Strength Evaluation of Composite Structural Connection With Steel Studs Embedded in SFRCC Slab

Abstract

A series of push-out tests are conducted to propose shear connectors in steel-concrete composite construction that uses newly developed steel fiber reinforced cement composites ( SFRCC ). The tests are conducted with the pitch length (D p ) and gauge length (D g ) as the major test parameters. It is found that (1) the studs arranged densely with a pitch length of 3.5 times the stud diameter (d) can possess the shear strength (per stud) not smaller than 85% of the shear strength of a single stud; (2) the group effect caused by stud spacing in gauge direction remains the same when D g /d changed from 0.46 to 0.23. Even the studs are arranged in a gauge spacing of the minimum spacing for stud installation, no significant reduction on per stud strength is observed; and (3) when studs are closely arranged in an area with the minimum stud spacing (7.5d ×5d) stipulated in current design codes, the per stud strength decreases as the studs spacing especially that in the pitch direction decreases, but the total maximum shear resistance of the connection is still significantly larger than that with normal studs spacing.