Composite section of a beam

    
Fig. 5-11: composite sections

Fig. 5-11 shows a number of steel plates or thin beams which are bolted together to form a thick beam. As demonstrated in Section 5.3.2, due to the action of the bolts, there are no relative sliding movements between the thin plates/beams when the beam is loaded and due to the shear resistance of the connecting bolts, the thin plates/beams act together as a single member, which is many times stiffer than that a member which would result from the plates/beams acting independently.