Bearing capacity analysis of perfobond rib shear connectors in steel-concrete composite structures

Perfobond rib shear connectors (PBL shear connectors) are a commonly used method for connecting steel beams to concrete slabs. However, the varying factors of material strength, geometric parameters, and testing methods lead to notable differences in theoretical models, thereby requiring further research for accurate prediction of bearing capacity. In this paper, the load transfer process and damage evolution mechanism during loading of PBL shear connectors are reviewed. Twenty-five sets of single-ribbed plate test data, consisting of both conventional type and deep-buried type tests, have been selected for analysis. The effects of concrete strength, hole area, transverse rebar area, and steel plate thickness on the bearing capacity have been quantitatively analyzed using linear regression. The analysis results demonstrate that an increase in concrete strength, hole area, transverse rebar area, and steel plate thickness by one unit results in a corresponding increase in bearing capacity by 1.034%, 0.011%, 0.102%, and 0.214% for the conventional type of PBL shear connectors, respectively. An increase in concrete strength, hole area and transverse rebar area by one unit results in a corresponding increase in bearing capacity by 0.511%, 0.015% and 0.094% for the deep-buried type of PBL shear connectors, respectively. Additionally, taking theoretical analysis into account, a predictive equation for the bearing capacity of both conventional type and deep-buried type specimens is proposed. The accuracy and reliability of the proposed equation are verified through comparison with experimental results.