Interfacial shear transfer performance of shaped steel with stud connectors embedded in ECC

This paper conducted push-out tests with 12 short-column specimens to investigate the interfacial shear transfer performance of shaped steel with stud connectors embedded in Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC). The influences of diverse design parameters, such as ECC compressive strength, fiber volume content, stud diameter, stud set position, and cover thickness, were evaluated on the crack de-velopment process, failure modes, and load-slip curves. The results indicated that the failure modes included splitting failure, shaped steel yield failure, matrix crushed failure, stud shear failure and mixed failure. The ordinary concrete specimen exhibited a brittle splitting failure, while the ECC specimen presented an obvious ductility in its failure mode owing to the fiber bridging effect effectively that limited the development and extension of cracks. Besides, the ultimate load improved as ECC com-pressive strength, fiber volume content, and cover thickness increased. A calculation method for the interfacial shear capacity of shaped steel with stud connectors in ECC was proposed by considering the combined action of the natural bond force and stud connectors, and the calculated results fitted well with the test results.