Study of the behaviour of composite beams of concrete and steel by using numerical simulation

Abstract

The present research develops a preliminary study on the behavior of composite beams made of concrete and steel, which are assembled by bolt-type connectors. The numerical simulation process employed software named ABAQUS, which is based on a Finite Element Method (FEM). In order to model the steel behavior, a bilinear model with failure criterion by Von Mises was employed, as well as concrete damage plasticity model. The results obtained from a numerical simulation on real tests show a quite appropriate relationship with results obtained from trial test, thus validating the use of FEM for the study of these kinds of structures. Besides, some strain-stress phenomena take place, which are produced inside the structure. Variability of diverse physical parameters and their influence on the behavior of the composite structure are also studied, such as the case of friction in the concrete slab–structural steel interfaces, as well as in the spacing areas between connectors.