Strength and stiffness assessment of mechanical shear connectors in composite steel-timber construction

Abstract

The objective of this dissertation is to investigate the behaviour of different mechanical shear connector types within composite steel-timber systems comprising of profiled steel decking and plywood board, subject to shear loading. Connecting plywood board to profiled steel decking using mechanical connectors can be considered a viable means for producing an efficient, prefabricated flooring systems. In practice, the use of mechanical connectors has facilitated the assembly process but also the replacement, deconstruction and eventually the recycling of the different constitutive elements comprising the composite system upon reaching the end-of-life state.