Behavior of GFRP-RC Interior Slab-Column Connections with Shear Studs and High-Moment Transfer

Abstract

Six full-scale reinforced-concrete (RC) interior slab-column connections of glass fiber–reinforced polymer (GFRP) were constructed and tested to failure. The specimen consisted of a square slab with a 2,800-mm side length and a 200-mm thickness in addition to a 300-mm-square column stub extended for 1,000 mm above and below the slab. The test specimens were subjected to vertical shear forces and unbalanced moments. The test variables included the moment-to-shear ratio, GFRP double-headed shear studs ratio, and the type of GFRP bar surface texture (ribbed or sand-coated). The test results revealed that increasing the moment-to-shear ratio reduced the vertical shear capacity and increased the deflections and the strains at failure. Moreover, the presence of the GFRP shear studs enhanced the slab capacity but was not able to change the punching shear mode of failure. Furthermore, the used two types of GFRP bars showed comparable behavior. The results were compared with the predictions of the available fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) design provisions such as those from Canada, the United States, and Japan. Finally, a new method is proposed to predict the punching shear capacity for the slabs with FRP shear studs.