Composite slim floor beams with innovative shear connections

An innovative form of slim floor beams is proposed in which the shear connection is formed by combining the concrete passing through the web openings with a steel tie-bar element. A numerical study was conducted to evaluate the flexural behaviour of these composite shallow cellular beams. The force transferring mechanism, load-bearing capacity and failure patterns of the shear connections were also evaluated. Two different configurations of shear connection were designed and a parametric study was carried out to determine the parameters likely to influence their performance. The findings were incorporated with bending and push-out test results to develop design methods for this form of shear connection. A tentative design procedure for the composite shallow cellular beams is proposed.