Failure investigation of steel and brick aggregate concrete composite construction with angle and channel shear connectors

ABSTRACT

This investigation focuses mainly on the failure behaviour and performance of angle and channel shear connectors in composite structures made with steel and brick aggregate concrete. It was observed that both angle and channel shear connectors did not fail themselves. However, in some specimens, localised connector yielding was observed in channel shear connectors. In both cases, concrete strata failed as either concrete crushing and shearing, combined splitting and bending, or complete splitting mode of failure. Crushing and shearing failure was noticed in specimens having smaller web and flange and were brittle in nature as compared to the failure of specimens with larger web and flange. Other parameters, such as shear resistance, energy absorption, and load-slip behaviour, were also investigated. Web height and flange width of both connectors significantly affected the ultimate shear capacity and slip of the brick aggregate concrete specimen. Channel connectors were found more flexible and carried more shear than angle connectors. Channel connectors had an average of 32.41% and 116.17% more ultimate load and slip capacity than the angle connectors in brick aggregate concrete, respectively. The load-carrying capacity, slip, and failure behaviour of the brick aggregate concrete were found similar to those of stone aggregate concrete.

KEYWORDS:

• Push-out tests
• failure pattern
• load-slip behaviour
• shear resistance
• energy absorption

Acknowledgments

The complete research has been done under the monetary support of the Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology (CUET) research fund.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Authors’ contributions

M.H. Akram participated in Methodology, Experimental study, Writing – original draft, Formal analysis, Visualization, Investigation, Software, Validation, Resources, and Data creation of this manuscript. M.R. Alam participated in Conceptualization, Experimental study, Writing – Reviewing and Editing, Resources, Supervision, Validation, Project administration, and Funding acquisition of this manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology, Award Number: CUET/DRE/2019-20/CE/037, Grant Recipient: Md. Rabiul Alam, Ph.D.