Experimental studies on a connection for steel structures using steel fiber reinforced cementitious composite

In this paper, a new connection for free-form steel structures using FRCC (Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composite) is proposed. The connection is an improved version from the previous one proposed by the authors. Firstly, basic material characteristics of FRCC using high strength mortar and two types of steel fibers are investigated through compression and bending tests. Then a full-scale connection composed of the FRCC, stud-welded rebars and shear connectors is constructed and subjected to cyclic bending. It is shown that the connection is capable of transmitting nearly half the bending capacity of the connected steel members. During the test, bond stress distribution of a stud-welded rebar to the FRCC is observed in detail.