Transverse Shear Behavior of Thin-Walled Composite Beams with Closed Cross-Sections

In this study, a closed-form analysis has been developed for the transverse shear behavior of thin-walled composite beams with closed cross-sections. The shear flow distributions and cross-section stiffness coefficients are derived analytically by using a mixed beam approach. The theory has been applied to single-celled composite box-beams with elastic couplings. The location of the shear center and the effect of transverse shear deformation on the static behavior of composite beams are investigated in the framework of the analysis. The present results are validated against those of a two-dimensional finite element analysis and a good correlation has been obtained for box-beam cases considered in this study.