Dynamic Properties of Timber–Concrete Composite Beams with Crossed Inclined Coach Screw Connections: Experimental and Theoretical Investigations

Abstract

Due to the low density and stiffness of wood, traditional timber floor systems are prone to producing large vibration responses. By combining timber beams with concrete floors, timber–concrete composite (TCC) floor systems show stronger bearing capacity, higher bending stiffness, and better thermal and sound insulation behaviors when compared with traditional timber floor systems. In this study, the vibration performance of TCC beams with crossed inclined coach screw connectors was investigated using dynamic tests. The influence of the screw diameters and slab dimensions on the dynamic performance of the composite beams was evaluated. The test results demonstrated that TCC beams show good dynamic performance when used as a floor component and meet the preliminary requirements of floor vibration comfort for fundamental frequency. The fundamental frequency and damping ratio of TCC beams decreases with the increase in slab dimensions. The bending stiffness and natural frequency of TCC beams decrease smoothly when reducing the screw diameter from 16 to 12 mm. Additionally, two theoretical models were used to predict the natural frequencies of the TCC beams, and the predicted values show good consistency with the measured ones.

Keywords

• timber–concrete composite beams
• coach screws
• dynamic properties
• experimental study
• theoretical analysis