Power actuated fasteners (PAF) are fasteners shaped like smaller construction nails which are installed using a driving tool with enhanced power and are one of the preferred tools for connecting metal decking due to the fast installation time and consistent quality. However, not enough research has been conducted on the fundamental strengths of PAF connections and structural engineers are concerned about their effect on structural components, especially plastic deformation capacity. Therefore, in this paper, evaluation models for the tensile and shear strengths of PAF joints were discussed through experiments as well as observations on the JSSC requirements for PAF spacing and edge distance of both beam flange and deck plate.

 2 types of tensile tests were conducted to investigate the ultimate strength and failure modes of tensile loading on PAF joints. In tension, PAFs have 2 main failure modes, which are pin pull-out failure and deck plate pull-over failure. Pin pull-out strength can be evaluated by multiplying shear stress by the contact area between the pin and the steel embedment. For the pin pull-out failure, the maximum strength is in proportion to the contact area, and the ultimate shear stress was obtained for each shape of PAF. On the other hand, deck plate pull-over failure was observed in specimens with lower strength of steel grade, SPCC. It is assumed that deck plate pull-over failure is caused by shear stress applied at the lateral surface of a cylindrical area at the deck plate with the diameter of the pin head and the thickness of the deck plate. Furthermore, it could be shown that the evaluation model based on deck plate shear failure around the pin head can evaluate the maximum strength obtained from the experiments.

 Shear tests were conducted mainly to observe the ultimate strength and failure modes of the deck plate in shear. The failure modes are classified into tear-out and bearing of the deck plate. The experiment results showed that the JSSC requirement for edge distance of deck plate is effective to avoid the tear-out failure of deck plate. On the other hand, the bearing strength of deck plate could be evaluated by an equation from the AISI standard. Finally, compared to puddle welding conducted in previous researches, it is found that these strengths are proportionate to the PAF's diameter.