A new approach to analysis of composite beams under large deflections

A new approach is presented to investigate static behavior of composite beams under large deflections. The model with consideration of the effects of transverse shear deformations, torsional warping and structural coupling for composite beams is conducted using the large deflection beam theory. The equations of motion for composite beams are obtained from Hamilton's principle. A new 24 degree-of-freedom finite element is developed for analysis. Assuming the stress components in the cross-section are equal to zero, constitutive relations for composite beams are built. Numerical tests of example problems demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the present approach. Comparision of the present formulation and experiment observation show excellent agreement. The transverse shear deformations and torsional warping significantly affect the static deformation of composite beams.