The behavior of partially encased composite steel beams subjected to flexural loads

Studying the behavior of a novel partially encased composite steel beam (PECSB) under flexural loads is the objective of this article. To improve the PECSB, the varus-equipped U-shaped steel section is joined to the slab concrete by top shear connectors and to the bottom portion by side shear connections. The Finite Element Method (FEM) was used to perform the investigation research for the experimental task. The concrete and steel coefficients of friction, which were taken from lab tests when side shear connections were used and when they weren't, were around 0.65 and 0.46, respectively. As the ultimate load approached, the slide between the concrete and steel at the end beam nearly reached 0.9 mm. To create safe and effective systems for both residential and commercial applications, parametric research was carried out numerically to examine how 108 FE models of PECSB with various parameters behaved under flexural loads. Observations of typical failure mechanism phases revealed that the factors improve the ultimate bending capacity. High agreement was found when the ultimate load capacity for the FEA and the theoretical findings utilizing EC4 were compared. The design specifics were proposed concerning the steel web's height-to-thickness ratio and the slab width-to-thickness ratio, which should not be greater than 130 and 10, respectively. Furthermore, it has high stability, deformability, and ductility, with mid-span deflection and ductility factors up to L₀/13 and 26 respectively.