Stud connection in composite structures: development with concrete age

As the most popular shear connection in composite structures, mature concrete has been widely investigated by considering mechanical properties of stud connectors (SCs) embedded. To further enhance the fabrication efficiency of composite structures and solve the contradiction between construction progress and structural performance, it is required to analyze the shear performance of stud connections of composite structures with different concrete ages. 18 typical vertical pushout tests were carried out on stud shear connectors at concrete ages of 7 days, 14 days, and 28 days. Also, the effects of concrete age, stud spacing and stud diameter on the shear capacity, connection stiffness and failure mode of the connectors were studied. A new relationship expression of load-slip for SCs with various concrete ages was proposed. The existing design code for the SCs shear strength was evaluated according to the experimental data, and a more practical prediction equation for the shear capacity of SCs with different concrete ages was established. A great agreement was observed between the experimental and theoretical results, which can provide a reference for engineering practices.