Theory of initially twisted, composite, thin-walled beams

An asymptotically correct theory for initially twisted, thin-walled, composite beams has been constructed by the variational asymptotic method. The strain energy of the original, three-dimensional structure is first rigorously reduced to be a two-dimensional energy expressed in terms of shell strains. Then the two-dimensional strain energy is further reduced to be expressed in terms of the classical beam strain measures. The resulting theory is a classical beam model approximating the three-dimensional energy through the first-order of the initial twist. Consistent use of small parameters that are intrinsic to the problem allows a natural derivation for all thin-walled beams within a common framework, regardless of whether the section is open, closed, or strip-like. Several examples are studied using the present theory and the results are compared with a general cross-sectional analysis, VABS, and other published results. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.