• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.349-359
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• 2006

This paper presents a new block stiffness matrix for the analysis an orthogonal Cartesian coordinate system. The displacement fields are defined using the first order shear deformable beam theory. The longitudinal displacement can be expressed as the sum of the projected plane deformation of the cross-section due to Timoshenko's beam theory and axial warping deformation due to modified Vlasov's thin-waled beam theory. The derived element takes into account flexural shear deformation and torsional warping deformation. Three different types of beam elements, namely, the two-noded, three-noded, and four-noded beam elements, are developed. The quadratic and cubic elements are found to be very efficient for the flexural analysis of laminated composite beams. The versatility and accuracy of the new element are demonstrated by comparing the numerical results available in the literature.