Behavior of Reinforcing Bar Connection of Hollow-Core Slabs to Steel Beams under In-Plane Forces

Abstract

Hollow-core slab (HCS) floors supported on steel beams require the use of steel reinforcement as connections to avoid slab displacement caused by lateral loads. However, current North American design codes offer limited provisions on the design and behavior of such connections. In this study, the results of an experimental investigation conducted on such connections to assess their capacity and mode of failure are presented. Eleven full-scale assemblies of HCS reinforcing bar connections to steel beams were tested to failure under monotonic in-plane loading (compression, tension, or shear). Test results revealed that connections tested under compression failed by bar buckling without yielding. Under tension, the connection bar reached close-to-yielding or yielding strains at the unrestrained portion of the bar, followed by grout splitting in the shear key or the grouted core. Finally, the mechanism of failure of specimens subjected to shear was governed by bar yielding.