Experimental study on ultimate bearing capacity of perfobond rib shear connectors

This paper describes the influencing factors of the ultimate bearing capacity of perfobond rib shear connectors. Three types of failure modes for perfobond rib shear connectors with perforated rebar are summarized from previous experiments, and the shear failure of perforated rebar completely contributes to the ultimate bearing capacity. 33 specimens of perfobond rib shear connectors were tested in the static loading test with different sizes of perfobond rib holes, perforated rebar and concrete strengths. The influencing factors were studied based on test results. It is shown that the size and strength of perforated rebar significantly influence the ultimate bearing capacity of perfobond rib shear connectors with perforated rebar while the sizes and strength of concrete dowels have a minimal influence. In addition, the sizes and strength of transversal rebar have considerable influences on the ultimate bearing capacity, which are more significant than that shown in existing formulas.