Experimental and numerical performance of shear connections in CLT–concrete composite floor

Abstract

The hybrid cross-laminated timber (CLT) and concrete system has drawn attention as an attractive application for residential and commercial buildings. However, it is crucial to fully understand the mechanical characteristics of the CLT–concrete composite connections before such a hybrid structure becomes widely applicable. This paper assesses the structural performance (force–slip response, slip modulus, and failure mode) of a CLT–concrete composite by conducting fifteen pushout test specimens, which were designed by using the γ-method (Eurocode 5). In these composite specimens, the CLT floor panels were connected to concrete slabs using common mechanical connectors, and the effect of different connection types, connection angles, the penetration depth of the connector, and concrete topping thickness were investigated. The results show that all of the specimens had good trend in the failure mechanisms with a little crush occurred in the CLT and concrete. The finding revealed that the inclination connectors were appeared as an attractive connector layout for CLT–concrete composite components. Non-linear 3D finite element analysis was also developed to simulate the load-slip behavior of the CLT-concrete specimens under shear load. In general, a reliable non-linear finite element model using ANSYS is a great tool for capturing shear capacity and the overall behavior of the hybrid push-out specimens.