Numerical simulation and parametric study of pullout behavior of anchor studs in normal‐strength and high‐strength concrete

Anchor studs serve as practical connectors in steel‐concrete composite structures. The current design methods of tensile strength of studs are limited to low‐strength concrete within C60, and the studies on numerical modeling of tensile (pullout) behavior of studs, especially those with parametric studies that require sufficient numerical runs, are scarce. In this study, 77 finite element models (FEMs) were developed to investigate the influences of various design parameters, including concrete strength grades (C20–C80), anchor diameters (D10–D19), anchor head diameters (D22–D32), and effective embedment depths (H20–H100) on the tensile behavior of studs. The sensitivity of model‐defined parameters, such as friction coefficient ( μ ), dilation angle ( ψ ), and viscosity parameter, on the simulation results was conducted. The FEM results reveal that the concrete breakout failure mode was predominant, with steel failure occurring only for embedment depths exceeding 70 mm and stud diameters smaller than 10 mm. Concrete compressive strength ( f c ′ ) and effective embedment depth ( h ef ) were found to have the most pronounced impact on the ultimate tensile strength ( N u ) of anchor studs. Based on the parametric studies, a predictive model for N u was proposed. Compared to the empirical concrete capacity design model, the proposed model was found to be more accurate with a superior fit to experimental data.