Effect of rib-to-beam angle on the shear resistance of headed studs in composite slab

Abstract

Headed stud shear connectors are commonly implemented in steel-concrete composite floors for connecting the concrete slab to the steel beam and providing composite action between those two elements. The orientation of profiled sheeting is usually transverse or parallel to the supporting beam, and for those cases, design codes provide specific detailing requests and relations for obtaining headed stud resistance. Nevertheless, design codes do not recognise specific configurations when the angle between profiled sheeting ribs and the beam is in the range between 0° and 90°, which is characteristic of irregular-shaped floor structures. Due to the lack of design recommendations for headed stud resistance in these cases, investigations of the effect of the rib-to-beam angle on headed stud shear performance were conducted and presented in this paper. Experimental work included push-out tests conducted on specimens with rib-to-beam angles of 45° and 60°, as well as control specimens with ribs transverse to the beam. The influence of varied rib-to-beam angles on shear connector properties such as shear resistance, stiffness, ductility, and failure mode was discussed. According to experimental research, finite element models of push-out tests were created and verified. The parametric numerical analysis covered key parameters such as concrete class, headed stud height and diameter, and rib-to-beam angle. According to the results, an analytical relation for obtaining headed stud resistance in profiled steel sheeting with a rib-to-beam angle between 30° and 90° was proposed.