Structural Performance of Steel Pile Caps Strengthened with Perfobond Shear Connectors under Lateral Loading

The conventional strengthening strategy on the connection between the steel pile cap and reinforced concrete footing requires a series of complicated processes such as the distribution of reinforcing bars, their anchorage into concrete, and the usage of shear keys. This study investigates the structural performance of steel pile caps strengthened with newly proposed perfobond shear connectors subjected to lateral loading. Test parameters include the type of perfobond shear connectors, infilled concrete depth, and the number of L-shaped steel plates. The applied load versus deformation curve is plotted for all specimens, and their failure modes are identified. The effects of the test parameters on the peak load are examined in this work. From the results of this study, it can be confirmed that the proposed perfobond shear connector can be utilized as an alternative to the conventional steel pile cap strengthening method using steel rebars.