Performance of channel shear connectors in steel frame with reinforced concrete infill walls

To examine the mechanical properties of channel shear connectors employed in steel frame with reinforced concrete infill wall (SRCW) structures, the improved push-out tests were performed on three specimens of channel shear connectors subjected to the monotonic and cyclic loading. This study investigated the influences of loading protocol and concrete strength on the mechanical behavior of channel shear connectors. After the refined finite element (EF) models of channel shear connectors were validated based on the push-out tests, a systematical parametric analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of RC infill wall thickness, concrete strength, and channel dimensions on its shear strength of the channel shear connectors. In addition, this study also compared the accuracy of the CSA S16, AISC 360 and GB50017 design code in predicting the shear capacity of channel shear connectors in SRCW structures. The experimental results and parametric studies indicated that the current design equations inaccurately evaluate the shear capacity of channel shear connectors used in SRCW structures. Consequently, an alternative equation was developed to estimate the shear-resistant capacity of channel shear connectors in SRCW structures, which provided the desirable calculation precision for engineering design.