Experimental Investigation of Shear Transfer in Precast Lightweight Concrete Sandwich Slabs with Demountable Bolted Steel Shear Connectors

RANA AL-KERWEI; SA Osman; Ammar N. Hanoon; Ahmed W. Al Zand

Experimental Investigation of Shear Transfer in Precast Lightweight Concrete Sandwich Slabs with Demountable Bolted Steel Shear Connectors

Authors

RANA AL-KERWEI University Kebangsaan Malaysia
SA Osman Department of Civil Engineering, Facility of Engineering and Built Environment, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8413-6321
Ammar N. Hanoon Civil Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Baghdad University, Baghdad, Iraq. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1369-9856
Ahmed W. Al Zand Department of Civil Engineering, Facility of Engineering and Built Environment, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2414-516X

Abstract

In this study, three types of bolted shear connectors (I, V, and X type) had been proposed. Push-out tests were performed to investigate the shear behavior of the Precast Lightweight Concrete Sandwich Slab (PLCSS), whose layers were connected by the suggested connectors. Nine specimens of PLCSS were fabricated and tested, distributed into three groups. Each group included three identical specimens for each type of shear connector. The primary parameter considered in this work was the type of shear connector and its effect on the failure mode. The structural behavior considered load vs relative displacement (between top and bottom wythes), stiffness, ductility, and deformation index. The proposed shear connectors showed a variance in terms of strength, ductility, hardness, deformation index, and absorbed energy values. The highest values of shear strength were for specimens with X-connectors. In addition to their advantage of the ease of fastening or re-dismantling, the bolted shear connectors showed good compatibility to fabricate such a composite lightweight concrete element that demonstrates high shear resistance.

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Published

2025-08-08

Issue

Articles in Press

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Original Article

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