An extensive parametric study was initiated to get a better understanding of steel deck behavior under concentrated loads and to develop design recommendations for a wide range of deck profiles. This paper presents first results from the study related to 1.5-in. deep roof decks of types B and F. The study was performed on non-linear finite element models of deck validated against available test data. Deck gage, span length, span condition, concentrated load locations along and across the deck span were varied in the study. The observed deck behavior under concentrated loads, as well as the effects of the studied parameters on the effective distribution widths governed by the deck strength and stiffness, was presented and discussed. Design equations for predicting the effective distribution width for the studied deck profiles were presented
