Built-up deep deck unit for a roof or floor
A deck unit is disclosed to form a deck system for a roof or floor that is capable of supporting a heavier load and/or spanning greater distances. The deck unit is a profiled, metal unit, that derives its greater load-bearing strength in part from its greater depth but provides flexibility in achieving the greater strength from the way the additional depth is obtained. In particular, a full length channel is attached to a hat-shaped profile. The channel adds strength both by increasing deck unit depth and by avoiding lengthening the webs on the hat-shaped profile. The channel increases design flexibility by allowing the designer to increase the strength of pre-existing decks by the addition of a channel of suitable metal thickness and size. It also provides a channel for conduit, cabling and wiring. The deck unit may be fluted or, by the addition of a liner panel to close the interior of hat-shaped profile, cellular. Sound absorbing materials can be installed in either a fluted or cellular deck unit.
1. A deck unit for use in constructing a roof or floor of a building, said deck unit comprising:
a hat-shaped profile having a top flange and two opposing webs, each web of said two opposing webs having a bottom flange, said hat-shaped profile being made of sheet metal formed to have said hat-shaped profile; and
a box-like channel having at least two corners, a top between said two corners, and two opposing sides, said box-like channel contacting a top portion of said hat-shaped profile and supported by said webs of said hat-shaped profile to define a deck unit, said box-like channel being made of sheet metal formed to have a box-like profile, said box-like channel being supported by said hat-shaped profile to add depth to said hat-shaped profile, and wherein said bottom flange of said each web of said hat-shaped profile is joinable to a bottom flange of a web of an adjacent hat-shaped profile so that plural deck units are connectable to form a deck system for a roof or a floor.
2. The deck unit as recited in claim 1 , wherein said deck unit further comprises a liner panel attached to said hat-shaped profile to define a cellular deck unit.
3. The deck unit as recited in claim 2 , wherein said liner panel is perforated.
4. The deck unit as recited in claim 2 , wherein said hat-shaped profile carries sound-absorbing materials.
5. The deck unit as recited in claim 1 , wherein said webs are perforated.
6. The deck unit as recited in claim 1 , wherein said top flange is perforated.
7. The deck unit as recited in claim 1 , wherein said webs and said top flange are perforated.
8. The deck unit as recited in claim 1 , further comprising stiffeners carried by said webs.
9. The deck unit as recited in claim 1 , further comprising stiffeners carried by said top flange.
10. The deck unit as recited in claim 1 , wherein said box-like channel has inwardly terminating terminal portions, and wherein said terminal portions are fastened to said top flange.
11. The deck unit as recited in claim 1 , wherein said box-like channel has opposing terminal portions, and wherein said terminal portions are fastened to said opposing webs.
12. The deck unit as recited in claim 1 , wherein said box-like channel is made of a first gauge of steel and said hat-shaped profile is made of a second gauge of steel, said first gauge of steel being a different gauge of steel than said second gauge of steel.
13. The deck unit as recited in claim 1 , wherein said box-like channel has a cross-sectional area and a first end and an opposing second end, and said cross-sectional area varies from said first end to said second end.
14. The deck unit as recited in claim 1 , further comprising sound-absorbing material carried within said box-like channel.
15. The deck unit as recited in claim 1 , further comprising sound-absorbing material carried adjacent to and outside said hat-shaped profile.
16. The deck unit as recited in claim 1 , further comprising sound-absorbing material carried within said box-like channel and adjacent to and outside said hat-shaped profile.