Shear bearing capacity of composite slabs

The subject of the submitted work is the experimental and theoretical investigation of composite slabs. The work also deals with creation of numerical models of composite slabs. The design of a new type of steel sheeting for composite slab according to nowadays standards requires full scale laboratory bending tests. An alternative to the bending tests are the small scale shear tests. The small scale shear tests as well as corresponding design methods have already been investigated by many researchers. Therefore several test arrangements and corresponding design methods can be found in literature but none of them is included in standards yet. The submitted thesis describes three of the alternative design methods: Slip- Block Test, Simplified Method and Built-up Bars. The test arrangement is proposed to be usable in all these methods. The small scale shear test have been performed in laboratory in several modifications. The results were used to calculate the bending resistance of the slab by the alternative design methods. The calculated bending resistances were mutually compared, compared with the performed bending tests resistances and the resistances by the methods described in Eurocode: m-k method and partial connection method. A sensitivity studies of the input parameters in alternative design methods are presented as well. The optimal design method for use in practice was searched and recommended based on the performed studies, accuracy and laboriousness of the methods. The shear tests were used also to measure longitudinal shear resistance of the additional shear anchors. The alternative design methods were used to predict bending resistance of the slab using these anchors and the results were compared. The numerical simulation of the composite action of the slab by the finite element methods is modelled in Atena software. The models serves to perform parametrical studies and to better understand of the behaviour of the slab in partial composite action