Date of Award:

5-2018

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Committee Chair(s)

Marc Maguire

Committee

Marc Maguire

Committee

Joseph A. Caliendo

Committee

Paul Barr

Abstract

Precast concrete sandwich wall panels (PCSWPs) have been used in the precast industry for decades due to their durability, rapid construction, and thermal efficiency. Shear connectors are used to connect the two wythes of concrete to allow composite action of the system. In order to design concrete sandwich panel systems to act compositely, the engineer must obtain design values from a connector manufacturer, often times making engineers uncomfortable. Shear connectors are typically proprietary, and are required to first have design values validated through destructive testing. The method in which connectors are validated often times varies by each company. This project tested five different composite connectors using 22 single-shear and 48 double-shear specimens and compared the results.

This project aimed to compare existing testing methodologies in order to better inform engineers about design decisions. This study concluded that the ultimate strength capacity and stiffness of connectors will change depending on the testing methodology used. Single-shear testing will generally provide less ultimate strength and less stiffness when compared to double-shear testing.

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