Determination of the Sliding Modulus and Limit Strength of Shear Connectors for Mixed Wood-Concrete Structures

Tests with specimens are still the most suitable way in order to get to know the mechanical and elastic behavior of shear connectors, which are used in mixed wood-concrete structures. The most used wood-concrete specimens are the symmetrical push-out type models. About the great diversity of connectors, considering type, stiffness, strength value and their position in the structural member, besides other varieties as: spaces between connectors, dimension variation and mechanical and elastic properties of the materials involved, several normative standards suggest that the wood-concrete specimens shall represent the real connection behavior. In Brazil, due to lacking of normative procedures, plenty of wood-concrete specimen models and criteria have been used for the determination of the limit strength and the slip modulus of these connections. In this paper some wood-concrete specimen models are presented, they were suggested in some normative documents and others presented into the international literature and national research. Some procedures are suggested for obtaining the slip modulus and limit strength, representing the real conditions of the connection.