Behavior of CSC-Type Shear Connectors under Pry-Out Shear Test: Analytical Study

The use of cold-formed steel (CFS) shapes in steel-concrete composite sections has increased over the past 20 years in the construction industry worldwide. This system has constructive advantages such as high load-bearing capacity, high stiffness and ductility, ease of transportation and assembly, and full usage of the capacity of the materials. Additionally, CFS sections are considered a sustainable alternative in construction.The capacity of the system depends on the effectiveness of shear connectors during the transfer of stress between materials. Currently, the push-out experimental test follows a standardized procedure to evaluate the capacity of shear connectors in composite sections, but CFS shapes have demonstrated premature failures by local buckling, thus questioning the applicability of the experimental test for such configurations.In this research, the capacity of the proposed confined shear connectors (CSC) is evaluated in composite systems, through the alternative pry-out test methodology. From numerical models, the effects of the steel shape thickness, the thickness of concrete slabs, the compressive strength of concrete and the separation between connectors in composite systems are studied. The analysis concluded that, under this test methodology, the separation between connectors does not represent statistically significant changes in the final capacity of the composite system.