Strength of Three New Types of Composite Beams

Although composite construction is not new, having been in use in this country since the late 1930s, it owes its current popularity in building construction to relatively recent developments. Since the advantages of composite construction—reduced weight of steel, smaller live load deflection, or decreased depth of members—are most pronounced in long spans and for heavy loads, most of the early work was done in the bridge field. However, neither the original nor the revised provisions on composite construction in the specifications of the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), which were written specifically for bridges, were directly applicable to building construction because of the different nature of the problems involved.