Efficiency of timber-concrete composite floors with discrete perfobond connections: A numerical study

Abstract

To evaluate the behaviour of a single timber-concrete composite (TCC) T-beam, a simplified 2D finite element (FE) model in Abaqus is developed and validated using experimental tests and the Gamma method given in Annex B of EN 1995–1-1. The shear connection used in the beam consist of perfobond connectors, which are adhesively bonded to the timber beam. In the developed model, beam and shell finite elements have been used to simulate/reproduce the timber beam and the concrete slab, respectively. These have then been connected using connector elements which incorporate the mechanical behaviour of the tested shear connections, obtained in a previous research. After the successful validation of the FE model, this is used to further analyse different parameters such as: i) different number of connections (varying from 8 to 20), ii) different types of loading (point load, distributed load and line load), iii) different concrete slab widths and iv) connection models with elastic perfectly plastic behaviour applied to TCC T-beam and a 5 m by 5 m floor system. The results of the conducted study provide an in-depth understanding of the effect and impact of the investigated parameters which can support a future optimisation of the structural solution. Moreover, the results show that the use of a simplified 2D model can support designers to overcome the limitations of analytical approaches, such as the Gamma method, to analyse large spacing and to take benefit of bidirectional effects (load sharing) if analysed as a whole instead of a single T-beam.