A generic analytical solution for creep and partial interaction in composite beams

![CDATA[This paper addresses the issue of creep deformations and the deformations caused by partial shear interaction in composite T-section beams. Partial interaction in composite beams was first modelled analytically in the seminal publication of Newmark, Siess and Viest in 1951, and several research contributions emanated from their technique of deriving the governing differential equation for the problem, mainly for beams under a variety of loading conditions. More recently, the effects of creep and shrinkage deformations of the concrete slab on the structural response of composite beams have been addressed, but these have mainly been numerically based rather than analytical in nature owing to the complex interactions of the parameters that govern the behaviour. The paper starts from the formulation of Newmark et al., but it includes deformations caused by creep in the modelling. The formulation is also generic, in that it allows (with suitable modification) for a variety of loading and support conditions. The application of the method to a simply supported beam, an encastré beam and to a propped cantilever beam with one degree of redundancy is demonstrated in the paper. Because the solution to the problem is derived analytically, it can be programmed into spreadsheet applications that are suitable for routine structural design.]]