Power-Actuated Fasteners Connecting High-Strength Steel Plate to Mild Steel Plate under Monotonic Shear Loading

Abstract

This research proposes an innovative method utilizing power-actuated fasteners (PAFs) for the shear connection joining cold-formed steel (CFS) plates to hot-rolled steel (HRS) plates. An experimental program comprising 66 single-lap-joint shear strength tests was conducted to investigate the behavior of the connectors and connections under quasi-static monotonic loading. The parameters studied were the thickness of the CFS sheet, the strength of the base material (i.e., HRS), the diameter of the fastener, and the manufacturers of the fasteners. Fasteners from two different companies, Hilti and Ramset, were used in the program to ensure diversity. Three failure modes were captured including (1) bearing of CFS sheet, (2) shear fracture of the fastener, and (3) pullout by shear from the HRS sheet. The test results are compared with the predictions of the equations the Australian/New Zealand Standard for cold-formed steel structures or the North American Specification for cold-formed steel structural members. It is revealed that the equation for the bearing capacity results in unconservative predictions for the specimens tested. Meanwhile, the predictions of shear fracture and pullout by shear underestimate the actual strength of the connections.