Nonlinear Analysis of Composite Beams with Deformable Shear Connectors

Composite floor systems, consisting of reinforced concrete slabs and steel girders, are common in buildings and bridges. Partial restraints at the interface of the concrete slab and the steel girder have significant effects on the response of the composite beam. A few analytical models capable of accounting for these effects are available; however, none can be efficiently used for the nonlinear analysis of composite beams. In this paper, the basic governing equations are presented for a composite beam with deformable shear connectors under small displacements. Based on these equations, a new composite beam element is developed using the force method of analysis. The performance of this new element is compared with that of a previously developed displacement-based composite beam element. Both elements consist of two beam components connected through a deformable interface. A distributed spring model is used to account for the shear deformation at the interface. Two numerical examples on the nonlinear behavior of composite beams are solved using both displacement- and force-based elements. Comparison of the numerical results shows the superior performance of the newly developed force-based element over the displacement-based element.