Performance of Steel Kerf Plates as Shear Connector for Cross-Laminated Timber-Concrete Composite Systems

In this paper, experimental investigations of the performance of Timber-Concrete Composite (TCC) systems with steel kerf plates as shear connectors are presented. The stiffness, strength, and failure modes of small-scale TCC specimens with steel kerf plates were evaluated in quasi-static monotonic tests. The specimens were comprised of 245 mm thick, 7-ply CLT panels with 150 mm concrete topping connected with steel plates. The embedment depths of the steel plates in the CLT were varied from 35 to 90 mm to investigate the performance variation. Eighteen tests were conducted with six replicates from each type. The load-deformations and connector slips at the CLT-concrete interfaces were measured. Results showed that load carrying capacity and stiffness of all test series were comparable and that the shallow 35 mm steel plate embedment depth into CLT resulted in sufficient composite action for the TCC composites. The steel kerf plates showed excellent performance and can be deemed a promising and economical solution for shear connectors in TCC members.