Patent ID: 7845132

Claim:
A steel deck structure incorporating an interlocking side-lapped seam, the steel deck structure comprising: a. a first steel deck panel, the first steel deck panel including an upturned male lip along one side edge thereof; b. a second steel deck panel including a downwardly-directed U-shaped female channel along one side edge thereof, the U-shaped female channel extending over and receiving the upturned male lip of the first steel deck panel to form the side-lapped seam, the U-shaped channel including first and second walls generally parallel to each other; and c. an attachment formed within the side-lapped seam to attach the first steel deck panel to the second steel deck panel, the attachment including: i. a first generally vertical cut line extending through the male lip and through the first and second walls of the female channel; ii. a second generally vertical cut line extending through the male lip and through the first and second walls of the female channel; iii. a central portion of the attachment lying between the first and second cut lines; iv. a first outer portion of the attachment adjacent the first cut line and lying on an opposite side of the first cut line as the central portion of the attachment; and v. a second outer portion of the attachment adjacent the second cut line and lying on an opposite side of the second cut line as the central portion of the attachment; vi. the central portion of the attachment being deformed in a first direction adjacent the first cut line, and the central portion of the attachment being deformed in a second opposing direction adjacent the second cut line; vi. the first outer portion of the attachment being deformed in the second direction; and vii. the second outer portion of the attachment being deformed in the first direction.