The transformed-section method is a calculation device used to simplify the analysis of beams comprised of materials with differing elastic moduli. This transformation is based on the ratio of the elastic moduli for the two materials, termed the modular ratio n.
The modular ratio is the determined from E for the material being transformed divided by E for the reference material.
For this example, the steel portion of the beam will be transformed into an equivalent amount of wood (i.e., the reference material).
