Experimental and numerical investigation of the shear behavior of steel-plate composite (SC) beams without shear reinforcement

Experimental and numerical investigations were conducted to evaluate the out-of-plane shear behavior of steel-plate composite (SC) beams without shear reinforcement. The parameters considered in the experimental investigations were the section depth, steel faceplate (longitudinal) reinforcement ratio, shear span-to-depth ratio and shear connector (stud anchor) spacing. The experimental results are presented along with discussions of flexural cracking, crack progression, shear crack formation, shear force-displacement behavior, shear force-strain measurements and the final failure mode. The experimental results indicate that section depth has a slight influence on the shear cracking behavior, and stud anchor spacing has a significant influence on the overall failure mode. The shear strength of SC beams increased with larger longitudinal reinforcement ratio, and decreased with larger shear span-to-depth ratio. The lower bound out-of-plane shear strength occurred for SC beams with span-to-depth ratios greater than 3.0. The experimental results compared conservatively with the nominal out-of-plane shear strengths calculated using equations in ACI 349M and Eurocode 2 code provisions for reinforced concrete beams, and equations in AISC N690-12s1 code provisions for steel-plate composite beams. Detailed 3D nonlinear inelastic finite element (NIFE) models were developed and analyzed to gain additional insight into the out-of-plane behavior and failure of the tested specimens. The models were benchmarked by comparing numerical predictions with experimental results and observations. The benchmarked models are recommended for conducting numerical parametric studies, and expanding the knowledge base.