Roof deck, form deck, and composite deck can be attached to supports using a range of methods, including automated mechanical fastening tools. Automated methods can also be used for side-lap fastening of nested steel decking.
Today’s most advanced, automated steel deck tools can accelerate deck installation to reduce costs to the project.
Deck is traditionally attached to the building frame with arc spot welds (also referred to as “puddle welds”), self-drilling screws or powder or pneumatically driven pins. Sheet-to-sheet fastening is traditionally done with screws, button punching (crimping), clinching, or welds. Welding uses a minimum visible 5/8″ diameter puddle weld, spaced an average of 12″ on center, not to exceed 18″ on center. Weld washers must be used on all deck units that are less than 22 gage. Side laps are to be fastened together between supports at a maximum spacing of 36″ on center whenever the deck span exceeds 5′-0″. Automated fastening methods follow these same requirements, with the advantage of enhanced speed and potential cost efficiencies.
