• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.651-669
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• 2016

The behavior of shear connectors plays a significant role in maintaining the required strength of a composite beam in normal and hazardous conditions. Various types of shear connectors are available and being utilized in the construction industry according to their use. Channel connectors are a suitable replacement for conventional shear connectors. These connectors have been tested under different types of loading at ambient temperature; however, the behavior of these connectors at elevated temperatures has not been studied. This investigation proposes a numerical analysis approach to estimate the behavior of channel connectors under fire and compare it with the numerical analysis performed in headed stud and Perfobond shear connectors subjected to fire. This paper first reviews the mechanism of various types of shear connectors and then proposes a non-linear thermo-mechanical finite element (FE) model of channel shear connectors embedded in high-strength concrete (HSC) subjected to fire. Initially, an accurate nonlinear FE model of the specimens tested at ambient temperature was developed to investigate the strength of the channel-type connectors embedded in an HSC slab. The outcomes were verified with the experimental study performed on the testing of channel connectors at ambient temperature by Shariati et al. (2012). The FE model at ambient temperature was extended to identify the behavior of channel connectors subjected to fire. A comparative study is performed to evaluate the performance of channel connectors against headed stud and Perfobond shear connectors. The channel connectors were found to be a more economical and easy-to-apply alternative to conventional shear connectors.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.237-247
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• 2020

Shear connectors are essential elements in the design of steel-concrete composite systems. These connectors are utilized to prevent the occurrence of potential slips at the interface of steel and concrete. The two types of shear connectors which have been recently employed in construction projects are C- and L-shaped connectors. In the current study, the behavior of C and L-shaped angle shear connectors is investigated experimentally. For this purpose, eight push-out tests were composed and subjected to monotonic loading. The load-slip curves and failure modes have been determined. Also, the shear strength of the connectors has been compared with previously developed relationships. Two failure modes of shear connectors were observed: 1) concrete crushing-splitting and 2) shear connector fracture. It was found that the L-shaped connectors have less shear strength compared to C-shaped connectors, and decreasing the angle leg size increases the shear strength of the C-shaped connectors, but decreases the relative ductility and strength of L-shaped connectors.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.315-323
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• 2022

Shear connectors are key elements that ensure integrity in a composite system. The primary purpose of a shear connector is to bring a high degree of interaction between composite elements. A wide variety of connectors are available for hot-rolled composite construction, connected to the beam through welding. However, with cold-formed members being very thin, welding of shear connectors is not desirable in cold-formed composite constructions. Shear connectors for cold-formed elements are limited in studies as well as in the market. Hence in this study, three different types of shear connectors, namely, single-channel, double channel, and self-tapping screw, were considered, and their performance assessed by the Push-out test as per Eurocode 4. The connection between channel shear connectors and the beam was made using self-tapping screws to avoid welding. The performance of the connectors was analyzed based on their ultimate capacity, characteristic capacity, ductility, and slippage during loading. Strength to weight ratio was also carried out to understand the proposed connectors' suitability for conventional ones. The results showed relatively higher initial stiffness and ductility for double channel connectors than other connectors. Also, self-tapping screws had a higher strength to weight ratio with low ductility.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.48-52
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine 30 logical connectors in the essay writing of Korean university students for comparison with the use in similar types of native English writing. The main questions addressed were as follows: Do Korean EFL students tend to over- or underuse logical connectors? What types of connectors differentiate Korean learners from native use? To answer these questions, EFL learner data were compared with data from native speakers using computerized corpora and linguistic software tools to speed up the initial stage of the linguistic analysis. The analysis revealed that Korean EFL learners tend to overuse logical connectors in the initial position of the sentence, and that they tend to overuse additive connectors such as 'moreover', 'besides', and 'furthermore', whereas they underuse contrastive connectors such as 'yet' and 'instead'. On the basis of the results of this study, some pedagogical implications are made concerning the need for teaching of the semantic, stylistic, and syntactic behavior of logical connectors.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.467-480
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• 2015

The steel-concrete composite decks have high fatigue durability and deformability in comparison with ordinary RC slabs. Withal, the steel-concrete composite deck is mostly heavier than the RC slabs. We have proposed herein a new type of steel-concrete composite deck which is lighter than the typical steel-concrete composite decks. This can be achieved by arranging hollow sectional members as shear connectors, namely, half-pipe or channel shear connectors. The present study aims to experimentally investigate mechanical characteristics of the half-pipe shear connectors under the direct shear force. The shear bond capacity and deformability of the half-pipe shear connectors are strongly affected by the thickness-to-diameter ratio. Additionally, the shear strengths of the hollow shear connectors (i.e. the half-pipe and the channel shear connectors) are compared. Furthermore, shear capacities of the hollow shear connectors equivalent to headed stud connectors are also discussed.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1275-1303
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• 2016

Steel plates and carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates or plates bonded to concrete substrates have been widely used for concrete strengthening. However, this technique cause plate debonding, which makes the strengthening system inefficient. The main objective of this study is to enhance the bond strength of externally bonded steel plates and CFRP laminates to the concrete surface by proposing new embedded adhesive and steel connectors. The effects of these new embedded connectors were investigated through the tests on 36 prism specimens. Parameters such as interfacial shear stress, fracture energy and the maximum strains in plates were also determined in this study and compared with the maximum value of debonding stresses using a relevant failure criterion by means of pullout test. The study indicates that the interfacial bond strength between the externally bonded plates and concrete can be increased remarkably by using these connectors. The investigation verifies that steel connectors increase the shear bond strength by 48% compared to 38% for the adhesive connectors. Thus, steel connectors are more effective than adhesive connectors in increasing shear bond strength. Results also show that the use of double connectors significantly increases interfacial shear stress and decrease debonding failure. Finally, a new proposed formula is modified to predict the maximum bond strength of steel plates and CFRP laminates adhesively glued to concrete in the presence of the embedded connectors.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.185-203
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• 2016

Shear connectors are key components to ensure the efficient composite action and satisfactory transfer of shear forces at the steel-concrete interface in composite beams. Under hazardous circumstances, such as fire in a building, the performance of a composite beam significantly relies on the performance of shear connectors. Studies on the behavior of shear connectors subjected to elevated temperatures performed in the last decade are reviewed in this paper. The experimental testing of push-out specimens, the design approaches provided by researchers and different codes, the major failure modes, and the finite element modeling of shear connectors are highlighted. The critical research review showed that the strength of a shear connector decreases proportionally with the increase in temperature. Compared with the volume of work published on shear connectors at ambient temperatures, a few studies on the behavior of shear connectors under fire have been conducted. Several areas where additional research is needed are also identified in this paper.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.257-289
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• 2015

Shear connectors are generally used to link the slab and girders together in slab-on-girder bridge structures. Damage of shear connectors in such structures will result in shear slippage between the slab and girders, which significantly reduces the load-carrying capacity of the bridge. Because shear connectors are buried inside the structure, routine visual inspection is not able to detect conditions of shear connectors. A few methods have been proposed in the literature to detect the condition of shear connectors based on vibration measurements. This paper proposes a different dynamic condition assessment approach to identify the damage of shear connectors in slab-on-girder bridge structures based on power spectral density transmissibility (PSDT). PSDT formulates the relationship between the auto-spectral densities of two responses in the frequency domain. It can be used to identify shear connector conditions with or without reference data of the undamaged structure (or the baseline). Measured impact force and acceleration responses from hammer tests are analyzed to obtain the frequency response functions at sensor locations by experimental modal analysis. PSDT from the slab response to the girder response is derived with the obtained frequency response functions. PSDT vectors in the undamaged and damaged states can be compared to identify the damage of shear connectors. When the baseline is not available, as in most practical cases, PSDT vectors from the measured response at a reference sensor to those of the slab and girder in the damaged state can be used to detect the damage of shear connectors. Numerical and experimental studies on a concrete slab supported by two steel girders are conducted to investigate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed approach. Identification results demonstrate that damages of shear connectors are identified accurately and efficiently with and without the baseline. The proposed method is also used to evaluate the conditions of shear connectors in a real composite bridge with in-field testing data.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.369-381
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• 2020

Nowadays, in prefabricated composite construction, composite action between steel beam and concrete slab is often achieved with positioning of shear connectors in envisaged openings of concrete slabs. Prefabricated concrete slabs are used for composite steel-concrete buildings and bridges, both for the construction of new structures and for renovation of existing ones, significantly reducing construction time. Development of different types of shear connectors represent alternative solution to the traditionally used headed studs, considering their shear resistance, stiffness and ductility. New types of shear connectors tend to reduce the construction time and overall construction cost. Mechanically fastened shear connectors represent a viable alternative to headed studs, considering their fast installation process and shear resistance. X-HVB shear connectors are attached to the steel beam with two cartridge fired pins. The first step towards extensive implementation of X-HVB shear connectors in composite construction is to understand their behaviour through experimental investigation. Results of the push-out tests, in accordance to Eurocode 4, with X-HVB 110 shear connectors positioned in envisaged openings of prefabricated concrete slabs are presented in this paper. The experimental investigation comprised three different specimen's layout. Group arrangement of X-HVB shear connectors in envisaged openings included specimens with minimal recommended distances and specimens with reduced distances between connectors in both directions. Influence of different installation procedures on overall behaviour of the connection is presented, as well as the orientation of shear connectors relative to the shear force direction. Influence of variations is characterized in terms of failure mechanisms, shear resistance and ductility.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.97-114
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• 2014

This paper deals with a study on ultimate strength behaviour of eccentrically loaded CFT columns with and without shear connectors. Thirty specimens are subjected to experimental investigation under eccentric loading condition. P-M curves are generated for all the test specimens and critical eccentricities are evaluated. Three different D/t ratios such as 21, 25 and 29 and L/D ratios varying from 5 to 20 are considered as experimental parameters. Six specimens of bare steel tubes as reference specimens, twelve specimens of CFT columns without shear connectors and twelve specimens of CFT columns with shear connectors, in total thirty specimens are tested. The P-M values at the ultimate failure load of experimental study are found to be well agreed with the results of the proposed P-M interaction model. The load-deflection and load-strain behaviour of the experimental column specimens are presented. The behaviour of the CFT columns with and without shear connectors is compared. Experimental results indicate that the percentage increase in load carrying capacity of CFT columns with shear connectors compared to the ordinary CFT columns is found to be insignificant with a value ranging from 6% to 13%. However, the ductility factor of columns with shear connectors exhibit higher values than that of the CFT columns without shear connectors. This paper presents the proposed P-M interaction model and experimental results under varying parameters such as D/t and L/D ratios.