Mechanical properties of timber-concrete connections with steel tube connectors

Abstract

Composite connections are important components of timber-concrete hybrid systems. This work presents a novel shear connector for timber-concrete composite (TCC) connections. To verify the composite action between the timber and concrete in the proposed connection, ten specimens were subjected to push-out tests to examine the slip at the interlayer. The failure mode and maximum load capacity results are analyzed, indicating that the composite connections have good ductility and high load capacity. Four methods to determine the yield point are compared and discussed in detail. According to the test results, a mathematical model is utilized to predict the nonlinear load-slip curve of the proposed connection. The Bayesian method is introduced to estimate the model parameters and quantify the model uncertainty. The obtained results can be used for further reliability analysis. This work demonstrates that timber-concrete connections with novel connectors perform well and show potential for application in composite structures.