Modeling a localized shear connection in a composite beam with variable inertia (SOFiPLUS / Teddy)

SOFiSTiK SOFiPLUS
1

Hello everyone,

I’m currently modeling a composite beam with variable inertia — a steel T-beam connected to a concrete slab — where the shear force is meant to be transferred at a single localized point along the beam.

So far, I haven’t been able to properly model this localized shear connection. I’ve tried several approaches:

  • using only shell elements,

  • using a composite beam with thin-walled elements,

  • and using a combination of beam and shell elements.

In all three cases, I couldn’t manage to define the localized shear connector, either in Teddy or in SOFiPLUS.

If anyone has experience or suggestions on how to model such a point shear transfer in SOFiSTiK, I’d really appreciate your help.

Thank you in advance!

2

For your medelling option 2 you need in PROG AQUA command WELD, see AQUA-manual chapter 3.43.

For your medelling option 3 perhaps command BOND within PROG CSM can be helpful, see CSM-manual chapter 3.38.

I hope these hints help.

3

Hello,
Thank you for your reply.

In the second case, I export my SOFiPLUS model to TEDDY and manually modify one of the interpolated sections created by SOFiPLUS in the +PROG AQUA module, using the WELD command to define the shear connector at the exact position I need.
It might seem a bit like a workaround, but I believe the model remains coherent and structurally meaningful.

In the third case, the BOND option makes sense for a global analysis of the model, but I prefer to model the system in more detail.I plan to explore this second approach further, rather than this one.

Thanks again for your time and insights.