Effect of Longitudinal Tension Bars on Performance of Composite Light Gauge Steel and Concrete of a Plate Structure

This paper studied the performance of composite light gauge steel and concrete applied on a plate structure. A light gauge steel section is initially proposed to replace longitudinal bars on resisting tension stress at the lower zone of the plate section. Experimental tests have been conducted for six specimens: three specimens of composite light gauge steel and concrete and three other composite specimens with longitudinal reinforcing bars, which were so-called hybrid specimens. A static monotonic load was applied to each specimen until the ultimate condition reached. It was observed that the first crack occurred at the bending moment zone for the hybrid section and around the two-point loads. Compression crashes on the top fiber and diagonal shear failure resist the specimen to obtain a higher capacity. The structural stiffness decreased for additional tension bars within the range of 10.2–20.8%. About the structural ductility, the hybrid specimens had 1.55–1.71 lower than the composite specimens.