Efficiency of shear studs manufactured from threaded bars on the punching behavior of flat slabs

Punching resistance in flat slab systems in reinforced concrete structures is often provided with drop panels or shear reinforcement around columns. Shear studs are effectively used in these structures as shear reinforcement. However, factory-made shear studs may not be available in all locations and small quantities for small projects. Therefore, cheap shear studs that can be manufactured from widely available materials in small quantities can be very useful in certain cases. In this study, shear studs manufactured from threaded bars, widely available in hardware stores, are used for providing punching resistance to flat slabs. Stud heads were formed with T-section nuts. Four slab specimens, two with shear studs and two without, were cast and tested under concentrated loads at their mid-point. The slabs had 2150×2150×150 mm dimensions and they were cast with two different longitudinal reinforcement ratios. Test results showed that manufactured shear studs significantly increased the load and deformation capacities of the slabs. Slabs with shear studs were able to show up to three times higher bending deformations and they were able to sustain up to 50% higher loads. The study has shown that these studs can be effectively used for punching strengthening purposes in flat plate systems or in other cases where punching resistance is needed.