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Feb 20, 2025

Experimental study on anti-slip performance of galvanized cable-clamped joint at elevated temperature | Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 5797 (2025) Cite this article 190 Accesses Metrics details Cable structures are widely used in large-span constructions due to their flexible shapes, high

Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 5797 (2025) Cite this article

190 Accesses

Metrics details

Cable structures are widely used in large-span constructions due to their flexible shapes, high strength, and lightweight. However, the high-temperature performance of cable-clamped joints affects the overall fire resistance of cable structures. Moreover, the galvanized layer of cable may melt at high temperatures, which decreases the anti-slip capacity. But, the influence of the galvanized layer on the high-temperature anti-slip capacity has not been studied. In this study, the high-temperature anti-slip capacity of a commonly used type of galvanized cable-clamped joints is investigated by various high-temperature experiments. It is found that the anti-slip bearing capacity of the new cable-clamped joint at 300 °C is 60.30%, which is lower than that at the normal temperature. Compared with existing studies, the results at normal temperature are in good agreement with the theoretical values obtained from literature, which validates the correctness of the experimental system. The difference between the high-temperature test results and the theoretical formula calculations is significant, with the minimum difference reaching 28.5%. Furthermore, the anti-slip bearing capacity of the cable-clamp joint decreases as the thickness of the zinc coating at high temperatures. Therefore, galvanized layer thickness and high temperature should be considered in the assessment of the high-temperature performance of cable structures. Compared with the research conclusions of domestic scholars, it can be seen that the test results in this paper are more reliable, which can provide a useful reference for the design of cable structures.

Cable structures are often used in large-scale building structures such as stadiums, airports, and exhibition centers because of their reasonable force and varied structural forms. Cable clamps are always used in these structures to ensure the normal use of transverse and longitudinal cable structures and other members. There are four typical types of cable clamps in existing applications, the semi-circular plate type, the semi-circular cover type, the plate pressing type, and the multi-block assembled type cable-clamped joint1 (Fig. 1). Among the above four types, semi-circular plate-type cable-clamped joints are widely used in constructions where the unbalanced forces are relatively large because of their best anti-slip performance. However, the slip of these clamps may cause significant force re-distribution of the structure. As a result, investigating the anti-slip bearing capacity of semi-circular plate-type cable-clamped joints is crucial in cable structure design.

Various types of cable-clamp joint diagram.

In the past decades, the anti-slip capacity of cable clamps at normal temperature has gained much attention. The calculation formulas of anti-slip bearing capacity of cable-clamped joints at normal temperature for different cable clamp lengths, high-strength bolt fastening forces, number of high-strength bolts, and cable types have been obtained by experimental experiments and numerical simulations2,3,4. Miao et al.5 studied the friction process between the main body and the pressure plate in the cable-clamped joint through theoretical research and numerical simulation. And they proposed a coefficient to modify the anti-slip bearing capacity formula of the existing cable-clamped joint. Zhang et al.6 studied the anti-slip performance of curved cable clamps and straight cable clamps. The research shows that the anti-slip performance of curved cable clamps is better and the calculation formula for the anti-slip bearing capacity of curved cable-clamped joints is obtained.

In order to ensure that the anti-slip bearing capacity of the joint meets the actual use requirements, Some scholars have conducted experimental research and numerical simulation analysis for the cable-clamped joints in the project based on the actual project7,8. In terms of high-temperature properties, some scholars9,10,11 studied the mechanical properties of cable bodies, including parallel steel wire bundles, steel strands, closed cables and others. Various high-temperature constitutive models and the relationship between high-temperature creep and temperature have been summarized. Sun et al.12,13 also studied the calculation formulas of residual nominal yield strength, elastic modulus, ultimate strength, and fracture strain of the stainless steel cables after temperature action. Wang et al.14 studied the mechanical properties and finite element simulation of large-diameter Galfan cables coated with different fire retardant coatings at high temperatures. Besides, some scholars15,16 have conducted high-temperature experimental research and finite element simulation on high-strength bolts and summarized the experimental research, theoretical derivation and high-temperature creep of high-strength bolts at high temperatures. Yang et al.17 carried out tensile tests of A4L-80 stainless steel high-strength bolts at 20–900 °C, and obtained the stress–strain change and mechanical property reduction law of the bolts at high temperature.

For the study of cable-clamped joints at high temperatures, Guo et al.18 conducted anti-slip experiments on the upper and lower cover-type cable-clamped joints at normal temperature, under high temperature, and after high temperature. The results show that when the temperature exceeds 300 degrees Celsius, the anti-slip performance of the cable clamp begins to decrease significantly. When the temperature reaches 500 °C, the anti-slip bearing capacity of the cable-clamped joints is 27% of that at the normal temperature. A simplified and refined finite element model of cable-clamped joints was proposed, and the effects of material properties and non-uniform expansion on the anti-slip performance of cable-clamped joints were studied. Yong et al.19 studied the cable-clamped joints with parallel steel wire bundles. The calculation formula of the reduction coefficient of the anti-slip bearing capacity of the cable-clamped joints at high temperatures was obtained by steady-state experiment. The functional relationship between the ultimate fire resistance time and the thrust load level of the PWSC cable-clamped joints under the standard heating curve was proposed by the transient experiment. The formula for calculating the loss of fastening force in high-strength bolts was also proposed.

Some scholars20,21 taked actual bridge engineering as background, and studied the influencing factors of the anti-slip bearing capacity and the friction coefficient of the cable channel for the cable-clamped joints with zinc coating used in the actual engineering. The research on zinc coating of cable-clamped joints is mostly focused on cable-clamped joints, which are used in the bridge. Therefore, for the cable-clamped joints used in construction, some scholars19 have conducted experimental research on the anti-slip bearing capacity of cable-clamped joints with galvanized coating at normal temperature. It is generally concluded that the coating reduces the anti-slip bearing capacity of cable-clamped joints, but there are few high-temperature experiments for cable-clamped joints with zinc coating. Moreover, no scholars have considered the influence of galvanized layers and high temperatures on the anti-slip performance of cable-clamped joints.

Therefore, this study focuses on the mechanical properties of semi-circular plate-type cable-clamped joints at high temperatures. The high-temperature experimental members of semi-circular plate-type cable-clamped joints are designed, and the normal temperature and high-temperature experimental studies are conducted. The experimental phenomena and results of the members under different temperatures are compared and analyzed. The variation pattern of the anti-slip bearing capacity of semi-circular plate-type cable-clamped joints at high temperatures is obtained, which provides a foundation for subsequent numerical simulation analysis.

According to the Standard for design of joint of cable structure in buildings22 and the Technical specification for high strength bolt connections of steel structures23, the cable-clamp joints were designed as illustrated in Fig. 2. The three-dimensional model of the experimenting apparatus is depicted in Fig. 3. During the experiment, it is necessary to use a universal experimenting machine, a high-temperature furnace, a double-acting hydraulic jack, a pushing device, a displacement meter, and fireproof cotton.

The schematic diagram of cable-clamped joint specimen.

The three-dimensional schematic diagram of the experimental set-up.

Combined with existing experimental research and considering the experimental equipment and conditions available for this study, the positions of the measurement points for force and displacement in both high-temperature and normal-temperature tests have been determined. The specific experimental arrangements are outlined below.

In the normal-temperature experiment, to more effectively monitor the displacement changes at the cable-clamp joint, three displacement measurement methods were employed. Firstly, the initial positions of the main body and the pressure plate on the cable were marked before the start of the jacking process. After the experiment, the position of the cable clamp was re-marked, and the distance between the two marks was measured. Secondly, displacement meters were placed on either side of the steel plate to verify if the displacement change rate of the steel plate matched that of the cable-clamped joint. Consistency between these rates indicates that the experiment-pushing device is correctly and reliably installed. Thirdly, a displacement meter was positioned above the splint and the pressure plate to directly measure the displacement changes of both components. Finally, these measurements were compared with the displacements marked on the cable to validate the accuracy of the experiment data. A force sensor was placed on the jack, and the arrangements for force and displacement measurement points, along with the overall experimental set-up, are shown in Fig. 4.

The diagram of the experiment device at normal temperature.

During the high-temperature experiment, it is challenging to directly measure the displacement of the cable clamp under high-temperature conditions. Therefore, a displacement meter was positioned at the center of the two steel plates to record the rising displacement of the steel plate. The deformation of the steel plate was calculated using a theoretical formula, and the incremental displacement of the main body and the pressure plate is obtained by subtracting this deformation from the measured displacement. By marking the initial positions of the main body and pressure plate on the cable, the movement of the cable clamp can be measured to verify the accuracy and reliability of the cable clamp displacement data derived from processing the steel plate displacement meter readings. A force sensor was placed on the jack, and the arrangement of force and displacement measuring points, along with the experimental set-up, is illustrated in Fig. 5.

The diagram of high temperature experiment device.

This experimental process is based on relevant existing literature, and the anti-slip performance experiment of cable-clamped joints is divided into two parts: a normal-temperature experiment and a high-temperature experiment. Clear steps are established for each part of the experiment. The main stages of this experiment are as follows:

Pre-tensioning stage of cable: Initially, the cable is pre-stretched and loaded at a constant speed of 10 MPa/s until it reaches 50% (0.5 Fu) of its breaking force. During this phase, the cable stays in the elastic tension range. It is then unloaded at a constant speed to 5% (0.05 Fu) of the cable’s minimum breaking force. This process is repeated three times to reduce the spacing between wires24.

High-strength bolt fastening stage: The pre-tightening bolts of the cable-clamped joint are installed, and "and tightened to the specified pre-tightening force. High-strength bolts are pre-tightened following a staged, multiple, and diagonal tightening sequence from the center of the bolt group23. The assembly is then left undisturbed for 16 h to stabilize the high-strength bolt tightening force.

Measurement system setup and cable tensioning stage: Displacement meters, a jack, force sensors, and a pushing device are installed. The cable is then tensioned to 20% (0.2 Fu) of its minimum breaking force, and the load is held for 30 min18. Subsequently, the measurement devices are reset.

Rising temperature stage: In the high-temperature experiment, the temperature is raised to the target temperature at a rate of 10 °C/min25 and maintained for 60 min.

The fifth step involves pushing the cable clamp. The failure criterion for the joint follows the requirements of the Standard for design of joint of cable structure in buildings22. The cable clamp is pushed and slides with the main body and pressure plate until significant sliding occurs, at which point the joint is considered to have reached its ultimate anti-slip bearing capacity. The entire experimental setup for the normal-temperature test is shown in Fig. 4, and the setup for the high-temperature test is shown in Fig. 5.

During the normal temperature experiment, the jacking force is applied to the cable clamp at a constant speed by a manual jack, while the displacement of the main body and pressure plate is observed in real-time. Initially, the cable-clamp joint does not move significantly. As the top thrust increases, the cable clamp begins to move slowly. When the jacking force reaches a critical value, the displacement of the cable clamp increases suddenly. At this point, it is considered that the cable-clamp joint has reached its ultimate anti-slip bearing capacity. The experiment is stopped when the displacement sliding reaches 15 mm. The observations from the normal temperature experiment are as follows:

After the experiment is completed, from the overall point of view of the cable-clamped joint, metal chips are accumulated on both sides of the cable clamp. Some of the metal chips are wear debris generated by the jacking of the cable, while the rest comes from is the zinc layer sprayed by the cable clamp channel. This wear occurs with the zinc layer debris during the sliding process of the cable clamp. The overall experiment phenomenon after the cable-clamp joint slips is shown in Fig. 6a.

After removing the high-strength bolts, the surface of the cable body and the pressure plate are slightly squeezed and worn due to the extrusion of the high-strength bolts. The wear on the cable clamp surface is shown in Fig. 6b. Upon opening the main body and pressure plate, it is evident that the zinc layer on the inner surface of the cable clamp channel is worn. And the inner surface of the channel is subjected to wear and compression from the cable, which leaves distinct traces. The cable body shows more worn zinc layers, with a clearer boundary on its side indicating the cable clamp’s action area. The damage to the cable-clamped joint is shown in Fig. 6c and d.

The diagram of high-temperature experimentaldevice.

Existing high-temperature experiment research18,19 shows that the anti-slip bearing capacity of the cable-clamped joint remains largely unchanged below 300 °C. Therefore, in the high-temperature experiment, the target temperature is set to 300 °C, and the jacking is conducted after one hour of constant temperature. During the experiment, the displacement data is collected by the acquisition box, and the displacement range of the cable clamp is monitored in real-time. When the cable clamp slides significantly, the joint is considered to have reached its anti-slip bearing capacity. The experiment is stopped when the displacement reaches 15 mm. The phenomena observed during the high-temperature experiment are as follows:

After the test specimen has cooled, it can be observed that the cable clamp appears brown, while the cable body color remained unchanged. White and silver metal debris were found in the hole channels at both ends of the cable clamp. The white debris resulted from the wear of the zinc layer during the sliding process of the cable clamp. After being extracted, it appeared white due to the high-temperature exposure. The silver debris was produced by the compression and pushing of the cable body. Due to the effects of high-temperature extrusion and friction, the cable body indentation was more pronounced, with the zinc layer largely falling off and some of the zinc layer adhering to the cable body. These high-temperature experimental phenomena are shown in Fig. 7.

The high-temperature experiment at 300 °C was conducted twice. The first experiment was conducted after the specimen was pushed a normal temperature. The specimen was then slightly polished and zinc-sprayed before conducting the high-temperature experiment. The second experiment was conducted with a new specimen. The experimental results were essentially the same as in the first high-temperature experiment and were consistent with the findings of Guo et al.18.

The diagram of high-temperature experimental phenomenon.

Based on the experimental measurement data, the displacement-thrust curve of the cable-clamp joint is shown in Fig. 9, which aligns with the trend of the normal temperature anti-slip curve indicated by the specification. At normal temperature, the specification defines the first inflection point as the cable clamp’s anti-slip bearing capacity, which is 53.51 kN. Under high-temperature conditions, specimen 300–1 is polished and re-sprayed with zinc after the normal temperature experiment, then subjected to the high-temperature test. Compared to specimen 300–2, specimen 300–1 shows a slight reduction in slip capacity, but its anti-slip bearing capacity remains essentially unchanged, suggesting that polishing and re-spraying zinc after normal-temperature slip failure still maintains the cable-clamped joint’s performance. Compared to the normal temperature, after heating to 300 °C and holding for 1 h, the cable clamp’s anti-slip bearing capacity decreases from 53.51 to 20.96 kN, a reduction of 60.83%. The primary reasons for this reduction are as follows:

When the cable is stretched to the design value, the smaller diameter of the cable body creates a gap between the cable-clamp joint and the bolt, resulting in a loss of the high-strength bolt’s pre-tightening force.

During the heating process, the cable undergoes thermal creep, thermo-couple effects, and deformation, further reducing the bolt preload.

The galvanized layer inside the cable clamp channel becomes soft under the action of high temperature, which reduces the direct contact friction between the cable and the cable clamp channel.

To verify whether the displacement of the loading incremental launching plate accurately reflects the actual displacement of the cable clamp, displacement meters are arranged on both the incremental launching plate and the cable clamp. By comparing the displacement changes of the cable-clamped joint and the steel plate at normal temperature, it is found that their displacement growth rates are consistent, indicating that the displacement meter arrangement is correct. The displacement rate change curves of the steel plate and the cable clamp are shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

The displacement-jacking force curves of cable-clamped joints at different temperatures.

The displacement curves of steel plate and cable-clamped joint at normal temperature experiment.

Many countries have proposed calculation formulas for the anti-slip bearing capacity of cable-clamp joints. Domestic codes primarily reference the Standard for Design of Joints of Cable Structures in Buildings22 and the Specifications for Design of Highway Suspension Bridge26. Foreign codes mainly follow BS EN 1993-1-11: "Design of Steel Structure—Part 1–11"27. Some domestic scholars have developed formulas for calculating the anti-slip bearing capacity of cable-clamp joints at normal temperature1,4. In this paper, these formula calculations are compared with experimental results to validate the reliability of the experimental data. The specific comparisons are detailed as follows:

According to the Standard for the design of joint of cable structure in buildings22, the calculation formula is as follows:

The physical meaning of each parameter: \(R_{fc}\) is the design bearing capacity (N) for cable clamp anti-slip; \(y_{M}\) is the sum of the initial tightening force of all high-strength bolts on the cable clamp (N); \(P_{tot}^{e}\) is the sum of the effective tightening forces of all high-strength bolts on the cable clamp (N); \(\emptyset_{B}\) is the high-strength bolt reduction factor, take 0.25–0.55; \(\overline{u}\) is the comprehensive friction coefficient between the cable clamp and the cable body, the outer bare sealing cable is 0.2.

According to the Specifications for Design of Highway Suspension Bridge26 calculation, the calculation formula is as follows:

The physical meaning of each parameter: K is the non-uniform coefficient of the fastening pressure distribution, which is 2.8; U is the friction coefficient; \({\text{P}}_{\text{tot}}\) is the total clamping force of all connecting bolts on the cable clamp; \({\text{P}}_{\text{b}}^{\text{c}}\) is the design clamping force of a single bolt on the cable clamp; \({\text{n}}_{\text{cb}}\) is the total number of bolts installed on the clamp.

According to the existing research results, it can be seen that the loss rate of the initial tightening force of high-strength bolts is 49%, and the known initial tightening force is 60 kN. Therefore, the effective tightening force of high-strength bolts is 30.6 kN,which is caused by time effect and cable force loss. The following results can be obtained by bringing the effective fastening force value of high-strength bolts into Eqs. (3) and (4).

According to the BS EN 1993-1-11. Design of Steel Structures-part 1–1127, the calculation formula is as follows:

The physical meaning of each parameter: \(F_{Ed||}\) is an external design load component parallel to the steel cable; \(F_{Ed \bot }\) is an external design load component perpendicular to the steel cable; \(F_{r}\) is possible to reduce the radial clamping force;\(\gamma_{M.fr}\) is the friction partial coefficient, take 1.65; \(u\) is the friction coefficient between the cable clamp and the cable body.

It is known that the effective tightening force of high-strength bolts is 30.6 kN, which is 0.1, and the anti-slip bearing capacity value obtained with data entry Eq. (5) is:

According to the calculation formula mentioned in the research on the anti-slip performance and design method of the sealed cable-clamp joint1, the calculation formula is as follows:

The physical meaning of each parameter:\(F_{f}\) is the anti-slip bearing capacity of the cable clamp;\(u\) is the comprehensive friction coefficient of the sealing cable, take 0.23;\(n\) is the number of bolts; \(P_{tot}\) is the initial tightening force of a single bolt;\(a_{b}\) is the cable diameter influence coefficient;\(b_{L}\) is the cable clamp length influence coefficient, L ≤ 360 mm, take 0.8; 360,540, take 1.0.

According to the experiment, the initial fastening force of the high-strength bolt is 60 kN, the number of high-strength bolts is 6, and the anti-slip bearing capacity is obtained by bringing into Eqs. (6) and (7).

According to the calculation formula mentioned in the anti-slip performance analysis and experimental study of high-stress fully-sealed cable-cable clamp4, the calculation formula is as follows:

The physical meaning of each parameter :\(F_{fc}\) is the anti-slip bearing capacity of the cable clamp;\(n\) is the number of contact surfaces between the cable clamp and the cable body, generally 2; \(\overline{u}\) is the comprehensive friction coefficient, take 0.22; \(m\) is the number of high-strength bolts; \(P_{e}\) is An effective tightening force for high-strength bolts; design pre-tightening force for high strength bolts; \(\Delta P\) is the high strength bolt preload loss value; \(\Delta P_{T}\) is the pre-tightening force loss value of high strength bolt caused by the increase of cable force; \(\Delta P_{S}\) is the pre-tightening force loss caused by the stress relaxation of the high-strength bolt itself; \(\gamma_{1}\) For high-strength bolts, the over-twisting or under-twisting coefficient is generally taken as 0.1; the construction considers over-twisting, and the over-twisting coefficient is i, then i + 1; super screw 10% take 1.1; if there is an operating error in the tightening process, take 0.9; \(\gamma_{2}\) In order to increase the cable force and the pre-tightening force loss coefficient caused by the lateral load, the net length of the screw is clearly calculated according to the following formula. If the net length of the screw is not clear, 45% is taken; \(\gamma_{3}\) is the stress relaxation coefficient of the high-strength bolt itself is 4%.

\(E_{a}\) is the axial elastic modulus of the cable;\(E_{{\text{r}}}\) is the radial elastic modulus;\({\text{v}}\) is the axial and radial Poisson’s ratio of the cable; \(R\) is the diameter of the cable; \(\Delta F\) is the added value of cable force after pre-tightening of high-strength bolts; \(l_{a}\) is the length of the cable channel; \(l_{b}\) is the net length of the high-strength bolt screw (the length of the screw between the upper surface of the cable clamp cover plate and the lower surface of the main body); \(E_{b}\) is the elastic modulus of high-strength bolts;\(d\) is the screw diameter.

According to the experiment, the initial fastening force of the high-strength bolt is 253 kN, the number of high-strength bolts is 6, and the anti-slip bearing capacity is obtained by bringing into Eqs. (8)–(13):

The above calculation values of anti-slip bearing capacity are listed in the Table 1:

By comparing the experimental data with the calculated values from each specified formula and the anti-slip bearing capacity values proposed by domestic scholars, the following conclusions can be drawn.

The influence of zinc coating on the cable clamp is considered in the design code of highway suspension bridge26 and the research of Luo et al.4, which explains why the experimental results at normal temperature closely match the findings of these two studies. And it shows that the normal temperature experimental structure is correct and reliable.

The calculation formula proposed by Liu et al.1 yields values that are too high, as it does not account for the impact of the galvanized layer on the anti-slip bearing capacity of the cable-clamp joint. Conversely, the calculated values from the Standard for Design of Joints of Cable Structures in Buildings22 and BS EN 1993-1-11: Design of Steel Structure-Part 1–1127 are too low, indicating that the calculation formulas in these standards are overly conservative. While this conservatism ensures safety in actual engineering design, it may also lead to increased costs.

The calculation results of existing formulas for high-temperature anti-slip bearing capacity significantly diverge from the experimental data. Compared with the calculated values of each theoretical formula, the minimum discrepancy reaches 28.5%, which indicates that the existing formulas do not adequately account for the influence of high temperatures on the anti-slip bearing capacity of cable-clamped joints.

In summary, the existing formulas for calculating the anti-slip bearing capacity of cable-clamp joints do not comprehensively consider the influence of high temperature and cable channel anti-corrosive coatings on the anti-slip performance of cable-clamp joints. This finding provides a foundation for subsequent revisions to the anti-slip bearing capacity formula for cable-clamp joints.

Existing literature indicates, the anti-slip bearing capacity of cable-clamp joints does not significantly decrease until temperatures reach 300 °C. Therefore, 300 °C is selected as the target temperature for this study, and two typical experimental conditions are established for comparison. It is known that Guo et al.18 did not consider the galvanized layer of the cable-clamp joint; the anti-slip bearing capacity at 300 °C was found to be 88% of the normal temperature value, representing a reduction of 12%. Wang et al.19 considered a galvanized layer of over 50 μm on the cable-clamp joints, and the anti-slip bearing capacity at 300 °C was 64.74% of that at normal temperature, a reduction of 35.26%. In this study, a galvanized layer with a thickness of 500 μm is used, and the anti-slip bearing capacity value at 300 °C is 39.17% of the normal temperature value, a reduction of 60.83%.

It can be seen that the presence of a galvanized layer has a significant influence on the anti-slip bearing capacity of cable-clamp joints, and the anti-slip bearing capacity decreases with an increase as the galvanized layer thickness increases. However, the thickness of 500um used in this study meets the anti-corrosion requirements in the "Technical specification for anti-corrosion of building steel structure"28. Combined with the engineering experience of large-span spatial structures, it is determined that the use of cable clamp channels requires special anti-corrosion treatment, so the thickness of 500um zinc coating is used. Moreover, the galvanized layer is determined according to different anti-corrosion requirements in practical engineering. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct high-temperature experimental research on cable-clamp joints with a galvanized layer, which is commonly used in practical engineering. The comparison between the results of this study and the existing research results on the reduction of anti-slip bearing capacity of cable-clamped joints at high temperature is shown in Fig. 10, which provides a foundation for the fire protection design of cable-clamp joints in subsequent practical engineering.

The comparison of bearing capacity reduction at 300 °C by various scholars.

In this paper, an experimental study of semi-circular pressure plate-type sealed cable-clamp joints is conducted. Separate normal temperature and high-temperature experiments are designed to investigate the influence of high temperatures and cable channel anti-corrosive coatings on the anti-slip performance of cable-clamp joints. The experimental results are compared with those from domestic and foreign standards and scholarly research. The conclusions are as follows:

The anti-slip bearing capacity of the semi-circular plate-type sealed cable-clamp joint at normal temperature is 53.51 kN; the anti-slip bearing capacity of the new specimen at 300 °C is 20.96 kN. The anti-slip bearing capacity at 300 °C after the normal temperature experiment is 19.74 kN. In summary, the anti-slip bearing capacity of the semi-circular plate-type cable-clamped joint at 300 °C is 39.17% of the normal temperature.

By comparing and analyzing the experimental dates at normal temperature and the calculated values of the formulas in the standard, it can be found that the results of the calculation formulas in the existing standards are conservative. Moreover, the formula in the Standard for design of joint of cable structure in buildings does not consider the influence of galvanized layer on the anti-slip performance of cable joints. When comparing the high-temperature experimental value with the theoretical calculated value, the experimental value is lower, with a minimum difference of 28.5%. This indicates that high temperature and the galvanized layer significantly affect the ultimate bearing capacity of cable clamps. Future studies should focus on proposing a formula for calculating the anti-slip bearing capacity that takes into account the combined effects of the galvanized layer, high temperature, and cable ducts.

According to the existing research results, we can see that the anti-slip bearing capacity of cable-clamp joints without a galvanized layer is reduced by 12% at 300 °C compared to that at normal temperature. The anti-slip bearing capacity of cable-clamp joints with a 50 µm galvanized layer is reduced by 35.26% at 300 °C compared to that at normal temperature. The anti-slip bearing capacity of cable-clamp joints with a 500 µm galvanized layer at 300 °C is reduced by 60.83% compared to that at normal temperature. These findings indicate that the anti-slip bearing capacity decreases with increasing galvanized layer thickness at high temperatures. This insight provides a foundation for the fire protection design of cable-clamp joints in future building structures.

The datasets used during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant Number 52278136].

Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, P. R. China

Guojun Sun, Yujia Lin, Jinzhi Wu, Shuo Xiao & Yu Xue

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Author statement Manuscript title: Experimental study on anti-slip performance of galvanized cable-clamped joint at elevated temperature. The contributions of all authors to this manuscript are as follows: Guojun Sun: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing-Review and Editing. Yujia Lin: Data curation, Writing-Original draft, Investigation. Jinzhi Wu: Supervision, Writing-Review and Editing, Software. Shuo Xiao: Supervision, Writing-Reviewing and Editing. Yu Xue: Software, Investigation.

Correspondence to Guojun Sun or Jinzhi Wu.

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Sun, G., Lin, Y., Wu, J. et al. Experimental study on anti-slip performance of galvanized cable-clamped joint at elevated temperature. Sci Rep 15, 5797 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-89571-3

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Received: 27 September 2024

Accepted: 06 February 2025

Published: 17 February 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-89571-3

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