Shear performance of assembled shear connectors for timber–concrete composite beams

Abstract

This paper presents three types of assembled shear connectors consisting of a steel component anchored to timber by screws and glued-in rods (GiRs) for timber-concrete composite (TCC) beams. Single-shear tests were carried out to evaluate the shear performance of the proposed shear connectors. The test results showed that the anchors bent obviously and finally failed in “single-hinge” and “double-hinge” yield modes under lateral load. The timber surrounding the anchors was obviously crushed, and cracks in concrete were also observed during testing. The shear connectors with I-shaped steel anchored by GiRs exhibited the highest shear capacity of 158.92 kN. The folded steel plate shear connectors with GiRs and screws showed the highest slip modulus (38.41 kN/mm), and the highest ductility with an average coefficient of 29.6, respectively. In general, the shear connectors anchored with GiRs showed better shear performance compared to the screwed shear connectors. Finally, numerical simulation results indicated that the simulated load–slip curves were generally in good agreement with the test curves. The anchor diameter and strength and the frictional coefficient between anchors and the wall of the holes in timber have significantly influenced the shear performance of the proposed shear connectors.