Timber‐concrete composite slab tests with novel steel nail plates shear connectors

Abstract

The increasing demand for sustainable construction has brought timber‐concrete composite slabs to the forefront of the modern building design. These load‐bearing systems offer low carbon footprint, lightweight, strength, and stiffness benefits of hybrid construction. Achieving these properties requires a reliable and durable connection between timber and concrete, which ensures a composite action and enhances the structural integrity and load‐bearing capacity of the slab. Conventional connection methods—such as screws, grooves, or adhesives—provide proven performance, but they remain expensive and time‐consuming to install on‐site or during prefabrication. A novel type of shear connector in form of steel nailing plate was used in this study. Current design guidance for timber concrete composite slabs (TCC) mainly covers traditional connectors, leaving little support for alternative solutions. To better understand behavior of the novel shear connector in timber‐concrete composite slab a series of bending test was executed. Tests were divided into two groups with different layout of shear connectors. The comparison of test results with various existing design approaches will be present and discussed within this paper.