Timber-Concrete-Composite Beams with Discrete Perforated Steel Plate Shear Connectors

Abstract

[Abstract] This paper describes an experimental research on timber-concrete-composite (TCC) beams made with discrete perforated steel plates shear connectors. The research included shear tests on different connectors made with perforated steel plates glued with epoxy in timber ribs and short and long-term test on beams with 8.88 meters of span. An unbonded tendon along with a self-tensioned system was used to limit the deflections of the beams on some of the short-term tests. A locked tendon was also used in long-term tests. The different proposals of shear connectors made with discrete perforated glued steel plates showed a great strength and stiffness, with almost negligible slip between timber and concrete in service. This shear connectors, were used to design 8.88-meter span beams that showed a behaviour close to the full composite action in short-term tests, indicating a great potential to design medium and long-span beams and floors. Some of the beams have been subjected to long-term loads for more than two years in an interior and uncontrolled environment. After that, the stiffness of the beams was evaluated under different test configurations and they were finally