Experimental and Numerical Analysis of the Punching Shear Resistance Strengthening of Concrete Flat Plates by Steel Collars

In this study, six square reinforced concrete flat plates with dimensions of (1500x1500x100) mm were tested under a concentrated load applied on a column located at the center of the slabs. One of these slabs was the control specimen, whereas, in the others, steel angles (steel collars) were used, fixed at the connection region between the slab and the column to investigate the effect of the presence of these collars on punching shear strength. Five thicknesses were used (4, 5, 6, 8, 10mm) with constant legs of angles (75x75) mm of the steel collars to investigate the effects on the punching shear resistance with respect to the control slab. The results of the experimental study show that the punching shear resistance increased by 41 to 77% when steel collars were used. The experimental results were in good agreement with the numerical analysis acquired with the ABAQUS software.