Experimental and theoretical investigation of composite truss beams

The design specifications of composite trusses are only partially included in the European standards. However this construction system can be considered as one of the most economical for building and bridge structures. To create an interaction between steel and concrete, it is necessary to prevent the relative slip at the steel and concrete interface using the shear connectors. But the local effects of a concentrated longitudinal shear force between steel truss chord and concrete slab, as special task, should be appropriately examined. The finite element analyses can be used to investigate numerically this structural system behaviour, exploiting several computer procedures. The experimental research has tested these procedures. The outputs of this study are presented in the paper.