Recent Improvements in the Longitudinal Shear Resistance in Composite Slabs: A Review

Abstract

Composite slabs made of profiled steel sheets and concrete topping are considered the most frequent floor solution in composite building construction. The key benefits of this structural system are thought to be the increased speed of construction, traditional replaceable shuttering removal, and reduction in the number of props needed. According to Eurocode 4, bending, longitudinal shear, and vertical shear resistances are considered the main parameters to define the composite slab capacity. In general, longitudinal shear resistance is considered the most conditioning parameter for composite slabs. Composite slabs are considered to have a substantial bending capacity due to the profiled steel sheet contribution. Therefore, longitudinal shear resistance must be improved to provide a high degree of connection, allowing the composite slabs to attain their full bending capacity. Over the past decades, many researchers have attempted to propose new methods to improve the longitudinal shear capacity. These improvements can be categorized into three categories. Improvements by proposing new types of concrete to increase the bending capacity of the concrete topping, improvements by proposing new types of end-anchorage, and enhancements by proposing shear connectors placed along the span of the composite slabs. In this paper, technical literature for the past few years for previous researchers who attempted to improve the longitudinal shear capacity will be presented and reviewed.