Perforated shear connectors on composite girders under monotonic loading: An experimental approach

This paper presents the results of sixteen push-out tests performed at the Civil Engineering Department of the University of Coimbra, Portugal, on perforated steel shear connectors with varying geometries. Eight tests using the previously studied Perfobond and T-Perfobond geometries were initially performed and were followed by another eight tests on two innovative geometries, the I-Perfobond and 2T-Perfobond. The investigated variables included the shear connector geometry and the provision of transverse reinforcement within a shear connector’s holes. The results are presented and discussed with a focus on the shear connectors’ structural responses in terms of their shear transfer capacity, ductility, stress distribution and collapse modes. Finally, a comparison of the experimental results with existing analytical models of the Perfobond and T shear connectors is also presented to establish their accuracy and applicability.