What are shear stud connectors?

Infrastructure projects in India have received a tremendous boost in the past few years, and the construction industry has been witnessing an increasing use of steel and concrete. Shear stud connectors are are components used to ensure proper shear transfer between steel girders and composite slab. Shear studs are typically used in constructions such as steel composite bridges, military equipment, and commercial buildings as well.

In commercial buildings where a concrete slab rests on top of steel beams, the slabs cannot offer lateral restraint on their own. in such cases, shear connectors are inserted to connect the slab to the beam top. These shear stud connectors are welded to the steal beam tops at regular intervals throughout the beam. Shear stud connectors can also play an important role in protecting a structure from earthquake. In such instances, they undergo reverse cyclical loading. This leads to shear transfer between the concrete deck and the steel profile.

Advantages of shear stud connectors

First and foremost, shear connectors are simple and quite economical tools and aid quality construction in many ways.

• Shear stud connectors quick and easy to weld into structures, and provide equal shear strength in all directions.
• Shear connectors do not significantly obstruct the process of slab reinforcement.
• There is better compaction of concrete around the shear connectors, offering more strength to the structure itself.

Before welding the shear stud, the shear-flow profile is plotted along a girder. Shear flow is calculated at three points: support, mid-span and quarter-points. Proper spacing of the shear stud connectors is very important to resist the shear. Based on the shear flow calculations, the spacing of shear connector studs is varied according to the requirements.

Headed stud connectors are the most commonly used shear studs around the world today. Headed shear stud is used mostly in steel and concrete structures because it can resist the shear and vertical uplift of material in such structures. These shear studs work as arc welding electrodes and after they are welded in place, they resist the shear forces in composite construction.

Shear stud connector manufacturers in India

As observed before, the use of steel in Indian construction market is increasing. Thus, the demand for shear stud connectors is estimated to grow considerably in the coming years. Being a price-sensitive market, it is important that these shear studs are available in India at the right price points. Currently, around 60% of total stud connectors in India are imported. However, the Indian manufacturing sector is now catching up to plug the gap.

In recent months, the rise of Corona virus threat has hampered international supply chains. Sourcing from China has always carried a certain risk due to issues such as Corona virus as well as concerns about quality. Having its own strong manufacturing facility, Artech has always helped companies with assured supply and quality. Making the best shear connectors and welding machines available domestically has been a mission for Artech, and the company has over the years emerged as one of India’s largest manufacturer of shear connector welding machines. Backed by state-of-the-art machines from Germany, the company is poised to ensure supply of quality stud connectors at reasonable prices.