Evaluating the Structural Efficacy of Angle and Channel Shear Connectors in Brick Aggregate Concrete and Stone Aggregate Concrete and Comparison

Composite structure is becoming prominent for its economy, less time consumption, and higher stiffness-mass ratio. Composite action of the steel-concrete composite structure mainly depends on the connector's geometry and materials. Proper choice of shear connector could make steel beam and concrete slab cross-section minimal. This study carries out push-out tests to evaluate the structural efficiency of channel and angle shear connectors in brick aggregate concrete and stone aggregate concrete. It specifically looks at the failure mode, ductility, load-slip behavior, and energy absorption capacity. In brick aggregate concrete, results show that under monotonic loading, channel connectors have been found to have 15.27% more shear capacity & 28.38% more slip than angle connectors. Similarly, in stone aggregate concrete, channel connectors have been found to have 14% more shear capacity & 12.97% higher slip than angle connectors. On average, stone aggregate concrete has been found to have 34.84% higher shear capacity and 6.7% greater slip than brick aggregate concrete. Strain energy and plastic energy were found 78% and 17.6% less in brick aggregate specimens than those in stone aggregate specimens, respectively. Experimental results were slightly lower for both shear connectors than the empirical values.