Exodermic deck system

Abstract

An exodermic deck for structural floors including bridge floors, road beds, pedestrian walkways, or the like, comprises a composite structure of a grid component and a top component. The grid component is preferably made of steel and includes a plurality of main bearing bars and a plurality of distribution bars oriented perpendicular to the main bearing bars. The top component is preferably made from reinforced concrete. The upper portions of either the main bearing bars or the distribution bars are embedded in the reinforced concrete component permitting horizontal shear transfer and creating a composite deck structure which maximizes the use of tensile strength of steel and the compressive strength of concrete. The top sections of the embedded bars have gripping surfaces for effecting mechanical locks between the grid component and the concrete component and increasing the horizontal shear transfer therebetween. Studs may be welded to the upper portions of the embedded bars to further affect horizontal shear transfer and enhance the performance of the composite deck structure. If desired, the top component may be made from materials other than concrete, such as an epoxy-aggregate, while the bars of the grid component may be made from materials other than steel, such as fiber-reinforced plastic.