A spatial displacement model for skewed multi-rib T-beams

A generalised finite segment method for the analysis of a skewed multi-rib T-beam is presented in this paper. Using the skewed beam element under an inclined coordinate system for the skewed deck and normal beam element for the ribs, a spatial displacement field for the composite structure is constructed. Shear lag effect and local flexure of the deck are taken into consideration in constructing the displacement field, as well as the stiffness of the transverse diaphragm. The formulation of the finite segment is established based on the variational principle. The proposed method simplifies a three-dimensional structure into a one-dimensional structure such as a beam for structural analysis and therefore reduces the computational efforts significantly. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the application of the proposed approach. It is shown through the examples that the results obtained using the proposed finite segment approach are in agreement with the experimental data, verifying the accuracy of the proposed method.