Stability of composite thin-walled beams with shear deformability

In this paper, a theoretical model is developed for the stability analysis of composite thin-walled beams with open or closed cross-sections. The present model incorporates, in a full form, the shear flexibility (bending and non-uniform warping), featured in a consistent way by means of a linearized formulation based on the Reissner's Variational Principle. The model is developed using a non-linear displacement field, whose rotations are based on the rule of semi-tangential transformation. This model allows to study the buckling and lateral stability of composite thin-walled beam with general cross-section. A finite element with two-nodes and fourteen-degrees-of-freedom is developed to solve the governing equations. Numerical examples are given to show the importance of the shear flexibility on the stability behavior of this type of structures. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.