Numerical and analytical appraisal of innovative tubular perfobond shear connector

Abstract

Shear connectors are well known for their importance in ensuring monolithic behavior in composite beams. Due to this fact, both industry and academia are continuously seeking improvements and innovative solutions to enhance the structural performance of composite structures. Thus, this paper proposes a new type of perfobond shear connector with a tubular cross-section (TPC), an innovative design aimed at improving mechanical performance, particularly in terms of ductility and ease of manufacturing, utilizing commercially available tubular cross-sections. To investigate the feasibility and performance of the proposed connector, numerical models of push-out tests were carried out based on conventional Perfobond connectors. The outcomes demonstrated that the TPC offers excellent stiffness, shear resistance, and ductility. It was observed that concrete strength, steel grade, and the geometric configuration of the tubular cross-section significantly influence the mechanical behavior of the TPC. In addition, compared to the conventional perfobond connector, the proposed connector showed increases of up to 7.5 % in resistance and 169 % in ductility, respectively. Furthermore, an analytical formulation was developed based on the identified failure modes to predict the connector resistance, showing satisfactory agreement with numerical results. Since TPC is as resistant as the conventional perfobond and also presents superior deformation capacity, it can be employed not only in buildings but also in bridges.