Influence of the Inclination Angle of Dowel on the Structural Response of FRP-Concrete Shear Connections

This study delves into the structural response of FRP-concrete shear connections, focusing on the influence of dowel inclination angles. Through a series of push-out tests, the efficacy of glass roving tied braided GFRP dowels at 90° and 45° angles is evaluated and compared with traditional epoxy-based surface bonded connections. The research highlights the shear strength, slip capacity, and stiffness of these connections, revealing that perpendicular dowel connectors enhance shear strength by around 30% due to glass roving wounds. In contrast, 45° angled dowel connectors exhibit a unique failure mechanism, transforming into a partial hinge at 60% of the characteristic load level. The study also compares the performance of these connections on two types of GFRP profiles: pultruded and hand-layup. The results indicate that the developed connections are more compatible with industry-manufactured pultruded profiles. Additionally, the connection stiffness of brittle surface bonded connections is found to be around six times higher than that of ductile dowel connectors. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into optimizing FRP-concrete shear connections for enhanced structural performance.