Experimental investigation on the tensile capacity of steel bar connectors using PBL shear key
The connection of steel bars between prefabricated concrete components is crucial for the suitability and cost-effectiveness of constructing projects.In the Chinese engineering field,grouted sleeve connections and grouted spiral-confined lap connections are commonly used steel bar connection technologies.However,these two connec-tion methods have shortcomings,including construction difficulties,low efficiency,and challenges in quality in-spection.This paper proposes three kinds of steel bar connectors:the PBL-perforated rebar connection,the PBL-perforated tube connection,and the PBL-U rebar connection.The proposed steel bar connectors facilitate the rein-forcement stress transfer between different precast concrete members while offering advantages like ease of construc-tion,effective quality control,and reduced costs.Experimental investigations were conducted on 18 specimens,in-cluding all 3 connector types across 6 parameter groups.This study examined their tensile capacities,failure modes,bearing capacities,and deformation characteristics,deriving the influences of different factors on the tensile strength of the proposed steel bar connectors.Additionally,comparisons were made regarding the mechanical prop-erties of tensile strength among the three steel bar connectors.The results show that all three steel bar connectors effectively transmit load through rebars,preliminarily verifying the validity of the proposed steel bar connectors.