Numerical analysis of composite frames with partial shear-stud interaction by one element per member

A numerical plastic-layer procedure based on a simplified finite element method is proposed for the analysis of composite flooring frames in a serviceability deflection limit state which allows for the spread of concrete cracks along the length of a beam. It allows for a very important effect of partial interaction between the steel beam and the concrete slab. In the proposed method, discrete shear connectors are assumed to be continuous along the beam-slab interface. Thus, the entire composite beam is modelled by a single element with a hybrid mixed-shape function for the transverse deformation which is superior to the currently used polynomial displacement functions. The application of the proposed method is demonstrated through a number of worked examples. When using the proposed numerical integration technique and associated mixed-formed element for modelling of material cracking and yielding, a single element per member is already adequate for large deflection analysis of composite frames with arbitrarily distributed concrete cracks.