Typically, at the outset you will know which beams are to be non-composite and which are to be composite and you will have specified the construction type accordingly. However, circumstances can arise in which a beam initially intended to be composite proves to be ineffective. Examples might be:
- very small beams,
- beams with a significant point load close to a support,
- beams where the deck is at a shallow angle to the beam, hence the stud spacing is impractical,
- beams where, for a variety of reasons, it is not possible to provide an adequate number of studs, and
- edge beams, where the advantages of composite design (e.g. reduced depth) are not so clear
Where Tekla Structural Designer is unable to find a section size which works compositely, you can ask for a non-composite design for the same loading. You will find that this facility is particularly useful when you right-click a key beam in the model in order to perform an individual member design.
