ANALYTICAL SOLUTION FOR THE NONLINEAR BEHAVIOR OF STEEL-CONCRETE COMPOSITE GIRDERS

Abstract

This study proposes an analytical solution for the nonlinear inelastic analysis of statically determinate steel-concrete composite girders. The aim is to develop an exact method that accounts for key factors influencing nonlinear behavior, including gradual and distributed yielding. A novel approach for determining the moment-curvature curves of steel-concrete composite sections is introduced, offering significant reductions in computational time while improving accuracy compared to the fiber method. This solution addresses the lack of exact methods in the literature by presenting a highly accurate analytical approach that eliminates the need for subdividing girders into multiple elements or solving complex systems of equations, as required in numerical methods. Validation is achieved through comparisons of load-displacement curves with advanced numerical analyses and full-scale test results from the literature, demonstrating excellent agreement. These findings establish the proposed method as a reliable benchmark for validating numerical models and provide engineers with a straightforward yet precise tool for assessing deflection and material behavior in statically determinate girders.