Study of the behavior and resistance of right-angle truss shear connector for composite steel concrete beams

Abstract

The Right-Angle Truss connector is a newly developed shear connector that features efficient structural behavior and low manufacturing and installation cost. However, for the application of this connector in composite steel–concrete beams, studies that evaluate its behavior in greater detail need to be developed. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the shear resistance of the Right-Angle Truss connector with the variation of parameters inherent to the connection of composite steel–concrete beams. For this, a non-linear finite element model, capable of simulating push-out tests with a Right-Angle Truss connector was developed. The numerical model was validated with experimental results. From a parametric study, the influence of the diameter of the bar that constitutes the connector and the strength of the concrete on the shear resistance of the Right-Angle Truss connector was evaluated. The application orientation of this connector which provides the greatest shear resistance was also studied. An equation to prescribe the shear resistance of the Right-Angle Truss connector was proposed.