Exact solutions for thin-walled composite open section beams using a unified state space coupled field formulation

Abstract

Thin-walled open section composite beams (TWOSCB) used extensively in aerospace structures exhibit several non-classical effects such as torsional warping, warping shear, material coupling, and shear deformation. Arbitrary cross-section and material coupling make the governing equations highly coupled and difficult to solve analytically. In this paper, a unified coupled-field formulation is developed to analyze TWOSCB accommodating all non-classical effects. Using the state-space method to derive analytical expressions for displacements and forces, Vlasov solutions of isotropic beams are recovered. Results obtained for arbitrarily laminated mono-symmetric composite channel and I-section beams subjected to bending and torsion loads show excellent agreement with available results in the literature.