Experimental Study on the Mechanical Properties of Perfobond Rib Shear Connectors with Steel Fiber High Strength Concrete

Perfobond rib (PBL) shear connectors, made up of the perforated steel plates with the penetrating rebars passing through the holes, are extensively adopted in steel-concrete composite structures for their excellent performance. The adequate understanding of mechanical properties for PBL connectors is of great significance for their reasonable design. In this study, a push out experiment, including 12 specimens with the parameters of concrete strength, diameter of penetrating rebars and the number of holes on perforated steel plate, was performed to explore the mechanical behavior of PBL connectors with steel fiber high strength concrete (SFHSC). The experimental results showed that the shear capacity of the PBL connectors increased with the increase in concrete strength, diameter of the penetrating rebars and the number of holes. Furthermore, a general prediction formula for the shear capacity of PBL connectors was developed, which considers the shear contribution of concrete dowels, concrete end-bearing, interfacial bonding between the perforated steel plates and concrete and the penetrating rebars as well as the enhancement effect of steel fibers. The prediction results of the equation are in good agreement with the experimental data and could provide a reference for the design of PBL connectors.