A BEAM ELEMENT FOR FRP THIN-WALL BOX BEAMS CONSIDERING BOTH SHEAR LAG AND SHEAR DEFORMATION

In this paper, the differential equations of FRP thin-walled box beams are established based on the principle of minimum potential energy. Both shear lag and shear deformation are taken into account and the pertaining element stiffness matrix and equivalent nodal force vector are given. A finite element program is developed and some numerical examples are studied. Good agreement is reached between the present predictions and other available results including those of computer code ANSYS. It is demonstrated that the proposed element is effective and reliable.