Sustainable and deconstructable flush end plate semi-rigid beam to column composite joints

Composite steel-concrete floor systems are a ubiquitous structural steel framing configuration for commercial and institutional buildings, exploiting the strengths of both reinforced concrete and structural steel symbiotically in a complementary fashion. However, within paradigms related to minimisation of carbon emissions and maximisation of product recycling, these composite systems are problematic on a number of fronts. This paper describes the results of three full-scale sustainable flush end plate semi-rigid beam-to-column joints with deconstructable pre-tensioned bolted shear connectors. In this system, precast “green concrete” (GC) slabs associated with reduced CO2 emissions during their manufacture are attached compositely to the steel beam via pre-tensioned bolted shear connectors that are readily deconstructed at the life-end of the building. The test results show that these composite joints have credible rotation and moment capacities according to EC3 and EC4, and that fracture of the joint occurs when substantial rotational deformation has developed