Performance of mixed connections under combined loads

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the performance of steel-concrete mixed connections under combined loads and also provides some results and findings through a series of experiments. . The type of connection is endplate type. The connection is proposed for jointing steel members. Through the experimental observation, capabilities are examined. The basic concept of the joint is a usage of reinforced concrete instead of bolts for the connection. Since concrete can take any shape by nature, fairly larger tolerance allowed on site work is possible. The connection can be designed so as to have smooth transmission of forces from one member to the other, and to have certain capacity required. In addition, sufficient ductility may also be expected if the mutual restraint due to the interaction of steel and concrete materials is effectively used. In this chapter, the mixed connection, which consists of steel endplates and a reinforced concrete segment is proposed for the joint of steel members. Since the performance of the connection affects both the behavior and the strength of the whole structure, the chapter is dedicated to clarify the performance of the connection.