Experimental investigation of a novel shear connector for CFS-concrete composite beams: Full-scale push-out and bending tests
STRUCTURES, cilt.90, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 90
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.istruc.2026.112497
- Dergi Adı: STRUCTURES
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
- Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
In steel-concrete composite beams, shear connectors are critical for the efficient transfer of forces between the steel profile and the concrete slab. In cold-formed steel (CFS) sections, the inherent thinness of the flanges often leads to localized damage and premature failure at connection points. This paper presents a novel shear connector design that is secured to the beam web rather than the flange to mitigate these vulnerabilities. A unique feature of the proposed system is the partial isolation of the connector from the concrete, facilitating controlled flexural deformation. The structural performance was rigorously evaluated through full-scale push-out and four-point bending tests. Comparative analysis with conventional bolted connectors demonstrated that the proposed system effectively redistributes stress concentrations from the CFS section to the connector itself. The experimental findings confirm that the proposed design significantly enhances the flexural capacity and overall structural integrity of CFS-concrete composite beams.