Mechanics analysis of thin-walled box continuous girder with variable cross-sections in considering effect of large deflection and shear lag

Abstract

In order to study the mechanics behavior of a thin-walled box continuous girder with variable cross-sections, using potential variation theories, considering the effect of shear lag of flange’s stress and the nonlinear geometry of vertical displacement, and evolving five generalized displacements with the spline function, the large deflection problem of the thin-walled box continuous girder with variable cross-section was transformed to a nonlinear algebraic equation, which was solved using the Newton-Raphon iterative method. The results of the calculation show that different shear lag warp functions to the cantilever, top and bottom plate should be taken to analyze the mechanics behavior of the thin-walled box continuous girder reliably. The thin-walled box continuous girder with variable cross-sections has more reasonable stress state and is more adaptable for the longitudinal change of internal forces than that with equal cross-sections. The effect of large deflection on the stress and displacement of the thin-walled box continuous girder with variable cross-sections depends on the values of the load.

Keywords

thin-walled box girder with variable cross-sections / potential variational theory / shear lag / large deflection problem