Investigation of the structural behavior of an innovative steel open-web floor system

An experimental study was conducted on a steel open-web floor system, in which the top and bottom chords are connected by a steel square tube to form a vertical web member. A full-scale flexural test was performed to evaluate the flexural performance and failure mechanisms of the floor system. The steel open-web floor structure demonstrated a satisfactory composite behavior, and the loading capacity increased to 2.6 times the working load. A parametric study was performed to examine the effects of three geometric properties. Increasing the size of the cross sections exerted a significant effect on stiffness, and the load capacity of the open web floor system was enhanced significantly. Results show that the design method and philosophy of the open-web floor structure are in accordance with Eurocode 4 and the Chinese Code for the Design of Steel Structures.