An equivalent single-layer theory for free vibration analysis of steel-concrete composite beams

An equivalent single-layer theory (EST) is put forward for analyzing free vibrations of steel-concrete composite beams (SCCB) based on a higher-order beam theory. In the EST, the effect of partial interaction between sub-beams and the transverse shear deformation are taken into account. After using the interlaminar shear force continuity condition and the shear stress free conditions at the top and bottom surface, the displacement function of the EST does not contain the first derivatives of transverse displacement. Therefore, the C0 interpolation functions are just demanded during its finite element implementation. Finally, the EST is validated by comparing the results of two simply-supported steel-concrete composite beams which are tested in laboratory and calculated by ANSYS software. Then, the influencing factors for free vibrations of SCCB are analyzed, such as, different boundary conditions, depth to span ratio, high-order shear terms, and interfacial shear connector stiffness.