Biaxial Tests on the SCSC-Plate as a Deck Slab of a Trough Bridge

Abstract

The Steel-Concrete-Steel-Composite-Plate (SCSC-Plate), currently in development at Technische Universität Wien, Institute of Structural Engineering – Research Unit Steel Structures, is being researched as an innovative alternative to a thick solid steel deck slab of railway bridges. The multi-layer structure of the plate consists of two steel cover plates and a reinforced concrete core, hence the name of sandwich plate. Perforated shear connectors, welded alternately to only one of the steel cover plates work together with the concrete core to ensure the transmission of the shear flow between the cover plates.

The SCSC-Plate could function as a standalone structure in the form of a slab bridge and can also serve as the bottom flange of a trough bridge. This paper focuses on the latter application, in which the SCSC-Plate exposed to a tensile force in the longitudinal direction of the bridge. The main research goal is the investigation of the influence of this longitudinal tensile force on the load-bearing capacity of the shear connectors. Therefore, a comprehensive series of biaxial tests, involving tensile forces in the longitudinal direction and shear forces applied to the shear connectors, was conducted on seven large-scale specimens encompassing four shear connector types. The test results provide essential insights into the behaviour of the SCSC-Plate, making a significant contribution to its overall development.