Analysis of the structural behavior of composite steel and concrete beams

experimentation and design

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the differences in structural behavior between conventional composite beams and shallow floor beams, using the performance of a steel beam as a reference. For this comparison, experimental data and numerical simulation results were used for models of beams subjected to four-point bending. The tests included both conventional composite beams and shallow floor beams, both utilizing hollow core slabs, as well as numerical simulations of the isolated steel beam. It is important to note that in all models, the same steel profile was used with the same span between supports. The comparisons focused on the initial stiffness and ultimate strength of the beams. The results showed that the conventional composite beam exhibited the best performance, being the most rigid and achieving the highest ultimate load. Regarding the shallow floor beam, it was observed that its behavior, in terms of both stiffness and strength, also surpassed that of the isolated steel beam, highlighting the significant contribution of the hollow core slab to the improvement of structural performance.