ABSTRACT
One of the most widely used structural elements in engineering is the beam. Beams are structural members that carry mainly bending loads and have one dimension (length) much larger than the other two dimensions (width and height). To date, most fiber composite beams have taken the form of the accepted structural shapes in steel and aluminum such as I-beams and box beams. With the advent of high-strength composite materials, novel structural shapes with maximum structural efficiency (flexural rigidity/unit cross-sectional weight) are needed. For example, trapezoidal cross sections with extended (winged) top flange projections such as hat sections or hexagonal sections do fit into the category of high sectional efficiency. Some of these sections have been field implemented, albeit, on a demonstration basis only (GangaRao and Siva, 2003; Lopez-Anido et al., 2002).
