Performance of shear connectors at elevated temperatures - A review

Shear connectors are key components to ensure the efficient composite action and satisfactory transfer of shear forces at the steel–concrete interface in composite beams. Under hazardous circumstances, such as fire in a building, the performance of a composite beam significantly relies on the performance of shear connectors. Studies on the behavior of shear connectors subjected to elevated temperatures performed in the last decade are reviewed in this paper. The experimental testing of push-out specimens, the design approaches provided by researchers and different codes, the major failure modes, and the finite element modeling of shear connectors are highlighted. The critical research review showed that the strength of a shear connector decreases proportionally with the increase in temperature. Compared with the volume of work published on shear connectors at ambient temperatures, a few studies on the behavior of shear connectors under fire have been conducted. Several areas where additional research is needed are also identified in this paper.