Composite Behavior of Sandwich Panels with W-Shaped SGFRP Connectors

The composite behavior and structural behavior of four full-scale precast concrete sandwich panels (PCSPs) with different number and distribution of W-shaped steel glass fiber reinforced polymer (SGFRP) shear connectors were investigated both experimentally and theoretically in this paper. Test results showed that the number of W-shaped SGFRP connectors in the panel ends a third rather than in the middle section has a significant impact on the flexural capacity and the composite action of PCSPs. The ultimate load increased in proportion to the number of W-Connectors in both panel ends a third approximately. The shear connectors could transfer a large level of shear from one wythe to the other to enable the two concrete wythes to exhibit partially composite behavior. The degree of partially composite action of the tested PCSPs achieved obviously different depending on the number of connectors in the ends a third. Good correlation was found between experimental obtained results and the theoretical calculation results of the degree of composite action.