The longitudinal Shear Connection between the steel section and the concrete is provided by shear connectors, which normally take the form of studs welded to the top of the steel section. All connectors should be capable of resisting uplift forces causes by the tendency for the slab to separate from the beam as it bends. In the case of shear studs this is achieved by the head of the stud.
Although shear connectors ensure adequate fixing of the decking to the beam, they are not needed simply to achieve this. They should only be used when it is desired to achieve composite action between the slab and the steel beam, or to tie the slab at edge beams when the floor acts as a diaphragm.
For smaller projects or where beams are galvanized or painted, shot-fired connectors may be more suitable. The most common shot-fired shear connector is that produced by Hilti, which is available in heights of 95mm to 140mm. It should be noted that a shot-fired connector has less resistance then a welded stud.
SWUK are able to supply a variety of shear studs and shot fired shear connectors.