Experimental investigation on innovative connections for timber–concrete composite systems

Abstract

Abstract A series of innovative connections with the different combinations of steel plates and screws was developed for timber–concrete composite (TCC) system in this paper. Several groups have introduced vulcanized rubber layer to the jointing steel plate, which was used to be glued onto the timber beam surface. Push-out tests were carried out on the proposed connections and three replicates were prepared for each series. The study focused on the load carrying capacity, slip modulus, ductility and the role of some factors of the innovative connections. Moreover, the load-slip behaviour was evaluated based on an existing non-linear model and parametric analysis was also conducted. The research results showed that this connecting system looks suitable for structural application.