Analysis of Concrete-Timber Composite Beams

Abstract

Composite structures, which are formed by a combination of materials with different mechanical properties, are an alternative solution for conventional structures used in construction. These structural arrangements seek to obtain a reduction in construction costs while also maintaining the architectural structural safety performance and environmental benefits. The integration of a composite structure depends, in general, on the efficiency of the connection, which can be rigid or flexible. This system is responsible for transmitting the shear longitudinal force at the interface of two materials along the length of the beam and, at the same time, for preventing their vertical detachment. This study contributes to the analysis of the mechanical behavior of composite beams built in concrete and timber, emphasizing the determination of vertical displacements in three ways: via resolution of the analytical equations of equilibrium, via a two-dimensional finite element program, and by the equation of the principle of virtual work. The latter approach was developed from researches on the theory of structures, expanding its concepts to composite beams. The proposed formulation has proved to be consistent and its results are according to experimental data.