International Journal of Science, Engineering and TechnologyAuthors: Pratap D. Mali, Abhijit P. Asutkar, Shruti B. Hire, Girish V. Josh
Abstract: This research presents an investigation into the flexural behaviour of aluminium-timber composite beams, employing both numerical modelling and experimental evaluation. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) utilizing ANSYS Workbench was conducted to simulate and analyse the structural response of a monolithic timber beam and a composite configuration where timber was reinforced with an aluminium I-channel. Concurrently, physical specimens were subjected to three-point bending tests via a Universal Testing Machine (UTM) to ascertain their load-carrying capacity. FEA results indicated a substantial enhancement in force reaction capability for the composite beam (7145.9 N) compared to the timber-only specimen (5727.5 N). Experimental testing of the aluminium-timber composite beam yielded a maximum force reaction of 6980 N. The close correlation between FEA predictions and experimental outcomes, manifesting a discrepancy of approximately 2.38%, serves to validate the numerical model. This study substantiates the improved structural performance achieved through the synergistic interaction of aluminium and timber in composite construction
DOI: DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16627544
