Shear connection slip demand in composite steel–concrete beams with solid slabs

• Shear connection slip demand evaluated in composite beams at the ultimate limit state
• Effect and importance of various design parameters analysed and illustrated
• Influence and significance of modelling assumptions considered and discussed

The objective of this work is to provide insight into the expected slip demand in the shear connection of composite steel–concrete beams through the use of a numerically efficient nonlinear beam model previously validated by comparisons with experimental tests. The results of a parametric analysis involving 1680 simply supported beams are illustrated to investigate the influence that various design parameters (i.e. span length, degree of shear connection, steel beam and concrete slab cross-section geometry, connection distribution, dead load to live load ratio, propped and unpropped construction sequences, and concrete strength) and modelling parameters (i.e. shear connection representative strength and constitutive parameters) have on the slip demand. It is observed that, for a given shear connection degree, the most important parameters are the construction sequence, the span length, and the steel section shape. In addition, the shear connection distribution can have an important effect and non-uniform shear connection distributions with more connectors near the supports might be effective in limiting the slip demand. The results illustrated in this work can be a support for more efficient designs of the shear connection in composite steel–concrete beams and a basis for possible improvements of their current design recommendations.