Testing on a FastFloor C prototype was recently conducted at Virginia Tech. A 10-ft-wide by 22-ft-span FastFloor module was subjected to a concentrated load applied downward on the ½-in. steel cover plate at midspan. The objective was to determine the forces in the connection between the beam and the cover plate up to failure. Two configurations were tested: one with a welded beam-to-plate connection and another with a bolted connection (both based on real details in FastFloor C prototypes). For the bolted connection, buckling of the steel plate between the bolts (spaced 24 in. o.c.) was observed, but no bolt failures occurred. For the welded connection, two welds fractured (spaced12 in. o.c) just before the conclusion of the test. Both tests ultimately ended with complete punching of the jack through the ½-in. steel plate!
