• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.981-997
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• 2016

To avoid the cracks of cast-in-place concrete in shear pockets and seams in the traditional composite beam with precast decks, this paper proposed a new type of prefabricated steel truss-concrete composite beam (ab. PSTC beam) with pre-embedded shear studs (ab. PSS connector). To study the initial cracking load of concrete deck, the development and distribution laws of the cracks, 3 PSTC beams were tested under hogging moment. And the crack behavior of the deck was compared with traditional precast composite beam, which was assembled by shear pockets and cast-in-place joints. Results show that: (i) the initial crack appears on the deck, thus avoid the appearance of the cracks in the traditional shear pockets; (ii) the crack of the seam appears later than that of the deck, which verifies the reliability of epoxy cement mortar seam, thus solves the complex structure and easily crack behavior of the traditional cast-in-place joints; (iii) the development and the distribution laws of the cracks in PSTC beam are different from the conventional composite beam. Therefore, in the deduction of crack calculation theory, all the above factors should be considered.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.425-436
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• 2022

The mechanical behaviors of the prefabricated steel-concrete composite beams are usually affected by the strength and the number of shear studs. Furthermore, the discrete degree of the arrangement for shear stud clusters, being defined as the clustering degree of shear stud λ in this paper, is an important factor for the mechanical properties of composite beams, even if the shear connection degree is unchanged. This paper uses an experimental and calculation method to investigate the influence of λ on the mechanical behavior of the composite beam. Five specimens (with different λ but having the same shear connection degree) of prefabricated composite beams are designed to study the ultimate supporting capacity, deformation, slip and shearing stiffness of composite beams. Experimental results are compared with the conventional slip calculation method (based on the influence of λ) of prefabricated composite beams. The results showed that the stiffness in the elastoplastic stage is reduced when λ is greater than 0.333, while the supporting capacity of beams has little affected by the change in λ. The slip distribution along the beam length tends to be zig-zagged due to the clustering of studs, and the slip difference increases with the increase of λ.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.705-716
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• 2021

An innovative partially precast partially encased composite beam (PPECB) is put forward based on the existing research. In order to study the flexural performance of the new composite beam which has precast part and cast-in-place part, six prefabricated specimens and one cast-in-place specimen are designed with considering the influence of the production method, the steel flange thickness, the concrete strength grade and the stirrup process on the behavior of the composite beam. Through four points loading and test data collection and analysis, the behavior of partially prefabricated specimen is similar to that of cast-in-place specimen, and the casting method, the thickness of the steel flange, the concrete strength grade and the stirrup process have different influence on the crack, yield and peak load bearing capacity of the component. Finally, the calculation theory of plastic bending of partially precast partially encased concrete composite beams is given. The calculation results are in good agreement with the experimental results, which can be used for practical engineering theory guidance. This paper can provide reference value for further research and engineering application.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.613-625
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• 2016

The joints of the new prefabricated concrete assemble beam-column joints are put together by the hybrid joints of inserting steel under post-tensioned and non-prestressed force and both beams and columns adopt prefabricated components. The low cyclic loading test has been performed on seven test specimens of beam-column joints. Based on the experimental result, the rotation capacity of the joints is studied and the $M-{\theta}$ relation curve is obtained. According to Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures and based on the initial rotational stiffness, the joints are divided into three types; by equivalent bending-resistant stiffness to the precast beam, the equivalent modulus of elasticity $E_e$ is elicited with the superposition method; the beam length is figured out that satisfies the rigid joints and after meeting the requirements of application and safety, the new prefabricated concrete assemble beam-column joints can be regarded as the rigid joints; the design formula adopted by the standard of concrete joint classification is theoretically derived, thereby providing a theoretical basis for the new prefabricated concrete structure.

• 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.38 no.4
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• pp.365-380
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• 2021

Although traditional steel-concrete composite beams have excellent structural characteristics, it cannot meet the requirement of quick assembly and repair in the engineering. This paper presents a study on static behavior of bolt connected steel-concrete composite beam without post-cast zone. A three-dimensional finite element model was developed with its accuracy and reliability validated by available experimental results. The analysis results show that in the normal service stage, the bolt is basically in the state of unidirectional stress with the loss of pretightening can be ignored. Parametric studies are presented to quantify the effects of the post-cast zone, size and position of splicing gap on the behavior of the beam. Based on the studies, suggested size of gap and installation order were proposed. It is also confirmed that optimized concrete slab in mid-span can reduce the requirement of construction accuracy.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.343-356
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• 2016

As the common cast-in-place construction works fails to meet the enormous construction demand under rapid economic growth, the development of prefabricated structure instead becomes increasingly promising in China. For the prefabricated structure, its load carrying connection joint play a key role in maintaining the structural integrity. Therefore, a novel end plate bolt connecting joint between fully prefabricated pre-stressed concrete beam and high-strength reinforcement-confined concrete column was proposed. Under action of low cycle repeated horizontal loadings, comparative tests are conducted on 6 prefabricated pre-stressed intermediate joint specimens and 1 cast-in-place joint specimen to obtain the specimen failure modes, hysteresis curves, skeleton curves, ductility factor, stiffness degradation and energy dissipation capacity and other seismic indicators, and the seismic characteristics of the new-type prefabricated beam-column connecting joint are determined. The test results show that all the specimens for end plate bolt connecting joint between fully prefabricated pre-stressed concrete beam and high-strength reinforcement-confined concrete column have realized the design objectives of strong column weak beam. The hysteretic curves for specimens are good, indicating desirable ductility and energy dissipation capacity and seismic performances, and the research results provide theoretical basis and technical support for the promotion and application of prefabricated assembly frames in the earthquake zone.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.419-428
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• 2024

Prefabricated partially-encased composite (PEC) structural component is widely used in construction industry due to its superior structural performance and easy assembly characteristic. However, the solid web in traditional PEC components tends to split concrete into two halves, thus potentially reduces structural integrity and requires double concrete pouring. To overcome the above disadvantages, a new PEC beam with open-web π-shaped steel is proposed in this paper. Four open-web PEC beams with varying sectional height, flange thickness and web void rate were constructed and tested under flexural loads. During experimental tests, all beams exhibited typical flexural failure modes with strong moment capacities and excellent ductility. Owing to the unique construction form of web opening, steel-concrete bonding properties were enhanced and very small relative steel-concrete slips were observed. Experimental results also showed that the flexural capacity of such PEC beams increased with the increase of the sectional height and flange thickness, while was not affected by the web void rate. At last, a flexural capacity formula of the open-web PEC beam was proposed based on the whole section plastic rule. The formula results agreed well with experimental results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.319-336
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• 2024

Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) has attracted increasing attention in prefabricated steel-concrete composite beams as achieving the onsite construction time savings and structural performance improvement. The inferior replacement and removal efficiency of conventional prefabricated steel-UHPC composite beams (PSUCBs) has thwarted its sustainable applications because of the widely used welded-connectors. Single embedded nut bolted shear connectors (SENBs) have recently introduced as an attempt to enhance demountability of PSUCBs. An in-depth exploration of the mechanical behavior of SENBs in UHPC is necessary to evidence feasibilities of corresponding PSUCBs. However, existing research has been limited to SENB arrangement impacts and lacked considerations on SENB geometric configuration counterparts. To this end, this paper performed twenty push-out tests and theoretical analyses on the shear performance and design recommendation of SENBs. Key test parameters comprised the diameter and grade of SENBs, degree and sequence of pretension, concrete casting method and connector type. Test results indicated that both diameters and grades of bolts exerted remarkable impacts on the SENB shear performance with respect to the shear and frictional responses. Also, there was limited influence of the bolt preload degrees on the shear capacity and ductility of SENBs, but non-negligible contributions to their corresponding frictional resistance and initial shear stiffness. Moreover, inverse pretension sequences or monolithic cast slabs presented slight improvements in the ultimate shear and slip capacity. Finally, design-oriented models with higher accuracy were introduced for predictions of the ultimate shear resistance and load-slip relationship of SENBs in PSUCBs.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.245-255
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• 2017

The performance of an Industrialised Building System (IBS) consists of prefabricated reinforced concrete components, is greatly affected by the behaviour of the connection between beam and columns. The structural characteristics parameters of a beam-to-column connection like rotational stiffness, strength and ductility can be explained by load-rotation relationship of a full scale H-subframe under gravitational load. Furthermore, the connection's degree of rigidity directly influences the behaviour of the whole frame. In this research, rotational behaviour of a patented innovative beam-to-column connection with unique benefits like easy installation, no wet work, no welding work at assembly site, using a hybrid behaviour of steel and concrete, easy replacement ability, and compatibility with architecture was investigated. The proposed IBS beam-to-column connection includes precast concrete components with embedded steel end connectors. Two full-scale H-subframes constructed with a new IBS and conventional cast in-situ reinforced concrete system beam-to-column connections were tested under incremental static loading. In this paper, load-rotation relationship and ratio of the rigidity of IBS beam-to-column connection are studied and compared with conventional monolithic reinforced concrete connection. It is concluded that this new IBS beam-to-column connection benefits from more rotational ductility than the conventional reinforced concrete connection. Furthermore, the semi-rigid IBS connection rigidity ratio is about 44% of a full rigid connection.