What is the impact on design strength of shored vs. unshored construction in composite beam design?
Research has shown that the ultimate strength of a composite beam is unaffected by the construction (shored or unshored). The ultimate flexural strength of the cross-section is unaffected by the initial load present because the applicable limit states in the 2005 AISC Specification Chapter I occur in the inelastic range (i.e., after stress is no longer proportional to strain). The acceptability of unshored construction is then entirely a question of serviceability and constructability.
