Exact series solutions of composite beams with rotationally restrained boundary conditions: static analysis

Abstract

The structural performance of composite beams is sensitive to load distribution as well as actual boundary conditions. Although the composite beam theory has been solidly established and exact solutions have been readily developed for various loading and boundary conditions, almost all of them are limited to classical boundary conditions (free, pinned and clamped) and there has been little discussion about the actual support conditions in real structures. The general representation of actual boundary conditions can be defined as rotationally restrained edges. In this research, an analytical model with exact series-type solutions was developed for composite beams with rotationally restrained edges. The model and displacement solutions were validated by other analytical methods and numerical results. The influence of rotational and end-slip restraints was investigated. It was found that the deflection and interface slip of composite beams are highly affected by both restraints introduced by the actual boundary conditions. The current model can be used as a benchmark for future design methods considering the realistic boundary conditions of composite beams.