12 HOW TO INSTALL DECKS IN DIAPHRAGM

Decks installed in diaphragm, or stressed skin, design allows the horizontal side wind force to be
transmitted through the deck into the support frame structure. This allows the designer to remove
certain cross bracing, improving the internal aesthetic view of the roof.
Any diaphragm area must have a minimum of three braced walls.
Where decks are required to resist diaphragm loads, in addition to standard fixing requirements the
deck must be fixed around the full perimeter, as indicated in sketches below.
Deck directly fixed to main steelwork
Fixing to parallel members is not too difficult because these can be at the same level as the deck
support beams.

Deck to support fastener positions (red arrows)

Each arrow may signify more than one fixing.
Fastener specification to be determined by fastener manufacturer to suit support structure.
Shot fired pins determined by manufacturer subject to minimum flange thickness (not
suitable for timber supports)
Deck to parallel beam fastener positions (green arrows)
Perimeter screw centers will be determined from diaphragm design calculations.
Side lap fastener (blue arrows)
Stitching centers will be determined from diaphragm design calculations.
Stitching fastener specification to be determined by fastener manufacturer.
Alternative rivet specification to be determined by fastener manufacturer.

Deck fixed to purlins

When the deck is on purlins, shear connector brackets are needed to enable the connection to
parallel rafters.

Shear Connector
Brackets
Deck to support fastener positions (red arrows)
Each arrow may signify more than one fixing.
Fastener specification to be determined by fastener manufacturer to suit support structure.
Shot fired pins determined by manufacturer subject to minimum flange thickness (not
suitable for timber supports)
Deck to parallel beam fastener positions (green arrows)
Perimeter screw centers will be determined from diaphragm design calculations.
Side lap fasteners (blue arrows)
Stitching centers will be determined from diaphragm design calculations.
Stitching fastener specification to be determined by fastener manufacturer.
Alternative rivet specification to be determined by fastener manufacturer.
Diaphragm Design
Tata Steel can provide diaphragm design calculations, carried out in accordance with EN 1993-1-3:
2006 for steel profiles, and EN 1999-1-4:2007 for aluminium profiles. Both codes refer to ECCS No. 88
(1995) European recommendations for the application of metal sheeting acting as a diaphragm, and are
subject to the limitations and conditions specified therein.
Prior to any diaphragm calculation the deck must be checked for normal loads to include:- live, dead,
2
wind suction and pressure, snow drift loads, all stated as kN/m .
Information for diaphragm calculations comprise: A dimensioned drawing indicating main support, or purlin, positions.
An indication where braced walls are positioned, a minimum of three braced walls is required.
The wind load acting at the perimeter, stated as a line load in kN/m.
Responsibility
The designer responsible for the overall stability of the structure should ensure the compatibility of
design and details of parts and components, including stressed skin shear diaphragms. There should
be no doubt as to where the responsibility for overall stability lies when some or all of the design and
details are not made by the same designer.
The provider of the diaphragm calculations is not responsible for the overall stability of the structure.
Responsibility for overall stability lies with the Structural Engineer responsible for the project.
The building structure design must consider how the load will be transferred between the walls and the
roof deck and how the load will transfer to foundations though braced wall elements. It is essential that
any diaphragm area be surrounded by at least three braced walls, that the deck is fixed down at all four
edges of the diaphragm area and that edge members are continuous. Where there is one unbraced and
three braced walls supporting the diaphragm area, this gives rise to a cantilever diaphragm.

Openings
Openings in decks must be trimmed or fully supported according to Tata Steel deck penetration rules.
Openings totaling more than 3% of the area in each panel should not be permitted unless they conform
to ECCS No. 88 clause 8.3. Openings of less than 3% of the area in each panel may be permitted
without special calculation provided the total number of fasteners in each panel is not reduced.
Diaphragm deflection.
An overall deflection is given, however no criteria are applied as to whether this is satisfactory or not. It
is up to the building designer to define an acceptable level of deflection of the diaphragm. The
deflection calculation does not include axial strain in edge members on glulam frames.
Pitched roof with a ridge
A full structural connection must be made between the deck sheets on each side of a ridge. Where the
deck sheets are perpendicular to the ridge, a suitable connection would be a 1.6 mm galvanized steel
flashing securely fixed to both sheets fixed at the frequency specified for fixings at the supports but not
less than every trough of the deck. The fixings should pass through the deck into the 1.6 mm steel
flashing. Where the deck sheets are parallel, a suitable connection would be a 1.2 mm galvanised steel
flashing securely fixed to both sheets fixed at the frequency specified for seam fixings.
Roofs of irregular shape
For convenience, the software assumes that a building is rectangular with one diaphragm area. The
real building might consist of more than one diaphragm area as in the case shown below. In this case
the calculations must be run for each diaphragm area separately. When a roof which is required to act
as a diaphragm has an irregular plan form and / or parts of the roof at different levels it is necessary to
divide the roof into zones so that each part of the building is stabilised by a rectangular diaphragm zone
to resist horizontal forces applied in both the longitudinal and transverse directions. In the design
calculations each zone is then treated as a separate diaphragm.
The diagram below shows a typical roof plan of such a building in which the roof is divided into zones A,
B, C, and D. Zones A and C act as conventional diaphragms spanning between vertical bracings to
resist both North / South and East / West loads. Zone D resists North / South loads only and acts as a
cantilever off zone A. Zone B contains a relatively high proportion of roof lights but is in fact surplus to
requirements and need not be designed as a diaphragm.

IRREGULAR ROOF PLAN

INDICATING
DIAPHRAGM AREAS

For further information please do not hesitate to get in touch with our Technical Department at
Tata Steel, E mail: roofdek@tatasteel.com