Behavior and resistance of truss-type shear connector for composite steel-concrete beams

The behavior of composite steel-concrete beams depends on the transmission of forces between two parts: the concrete slab and the steel I-beam. The shear connector is responsible for the interaction between these two parts. Recently, an alternative shear connector, called Truss Type connector, has been developed; it aligns efficient structural behavior, fast construction and implementation, and low cost when compared to conventional connectors applied in composite structures. However, there is still a lack of full understanding of the mechanical behavior of the Truss Type connector, due to its novelty. Thus, this study aims to analyze the influence of variation of geometric and physical parameters on the shear resistance of the Truss Type connector. In order to investigate those parameters, a non-linear finite element model, able to simulate push-out tests of Truss Type connectors, was specifically developed and validated with experimental results. A thorough parametric study, varying the height, the angle between rods, the diameter, and the concrete strength, was conducted to evaluate the shear resistance of the Truss Type connector. In addition, an equation to predict the resistance of the original Truss Type shear connector was proposed.