ANALOG-BEAM METHOD FOR DETERMINING SHEAR-LAG EFFECTS

A method of analysis for beams with shear-lag effects from wide flanges or with shear deformations resulting from shear studs in composite beams is presented. The basic idea is to replace the real beam with an analog beam, where all the shear deformation is concentrated in a thin layer. The equivalent stiffness of the shear layer can be related to the properties of the flange and the shear studs connecting the beam and the slab. When this stiffness is assigned to shear layer, the real beam and its analog behave in the same overall manner. The solution to the analog beam problem is directly related to the deformation and stresses in the real beam through simple formulas. The method is more complicated, but also more accurate than the customary effective width method, and could prove a good tool for design purposes.