Design of Stud Shear Connectors in Composite Steel Bridges

For composite steel girder bridges, stud shear connectors are provided along the length of a bridge at the interface between the concrete deck and the steel girder to resist the interface shear and prevent slip of the concrete deck on the top flange of the girder. Currently, bridge engineers use the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications (BDS) to determine the size and spacing of the stud shear connectors to satisfy the fatigue and strength limit states. Section 6 of the AASHTO LRFD BDS only allows the horizontal shear force between a concrete deck and steel girder to be transferred through the shear connectors. However, field studies on steel girder bridges designed as noncomposite have indicated that some level of unintended composite action is present despite having no stud shear connectors. Quantifying a reliable contribution of friction and cohesion in transferring the horizontal shear force between a concrete deck and the top flange of a steel member could result in a dramatic improvement on the calculation of the demand and resistance of stud shear connectors at the strength and fatigue limit states. Reducing the number of required stud shear connectors without compromising the performance of composite steel girder bridges will also increase the efficiency of fabrication and erection as well as decrease the number of tripping hazards during construction. Bridge engineers need guidance on updating the current AASHTO LRFD BDS design of stud shear connectors in composite steel girder bridges. The objectives of this research are to provide (1) guidance on calculating the demand and resistance on stud shear connectors for steel girder bridges (including straight, skewed, and horizontally curved) at the fatigue and strength limit states and (2) design examples. At the minimum, the research shall investigate: (1) The contribution of friction and cohesion in transferring the horizontal shear force between a concrete deck and the top flange of a steel member (include I-girder, tub girder, stringers, and floor beams) and (2) The validity of the shear flow equation.  

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5147

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $800000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 12-124

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Project Managers:

  Abu-Hawash, Ahmad

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Arkansas, Little Rock

  33rd and University Street
  Little Rock, AR  United States  72204
• Principal Investigators:

  Prinz, Gary

• Start Date: 20220804
• Expected Completion Date: 20260803
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge decks; Bridge design; Composite structures; Concrete bridges; Fatigue (Mechanics); Girder bridges; Shear strength; Shear stress; Steel bridges; Stud connectors
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Design; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01773411
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 12-124
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 27 2021 7:26PM