Impact performance of steel-concrete-steel sandwich structures

Abstract

The aim of this research is to assess the impact performance of Steel-Concrete-Steel (SCS) sandwich structures comprising a lightweight concrete core sandwiched in between two steel plates which are interconnected by J-hook connectors. Novel J-hook connectors that are capable of resisting tension and shear have been developed for this purpose and their uses are not restricted by the concrete core thickness (compare to Bi-Steel). Push-out tests, static and impact test on SCS sandwich beams and slabs have been carried out to evaluate their flexural and dynamic performances. Test results show that the SCS sandwich beams and slabs with the proposed J-hook connectors are capable of resisting impact without significant damage in comparison with beams with overlapping stud shear connectors. Design formulae for static and impact loading have been proposed and verified against the test results. Finite element analysis has been conducted to predict the responses of SCS sandwich structures due to drop-weight impact. Comparison with the experimental data shows that the FE models can predict the impact response of the SCS sandwich structures with a reasonable accuracy.