Shear correction factors in Timoshenko's beam theory for arbitrary shaped cross-sections

In this paper shear correction factors for arbitrary shaped beam cross-sections are calculated. Based on the equations of linear elasticity and further assumptions for the stress field the boundary value problem and a variational formulation are developed. The shear stresses are obtained from derivatives of the warping function. The developed element formulation can easily be implemented in a standard finite element program. Continuity conditions which occur for multiple connected domains are automatically fulfilled.