Flexural behavior of precast concrete wall-steel shoe composite assemblies with dry connection

This study aimed to investigate the flexural behavior of precast concrete (PC) wall - steel shoe composite assemblies with various dry connection details at mid-span. Flexural tests were performed for five scenarios. Test parameters included the width of test specimens, arrangement of steel shoe connectors, and use of structural adhesive or waterproof tape at the mid-span joint. The test results showed that the PC wall - steel shoe composite assemblies joined at mid-span showed flexural damage patterns combined with rotational deformation, and the structural performance was satisfactory regardless of the arrangement of steel shoe connectors. Considering the two deformation components (flexural deformation by bending and rotational deformation due to joint opening), a theoretical model was proposed to analyze flexural strength and joint opening, and the simple model gave good predictions with acceptable accuracy.