Title: Shear Tests on Composite Dowel Rib Connectors in Cracked Concrete

Author(s): Martin Classen and Josef Hegger

Publication: Structural Journal

Volume: 115

Issue: 3

Appears on pages(s): 661-671

Keywords: composite structures; cracked concrete; pryout failure; rib shear connector; shear tests

DOI: 10.14359/51701145

Date: 5/1/2018

Abstract:
In steel-concrete composite girders, composite dowel rib shear connectors can be used to transfer shear forces between the concrete slab and the steel section. In regions with negative bending moment, where concrete cracking occurs, the shear capacity of composite dowel connectors may be affected by transverse concrete cracks. So far, the internal shear-carrying mechanisms of composite dowel connectors in cracked concrete are not clarified, and existing shear capacity models do not account for concrete cracking. Hence, the present paper summarizes the results of 38 shear tests, providing novel insights regarding the pryout failure in cracked concrete. The tests were performed in an innovative test setup allowing the investigation of the impact of crack spacing and crack width. Using the test results, the present paper analyzes the phenomenology of pryout failure in cracked concrete.