Deformation-Based Design of Composite Beams

Current design specifications for steel and composite structures generally assume elastic-plastic or rigid-plastic material behaviour, which means that the beneficial influence of strain hardening is neglected. This assumption may lead to overly conservative strength predictions particularly for stocky bare steel sections and composite beams subjected to sagging bending. The continuous strength method (CSM) is a deformation based design approach that allows for strain hardening in the design of metallic cross-sections. Although the method has been successfully applied to bare steel, stainless steel and aluminium alloy cross-sections, use of the CSM for steel-concrete composite structural components, which may considerably benefit from strain hardening, has not been extensively studied. Thus, the primary purpose of this study is to extend the application of the CSM to composite structures, with an emphasis on simply supported beams subjected to sagging bending.