The Steel Deck Institute

Members of the SDI are manufacturers of steel roof deck and floor deck. The products that they manufacture are primarily used to support overlying roofing materials or to serve as a permanent form and/or positive reinforcement for concrete floor slabs.

Who We Are

Since its founding in 1939, the Steel Deck Institute (SDI) has provided uniform industry standards for the engineering, design, manufacture, and field usage of steel floor and roof decks. The SDI Board of Directors continues to hold quarterly committee meetings where research needs, technical issues, and marketing needs related to steel deck are acted upon.

At present, the SDI has twenty-four deck producing members and nine associate members. Member companies operate certified deck manufacturing facilities located throughout the United States while associate members are manufacturers of products related to the use of steel decks.

The mission of the SDI is to promote the advantageous nature of using steel roof deck and floor deck along with providing guidance in the proper design and use of steel roof deck and floor deck. The advantages to using steel deck in roof and floor construction include but are not limited to the following:

  • Physical Properties: Structural Strength, All Weather Constructibility, Fire Resistance
  • Intrinsic attributes: Uniform Product Quality, Proven Durability, Economic Value
  • Building Designer Advantages: Appearance, Acoustical Properties, Sustainability

The SDI is widely known in the construction and structural engineering industry for our various design manuals, publications, white papers, position statements, and technical notes. All these documents can be accessed for download and/or hard copy purchase on our website.

Institute Personnel

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J. Kenneth Charles

Managing Director

 

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Thomas Sputo Ph.D.,

P.E., S.E.

Technical Director

The SDI Story

The Steel Roof Deck Industry Technical Committee was formed in 1939 by the American Iron and Steel Institute and produced a draft Design Specification for Steel Roof Decking, published in 1945. The organization changed its name to the Metal Roof Deck Technical Institute in 1947, then to the Steel Deck Institute in 1964. The SDI published load tables for Narrow Rib, Intermediate, and Wide Rib Decks in the late 60s and published recommendations for Composite Steel Floor Deck design in 1978.

The Steel Deck Institute has maintained its commitment to funding research and development of new floor deck and roof deck solutions for the construction industry. In 2012, the organization published the First Edition of its Roof Deck Design Manual, followed by the First Edition of its companion Floor Deck Design Manual in 2014. These manuals, now in their Second Editions, have replaced Publication No. 31 and various other design handbooks that were published in the past. The SDI’s continued investment in research, computational model analysis, and empirical analysis aims to address existing challenges and develop innovative solutions for the ever-changing needs of the construction industry.

Steel Deck – The Sustainable Choice

Metal decking has many environmental advantages over other comparable construction materials. Steel is a durable material with a long lifespan and low maintenance requirement, reducing the need for replacement or repairs and the overall environmental impact of the project. Additionally, steel is highly recyclable, with a recycling rate of around 90%, reducing waste sent to landfills and conserving natural resources.

The common steel deck profiles allow sheets to be nested with each for transportation, minimizing dunnage and allowing for optimal truck loads. In conjunction with steel deck’s high strength-to-weight ratio, optimal truck loads help to reduce carbon emissions associated with transportation of materials to the job site. Steel deck’s superior strength- to-weight ratio also means less material is required to achieve necessary levels of strength and stability for a given project, further reducing the environmental impact.

Overall, the environmental advantages of steel roof deck and floor deck make them a sustainable and attractive choice for construction projects, contributing to the conservation of natural resources and reducing the impact of construction on the environment.

Environmental Product Declaration

Visit AISI page on sustainability 

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