The shear resistance and ductility requirements of headed studs used with profiled steel sheeting

Modern standards such as Eurocode 4 provide rules for determining the resistance of stud connectors welded within profiled steel decking. These rules are based on the results of push tests with specimens using both re-entrant and trapezoidal decks. This paper presents interim results from a push test study on specimens using modern trapezoidal deck types, which are supplemented with results from two full-scale beam tests and Finite Element analyses. From this study it is shown that: there is a need to standardize the push test when decking is employed; slip capacities lower than the Eurocode 4 recommendations do not significantly reduce the ductility and bending resistance of composite beams; and the artificial restraint provided by edge trim is generally beneficial in push specimens, and better represents the stud behaviour in composite beams.