Experimental investigation on the shear properties of notched connections in mass timber panel-concrete composite floors

Mass timber panel-concrete composite floors efficiently combine the structural merits of timber and concrete and are gaining interests from builders and designers. Among different connection systems in the composite floors, the notched connection is both structurally superior and cost effective. However, due to the lack of design methodology, the use of notched connection in mass timber panel-concrete composite floor systems is hindered. This study investigated some important factors that could affect the structural performance of notched connections through experimental studies. Ten types of notched connections were made with varying factors including geometry of the connection, orientation of timber and presence of additional steel fasteners in the connection, and tested under shear load. Test results show that stiffness, load-carrying capacity and failure pattern vary among different configurations, and geometry of the connection and orientation of timber are the most important factors that influence the connection performance. Results from this study could serve as an important reference for the optimal design of the notches in the composite floors, as well as improving the existing design rules and verifying the analytical models for the notched connections. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.