The use of steel tubular columns with concrete flat plates appears to offer significant practical benefits. At present the use of thinner, more economic slabs and the provision of service holes adjacent to the column are hampered by the problem of shear transfer at column heads and, in seismic areas, the use of flat plates is not favoured at all, because of the limited strength and ductility of the slab to column joint. This paper proposes a new structural arrangement to address this issue, using steel tubes. The advantages of the proposed system, are discussed. Details of the proposed column shearhead device are presented, as well as a discussion of the factors involved in its design. A programme of testing of such a device for use in seismic areas is outlined.
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