Numerical and Experimental Tests of Steel-Concrete Composite Beam with an Innovative Connector Made of Corrugated Metal Sheet and Shot Nails

This article presents the possibility of applying innovative fasteners made of corrugated metal sheet in the dovetail-shape and shot nails to make a steel-concrete composite beam.The beam was built using fasteners made of metal sheet with a thickness of 1.00 mm and 2 or 4 shot nails into single sheet fold.The nails were shot through the sheet into the flange of the steel I-section.The 7.5 m long beam was subjected to a bending test.Based on the experimental studies, a numerical model of the beam was developed in the ADINA System program.The used concrete material model, taking into account the post-cracking and crushing behaviour allowed to locate critical areas of failure.The beam connectors showed sufficient load-bearing capacity and the concrete slab was the weakest component of the composite beam.The beam was damaged as a result of cracking in the slab and, as a consequence, local detachments of the corrugated sheet from the concrete slab.The proposed solution can be used as the fastener for steel-concrete composite structures ceilings of small utility public buildings.