An experimental study with many variables was carried out to
investigate the effective width of simply supported composite beams (T and L
sec. beams) with and without slab opening. Three full-scale composite slab
models with six different carrier simply supported composite beams (three
with T-sec. and three with L-sec.) with constant slab rectangularity were
tested. Each model was loaded by a uniform distributed load (within elastic
behavior zone) then loaded by means of two-concentrated loads system
acting at equal distances from supports till failure. One of them without slab
opening and the others with two symmetric slab openings and constant
opening position in direction parallel to main supporting beams longitudinal
axes.
In this research, the tested model features, materials properties and
measurement instrumentations are described in brief. The maximum load
carrying capacity; crack patterns, deflections at different positions and
generated strains in form of estimated effective width were experimentally
investigated. Interesting gained results were recorded such that more than
100% of slab effective width is preserved for interior supporting beams if the
openings are away enough from carried composite slabs structural carried
zones while only 70% was preserved for exterior ones. Also, concentrated
loads manner reduced carried composite slab effective width to be85%in
average of that recorded for equivalent distributed loads. Some conclusions
and recommendations are introduced.