A shear deformable theory for the analysis of steel beams reinforced with GFRP plates

Abstract

A shear deformable thin-walled beam theory is developed for the analysis of steel beams reinforced with a GFRP plate to one of the flanges. Starting with the principle of stationary potential energy, the governing equilibrium equations and boundary conditions are formulated for the problem. The theory results in two sets of fully coupled systems of equilibrium equations. The first system describes the longitudinal-flexural response of the system and involves four generalized displacement fields and the second system governs the lateral-torsional response and involves six generalized displacement fields. The resulting coupled systems are then solved numerically for practical problems. Detailed comparisons with three dimensional and shell solutions under ABAQUS show that the present theory provides reliable predictions for displacements and stresses. A comparison with results from a non-shear deformable theory illustrates the necessity of incorporating shear deformation effects in cases involving predominantly twisting responses.