Behavior of Headed Studs in Composite Structures: An Overview
Mahmoud Alhashash1, Abdullah Alariyan2, Favzi Ghreivati3, Ahed Habib4,*, Maan Habib5
1 Department of Civil Engineering, Cyprus International University, Nicosia, North Cyprus via Mersin 10, Türkiye
2 Department of Civil Engineering, Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta, Cyprus
3 Departement of Civil Engineering, İstanbul Kültür Üniversitesi, Istanbul, Türkiye
4 Sustainable Systems Technologies and Infrastructure Research Center, Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
5 Faculty of Informatics Engineering, Al-Sham Private University, Syria
* Corresponding Author: Ahed Habib. Email: 
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring https://doi.org/10.32604/sdhm.2026.074644
Received 15 October 2025; Accepted 06 February 2026; Published online 07 April 2026
Abstract
Composite structures have become integral to modern construction owing to their efficiency, strength, and economic benefits, with steel-headed studs serving as critical shear connectors between concrete slabs and steel beams. Existing research has investigated these connectors through push-out and pull-out experiments, fatigue and cyclic protocols, durability and temperature-extreme studies, and a wide range of analytical, numerical, and data-driven models. This study addresses the lack of a consolidated and critical review by combining a systematic review with a bibliometric assessment of 385 Scopus-indexed publications from 2000 to 2025, which shows sustained growth of research output and concentration of highly cited contributions in leading composite-structures outlets. The systematic synthesis highlights that stud performance depends strongly on geometry, grouped-stud interaction, and the surrounding cementitious matrix, and it shows that advanced concretes mixes often increase peak resistance while shifting governing failure toward stud or weld-related mechanisms. Design-code comparisons reported in the reviewed literature indicate that resistance predictions may deviate substantially in ultra-high performance concrete configurations, which supports the need for mode-aware provisions rather than direct extension of normal-concrete formulations. The modeling review identifies a progression from empirical equations toward nonlinear finite element simulation and interpretable machine learning trained on large databases, while noting that design adoption requires transparent applicability limits and physically consistent predictors. The paper concludes by consolidating design implications and by defining targeted research priorities on grouped studs, mixed-action fatigue, durability degradation factors, and interpretable data-driven tools for code-oriented design of composite shear connections.
Keywords
Steel-headed studs; composite structures; shear connectors; ultra-high-performance concrete; fatigue and cyclic behavior
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