A comparative study on the time-dependent analysis of composite beams using available modelling techniques

This paper presents a comparison of available numerical structural formulations for the short- and long-term analysis of composite beams with partial shear interaction. Four methods of analysis are considered and these include the finite difference method, the finite element method, the direct stiffness method and the exact analytical model. The results btained using these formulations are compared qualitatively and their accuracy is estimated, adopting the exact analytical model as a benchmark reference with the objective of establishing the minimum spatial discretisations required to keep the error within an acceptable tolerance. These comparisons are carried out for two static configurations, i.e. simply-supported beams and propped cantilevers, from which the qualitative behaviour of these formulations in the modelling of continuous beams can also be deduced.