beam and deck assembly in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3C  is a section view of one embodiment of a load carrying structural beam and deck assembly in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 3D  is a top view of one embodiment of a serrated top flange in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure and which is included in the beam members of  FIG. 3A ,  FIG. 3B  and  FIG. 3C . 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  show a further embodiment of a beam with a serrated top flange and an elongated web portion. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description of the present invention references the accompanying drawing figures that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the present invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the scope of the present invention. The present invention is defined by the appended claims and, therefore, the description is not to be taken in a limiting sense and shall not limit the scope of the equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 
     The present provisional patent application incorporates the teachings of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/929,292 in its entirety by reference. 
       FIG. 1  shows an isometric view of adjacent beam and deck assemblies  60  and  61  each of which include a deck assembly  40 . Adjacent beam and deck assemblies  60  and  61  when attached to each other during installation form the full cross section of beam member  10 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a blown-up partial isometric view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . Beam and deck assembly  60  is comprised of a portion  50  of the overall cross section of beam member  10 , portion  50  being connected to a deck assembly  40  prior to installation. Beam and deck assembly  61  is comprised of a portion  51  of the overall cross section of beam member  10 , portion  51  being connected to a deck assembly  40  prior to installation. Upon installation beam and deck assembly  60  is attached to adjacent beam and deck assembly  61  by fastening portion  50  to portion  51  using fasteners  70 . Fasteners  70  could be bolts, rivets, welds, or any structural connection now known or hereafter developed. The connection of portion  50  to portion  51  results in the completion of the full cross section of beam member  10 , which is comprised of serrated top flange  20 . Aligned serrations  21  protrude horizontally from each side of serrated top flange  20 . A concrete slab (not shown) is to be placed over deck assemblies  40  to a thickness fully encasing serrated top flange  20 . Serrations  21  engage the concrete slab such that the serrated top flange  20  and the concrete slab undergo strains of similar magnitude and direction under applied loading along the length of top flange  20  thereby creating composite action. Decking  40  spans between the bottom flange of the beam members to support the concrete slab during placement and participates in transferring superimposed loads imparted to the concrete slab to beam member  10 . The connection of deck assembly  40  to beam member  10  restrains beam member  10  from torsional movement thereby mitigating lateral torsional buckling of beam member  10  during placement of the concrete slab. 
     Generally throughout, the use of concrete for the concrete slab may be another structural medium which can be poured or installed in more of a liquid state, then cured or solidified into a more rigid or solid state. Concrete is a good example, but it could be flowable grout, epoxy mixtures, or other similar structural medium. 
       FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C  show cross section views of adjacent beam and deck assemblies. Adjacent beam and deck assemblies  60  and  61  are comprised of a portion  50  of the overall cross section of a beam member  10 , a portion  51  of an adjacent beam member  10 , portions  50  and  51  interconnected by a deck assembly  40  prior to installation of beam and deck assemblies  60  and  61 . 
     Upon installation beam and deck assembly  61  is attached to adjacent beam and deck assembly  60  by fastening portion  51  to portion  50  using fasteners  70 . The connection of portion  51  to portion  50  results in the completion of the full cross section of a beam member  10 . The right end of beam and deck assembly  60  is shown having portion  51  installed and fastened to an adjacent beam and deck section resulting in the completion of beam member  10 , which is comprised of serrated top flange  20 . Aligned serrations  21  protrude horizontally from each side of serrated top flange  20 . Serrations  21  may be of the type described more fully in U.S. application Ser. No. 15/929,292. A concrete slab (not shown) is to be placed over deck assemblies  40  to a depth fully encasing serrated top flange  20 . Serrated top flange  20  is interconnected to vertical web members  32 . vertical web members  32 . Vertical web members  32  are interconnected with bottom flange members  31 . Decking  40  spans between the bottom flange of the beam members to support the concrete slab during placement and participates in transferring superimposed loads imparted to the concrete slab to beam member  10 . The connection of deck assembly to beam member  10  restrains beam member  10  from torsional movement thereby mitigating lateral torsional buckling of beam member  10  during placement of the concrete slab.  FIG. 3D  shows a top view of serrated top flange  20 , which includes aligned serrations  21  each side. Serrations  21  engage the concrete slab such that the serrated top flange  20  and the concrete slab undergo strains of similar magnitude and direction under applied loading along the length of top flange  20  thereby creating composite action. 
       FIG. 4A  is a further embodiment showing a deep girder embodiment. A beam member  10  may be comprised of a serrated top flange  20  as described above. This embodiment may include an elongated vertical web members  32  which extends down below the deck assembly  40 . The beam member  10  may extend through a center portion of the deck assembly  40  or an end portion of the deck assembly  40  as shown in  FIG. 4B . 
     From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure. It will be understood that certain features and sub combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims. Since many possible embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is also to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not limiting. 
     The constructions and methods described above and illustrated in the drawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the concepts and principles of the present invention. Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel invention. 
     As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of “optional” or “may include” and not as “required”. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present construction will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.