CHAPTER 4

DESIGN OF SHEAR CONNECTORS AND PROPORTIONING

OF TEST SPECIMENS

4.1 INTRODUCTION

The main objective of this investigation is to study the strengti and behaviour of
cold formed steel-concrete beams under flexure and shear in comparison with
conventional reinforced concrete beam, resultant tensile resistance being the same
in reinforced and composite beams. Hence test specimens are proportioned and
accordingly shear connectors are designed.

4.2 BASIC NEEDS OF SHEAR CONNECTORS

The fundamental requirements for a well designed shear connection are;

(i) Adequate strength (ii) Adequate ductility and (iii) Economy.

(i) Adequate strength :

It is generally considered good practice that the connections be stronger than
the parts being joined. Thus, if failure should occur, it will tate place among the
members rather than in the connection thereby ensuring that ample warning (eg. large
deflections) will proceed failure.

(ii) Adequate ductility:

Care must be taken in proportioning the elements of the connection to
ensure ductile behaviour. Such undesirable phenomena as buckling of plate
elements, brittle fracture, lamellar tearing and excessive local distortion must be
avoided. Provision of adequate ductility will mean that the structure containing the
connection have capacity for distortion before failure and will allow for the
redistribution of loads. The provision of adequate ductility is a recuirement generally
less well defined or understood than that of adequate strength .

(iii) Economy:
As for all structural components, it is desirable that connection be cost effective
material and be as simple as possible in fabrication.

31
 By considering the above requirements, two types of stud shear connectors, one
with 6.35 mm dia and 57 mm height and the other with 6.35 mm dia and 64 mm height
are used in this study. These studs are of mild steel and readily available in the
market. Design strength of these connectors were determined by tie standard push
out test as described in chapter 3. However, the theoretical design strength of
connectors described by the different codes and followed by other researchers are
given due consideration and the theoretical design strength was computed for the
present study.

4.3 SHEAR RESISTANCE OF STUD CONNECTORS

(i) AISC specification

A ductile shear connection is needed to provide for plastic redistribution of
connector forces. Stud and Channel connectors provide a ductile connection when
meeting the material and dimensional requirements of Part 1 of the AISC specification.
The use of connector spacing limitations are given in Part 1 of the AISC specification.
(American Institute of Steel Construction)
The maximum strength of one stud shear connector, atleast four stud diameters
long after welding and embedment in a solid concrete slab is,

Qu = 0.5 Age ^ Ec < Asc Fu ....(4.1)

where
Asc = Cross sectional area of stud shear connector
fc = Specified cylinder compressive strength of concrete
Fu = Minimum specified ultimate tensile strength of one stud

Ec = Modulus of elasticity of concrete.

(ii) Chinese code

Chinese code (China National Standard, 1988) recommends the following
equation to determine the design shear capacity of one stud.

Vsc ~ 0.43 Asc ^fc Ec < Asc Fu (4.2)

Where Asc = Cross sectional area of one stud shear connector

Ec = Elastic modulus of concrete
fc = Cylinder compressive strength of concrete
Fu = Ultimate tensile strength of stud steel.

32
(iii) Eurocode 4 { 1994)
Eurocode 4 has given the following two empirical formulae to find design

resistance of shear studs with ratio of height to diameter of stud exceeding 4.

Based on failure of shank:

0.8 f„

Rd and (4.3)

Based on failure of concrete :

°*> d2(fckEcm>1/2

^Rd " Yv

Where fu = Ultimate tensile strength of steel ( ^ 500 MPa)

fck = Cylinder strength of concrete

Ecm = Mean secant (elastic) modulus of concrete

Yv = Partial safety factor for stud connector = 1.25

(iv) Ollgaard et al (1971) and Eurocode 1985

Ollgaard et al, identified empirically the important parameters that control the
dowel strength of stud shear connectors. They derived the folowing equation for
determining the dowel strength of stud shear connectors in push tests with standard
restraints of which longitudinal cracking had not occurred in the ooncrete slab and
which the strength of the stud material was constant at 486 MPa.

Fu = 1.83 Asfc0-3 E°-44 ...(4.5)

The above equation is slightly modified and accepted in Eurocode (1985) as

follows.

Fc = 0.5 Asc (fc Ec)2 •• (4-6)

4.3.1. Design strength of proposed stud shear connector

It was proposed to use concrete grades M 20 and M25 for the present
investigation. The experimental cylinder compressive strength of these grades at
the age of 28 days were observed as 24 MPa and 28 MPa respectively. The strength of
stud shear connector estimated from the guidelines given in the above literature are

presented in Table 4.1.

33
 M 20 : fe = 24 MPa and Ee = 23759 MPa

M 25 : fc = 28 MPa and E, = 25663 MPa

fy = 241.42 MPa, Fu = 305.46 MPa

Qu (Push-out test) = 10.15 kN
Table 4.1. Strength of shear connector.
Guideline Strength of Stud (kN)
AISC 9.668

Chinese Code 9.668

Eurocode 1985 9.668

Ollgaard et al 14.165 (M20)

15.161 (M25)

Eurocode - 4 6.188
(Based on shank failure)

Eurocode - 4 8.029
(Based on concrete failure)

The experimental strength of 6.35 mm dia stud shear connector of 10.15 kN is

closer to the theoretical value obtained from AISC, Chinese code and Eurocode 1985.
Hence, strength of shear connector used in the present study is taken as 9.668 kN.

4.3.2 Design of shear connectors

(i) Full shear interaction

For full shear interaction, the number of shear connectors should be sufficient to
develop the plastic moment capacity of the section. In fully composite beam, shear
connectors are provided with sufficient numbers to develop the maximum flexural
strength of the composite beam, as governed by either steel or concrete. (William.
C. HanselI et al, 1978). When shear connectors are provided in sufficient manner to
fully develop this flexural strength, any slip that occurs prior to yielding is minor and
has little influence on elastic stiffness or stresses. Full shear connection is
concerned with only the beam strength and is reached when there are sufficient
shear connectors in the beam that additional shear connectors do not affect the
calculation of beam strength (Johnson, 1984).

34
 The number of shear connectors required between the sectbn of maximum
bending moment, positive or negative, and the adjacent section of zero moment is the
total horizontal shear from the plastic stress distribution divided by the strength of one
shear connector. (IS : 11384-1985; Eurocode 4; William. C. Hansell et al 1978)
Johnson, 1994).
Horizontal shear for the design of shear connectors is computed from the plastic
strength of the composite beam. In the positive moment region, the smallest of
equations,

C = I (As fy) and ... (4.7)

C = SO.SSfcAe ... (4.8)

gives the total horizontal shear force on shear connectors between the points of
maximum positive and zero moment.

(ii) Partial shear interaction

Partial shear connections are provided between steel beam and concrete slab to
tackle the problem of accommodating shear connectors uniformly and to achieve
economy. Partial shear connection is provided when the maximum positive moment in
a span is less than the plastic moment capacity of the section. In this case, the
compressive force in the concrete is taken as the total resistance of the shear
connectors, which is less than the resultant tensile (or) compressive force, between
points of zero and maximum moment (Eurocode 4; Wang, Y.C. 1994; Santhakumar.
A.R, 2000). Hence, in this case, shear strength of the shear connectors governs the
composite flexural strength. (William. C. Hansel et al, 1978).
If N, and Np are the number of shear connectors required for full interaction and
partial interaction respectively, then the degree of shear connection is defined as Np/Nf.

.*. Degree of shear connection = Nf ... (4.9)

4.3.3. Proportioning of Test specimens.

A conventional reinforced concrete beam has been designed for a known
bending moment and the resultant tensile force was computed. A composite beam
made of thin walled cold formed steel and concrete has been proportioned with the
hanger bars and shear reinforcement as provided in reinforced concrete beam. The
tensile reinforcement in composite beam has been provided in the form of minimum

35
reinforcing bars (to hold stirrups) and cold formed steel sheet such that the resultant

tensile force and size of beam in conventional reinforced and composite beams are

equal.

Ast-f>

(a) RCC beam

Fig 4.1 Proportioning of Test specimens

The cross section of a conventional reinforced concrete beam is shown in

Fig 4.1(a)

Tensile force = fy
Where Ast and fy are the area of steel in tension zone and its yield strength
respectively. The cross section of a cold formed steel-concrete composite beam is
shown in Fig 4.1 (b).

Let

Ar Area of reinforcing steel in composite beam,

designed as 2 Nos of 6 mm dia.

■yr Yield stress of reinforcing steel in composite beam.

Ap Area of cold formed steel sheet in composite beam.

fyp Yield stress of coid formed steel sheet in composite beams

As resultant tensile force in both the sections are equal,

Ast fy = Ar fyr + Ap fyp ...(4.10)

Astfy ~Arfyr ...(4.11)

.-. Area of cold formed steel sheet, A„ =
lyp
The cold formed steel sheet is provided at the soffit of composite beam in
three different forms, plain sheet channel section without lip (unstiffened channel)
and channel section with lip (stiffened channel) as shown in Fig. 4.2 (b), (c) and (d)

respectively.

36
 D

b b *- b b
(b) (c) (d)

Fig. 4.2 Composite beams for the Present study

4.3.4. Number of shear connectors

(i) Full shear interaction

In a composite beam,
Total compressive force = 0.85 fc b a and
Total tensile force = Ar fyr + Ap fyp
But tensile force contribution of reinforcing steel Arfyr is confined to the concrete
and only tensile force contribution of cold formed steel sheet Ap fyp acts at the soffit of
the beam trough and hence the cold formed steel sheet has to be connected with
reinforced concrete element by stud shear connectors. As the total horizontal shear for
which the shear connectors are to be designed is the least of compressive or tensile
force (IS : 11384 - 1985; Eurocode 4), the total horizontal shear force is taken as the
tensile force contribution of cold formed steel.
The number of shear connectors that can be accommodated between the points
A f
^Vyp /A
of zero bending moment and maximum bending moment is, Nf = • ' '

Where Qu is the shear strength of one shear connector. These connectors are
provided at uniform spacing in shear span and the same design has been provided
throughout the length of the beam.

(ii) Partial interaction

Wang Y.C. (1978) concluded that it may not always be possible or necessary to
have full shear connection. For example, the number of shear connectors required for
achieving full shear connection may be so large that there are difficulties in
accommodating them in the beam, or the applied load in the beam may be safely
sustained with less shear connectors than required by full shear connection.

37
Richard Yen J.V. et al (1990) concluded that no practical difference in structural
behaviour was found between the full composite and 80% composite specimens.
Hence it was proposed to study the behaviour of composite beams in both the full
and partial shear connection. The degree of shear connection for partial interaction in
the present study is fixed as about 80% and the shear connectors are designed
accordingly.
The number of shear connectors that can be provided in partial composite
beam between the points of zero bending moment and maximum bending moment,
Np = 0.8 x Nf
^■p^yP /a -to\

ie, Np = 0.8 x -q7"

These connectors are provided at uniform spacing in shear span and the same
design has been extended throughout the length of the beam.

4.4. SUMMARY
Design of shear connectors and the design strength of stud type shear
connectors used in the present study are presented. Proportioning of test
specimens of composite beams and the design equations to determine the number of
shear connectors for both full and partial shear interactions are also detailed in this

chapter.

38