Failure analysis of column–slab connections with stud shear reinforcement

Abstract

The design of a flat plate structure is generally governed either by serviceability limits on deflection or punching shear strength of the column–slab connections. To increase the strength of a column–slab connection, a new type of shear reinforcement, referred to as shear stud, is gaining popularity in practice. In this paper, a nonlinear layered finite element method (LFEM) is used to investigate the effectiveness of the shear studs in increasing the punching shear strength of edge and corner column–slab connections. In total, nine large-scale reinforced concrete slabs of a flat plate floor in the vicinity of edge and corner columns, tested previously in the laboratory, are analysed. All the slabs contained stud shear reinforcement (SSR) except a control slab where no SSR was provided. The test variables were the column size and the ratio of stud spacing to slab thickness. The punching shear strengths, load–deflection responses, and crack patterns predicted by the LFEM are compared with the experimental results. The numerical investigation confirms the accuracy and effectiveness of the LFEM in predicting the strength of column–slab connections with SSR.Key words: column–slab connection, concrete flat plate, punching shear, stud shear reinforcement, finite element analysis.