Nonlinear analysis of plate-truss composite steel girders

An efficient approach to the nonlinear analysis of plate-truss composite steel girders is presented in this paper. Using finite strip elements in transverse direction, a spatial displacement field in consideration of local buckling of a plate-truss composite structure is constructed. The updated Lagrangian formulation of the finite strip element is introduced based on the incremental virtual work principle of the three-dimensional continuum, and the effect of large deformation is taken into account with the Euler coordinate transformation. The effect of material nonlinear behavior is considered with inner-force plastic coefficients of cross section. As an illustrating example of the application of the presented approach, the nonlinear behavior of a plate-truss composite steel bridge model is studied, and the computational results are verified with test data. © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.