Preliminary investigation on the bending capacity of a novel connection between the concrete slab and steel beam

Abstract

Using precast concrete floors can greatly improve the construction efficiency of steel structures, and the development of the connection between precast slabs affects the application of precast concrete floors in steel structures. In this paper, a new connection between the precast concrete floor and steel beam is proposed. The bending capacity of the connection was investigated through experiments, and compared with that of the cast-in-place floor. The test results showed that the reliability of the new connection was excellent, and the bending capacity of the floor with this connection is basically the same as that of the cast-in-place floor. The finite element software ABAQUS was employed to simulate the bending behavior of the new connection floor and cast-in-place floor, and the feasibility of the model was verified by comparing it with the experimental results. The model was used to analyze the structural response of the two types of composite beams composed of new connections and precast floor, cast-in-place floor, and steel beam, respectively. The load-bearing capacity and failure modes of the two composite beams were compared. The results showed that the bearing capacity of the composite beam fabricated with the new connection can reach that of the cast-in-place floor composite beam. This is only a preliminary investigation about the new connection and there are some limitations as well.