Structural Behavior of Bi-Directional Steel Anchors in Concrete

This study investigates the response and loading capacity of steel beams anchored in concrete using bi-directional steel anchors, commonly used in hybrid structural systems in high-rise buildings and bridges. Focusing on connections where steel beams intersect at the corners of reinforced concrete (RC) walls, the research examines the configuration of anchors as single or bi-directional anchors under shear force and bending moment applied to each beam. The bi-directional anchors are connections where two steel beams anchored in perpendicular directions at the corner of RC walls. In this research, seven steel anchors were cast and tested under bending and shear loads; four specimens were single anchors at different edge distances and three specimens were bi-directional anchors at the same selected edge distances of the first three single anchors. The experimental results for single anchors generally align with ACI 318-19 calculations. At a distance from edge of 120 mm, bi-directional anchors showed improved load capacity compared to single anchors. However, for edge distances greater than 180 mm, both single and bi-directional anchors exhibited similar load capacities, with no significant impact from the interaction between the bi-directional anchors.