STURUCTURAL ANALYSIS III

CE 403
Lecture # 2
FLEXIBILITY METHOD
Beams

Instructor: Dr. Lotfi O. Gargab

 Flexibility Method

General Approach

1. Determine the degree of static indeterminacy of the structure and

identify the redundants (unknow reactions).
2. Assign a coordinate to each redundant, i.e., P1, P2 ….., Pn are the
redundants at the coordinates 1,2, ……, n.
3. Remove all the redundants, and hence the resulting structure is
statically determinate and known as “released structure” or “basic
determinate structure”, or “primary structure”.
4. Apply the principle of super position, which is known as the compatibility
condition for statically indeterminate structure, i.e.,

“the net displacement at any joint equals the sum of displacements in the basic structure
due to the applied loads and the redundants. This may be expressed as follows:

𝜟𝒊 = 𝜟𝒍 𝒊 + 𝜹𝒊𝒋 𝑹𝒋
where
𝚫𝐢 = total (net) displacement (Δ) at the joint i.
ΔLi = displacement at joint i due to applied loads.
δij = flexibility coefficient at joint i due to a unit force applied at
redundant j.
i = location order; i=1… n.
j = redundant order; j=1...,n.
 Solution Formulation
In matrix notation, the equation above can be rewritten as:

Δ𝑖 𝑛x1 = Δ𝑙 𝑖 𝑛x1 + 𝛿𝑖𝑗 𝑅𝑗

𝑛x𝑛 𝑛x1
From which the redundants are calculated as:
−1
𝑅𝑗 = 𝛿𝑖𝑗 Δ𝑖 𝑛x1 − Δ𝑙 𝑖 𝑛x1
𝑛x1 𝑛x𝑛

For cases where total displacement at the considered joints are zero (the joint does not
move), then the redundants can be calculated as:

−1
𝑅𝑗 = − 𝛿𝑖𝑗 Δ𝑙 𝑖 𝑛x1
𝑛x1 𝑛x𝑛
 Deflection Calculations

One should note that, deflection calculations could be

determined by methods illustrated in structure analysis I.
among these methods is the virtual work method, i.e.,
𝒙𝟐
𝟏
∆𝒊 = න 𝑴 𝒙 𝒎𝒊(𝒙) 𝒅𝒙
𝑬𝑰
𝒙𝟏
𝒙𝟐
𝟏
𝜹𝒊𝒋 = න 𝒎𝒊 𝒙 𝒎𝒋(𝒙) 𝒅𝒙
𝑬𝑰
𝒙𝟏
 Deflection Calculations

The integration involved in the deflection computation is facilitated by

using the table below:
 MAXWELL’S THEOREM OF RECIPROCAL
DISPLACEMENTS
Consider the continuous beam shown below. Using the Maxwell’s theorem of
reciprocal displacements, one can conclude that:

The displacement of a point B on a structure due to a unit load acting at point A is equal to the
displacement of point A when the unit load is acting at point B, i.e.,

δAB = δBA
 Illustrative Examples

Example # 1
Calculate the support reactions in the continuous beam due to applied
loading as shown in the figure below. Assume EI to be constant throughout.

ΣR=5; total number of reactions.

→ Degree of indeterminacy is: 5-3 =2
The beam is statically indeterminate to the second degree. One
possible scenario is to select two reactions: at B (RB) and C (RC) as
redundants (Q1 & Q2).
In this case the primary structure is a cantilever beam:
Applying unit loads at redundant locations:
 Deflection Calculations

In the present case, the deflections (ΔL1) and (ΔL2) of the released
structure at B and C can be calculated by virtual work method, thus,

M1

M2

m1

m2
 Deflection Calculations Using
Volume Integral Table

ΔL1 = M1 x m1 + M2 x m1

4915
= 1/EI (1/6x15x(-2+2x-5)3+1/6x-5x(25+2x75)5) = −
6𝐸𝐼

ΔL2 = M1 x m2 + M2 x m2

18495
= 1/EI (1/6x15x(-7+2x-10)3+1/6x75x(-2.5+2x-10)7.5) =−
8𝐸𝐼
Flexibility matrix coefficients are:

δ11 = m1 x m1

=1/EI (1/3x5x5x5) = 125/3EI

δ21= δ12 = m1 x m2 = m2 x m1

=1/EI(1/6x5x(5+2x10)5 = 625/6EI

δ22 = m2 x m2

=1/EI (1/3x10x10x10) = 1000/3EI

 Deflection Calculations using Integral

𝟏 𝟑 𝟓 −𝟒𝟗𝟏𝟓
ΔL1 =
𝑬𝑰
‫( 𝟎׬‬15−5x)(−5+x) dx+ ‫( 𝟎׬‬75−10x)(−5+x) dx =
𝟔𝑬𝑰

𝟏 𝟑 𝟕.𝟓 −𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟗𝟓
ΔL2 =
𝑬𝑰
‫( 𝟎׬‬15−5x)(−10+x) dx+ ‫( 𝟎׬‬75−10x)(−10+x) dx =
𝟖𝑬𝑰

𝟏 𝟓 𝟏𝟐𝟓
𝛅11 =
𝑬𝑰
‫( 𝟎׬‬−5+x)𝟐 dx =
𝟑𝑬𝑰

𝟏 𝟓 𝟔𝟐𝟓
𝛅12 = 𝛅21 = ‫( 𝟎׬‬−5+x)(−10+x)dx =
𝑬𝑰 𝟔𝑬𝑰

𝟏 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎
𝛅22 =
𝑬𝑰
‫( 𝟎׬‬−10+x)𝟐 dx =
𝟑𝑬𝑰
Given that the supports are unyielding, then the redundants can be
obtained as:
𝑅 = − 𝐹 −1 Δ𝐿
The other reactions can be determined using equations of static
equilibrium, i.e.,

σ 𝐹𝑦 = 0 → R3 -5-10+10.61+3.62 =0
→R3 = 0.77 kN (upward)

σ 𝑀/𝐴 = 0 → R4-5(3)+10.61(5)-10(7.5)+3.62(10)=0
→ R4 = 0.755 kN.m (counterclockwise)
Example # 2
A clamped beam AB of constant flexural rigidity is shown below. The beam is
subjected to a uniform distributed load and a central concentrated moment.
Determine structure reactions by force method.
ΣR =6 → DOI=6-3 =3
The structure is indeterminate to the 3rd degree.
Assuming a very rigid structure, which means that axial deformation is
neglected. This assumption reduces DOI to be 2. The figure below
demonstrates dominant reactions.

One possible scenario is to select

reactions: R1 and R2 at joint B as the
redundants. The primary structure in this
case is a cantilever beam, which could be
obtained by releasing the redundants.
Treat the applied loads as separate cases; case one is for the distributed load
(M1) and case two is for concentrated moment (M2).

M1=160-80x-20x2/2, range 0 ≤ x ≤ 4.0

M2=-320, range 0 ≤ x ≤ 2.0
m1=4-x, range 0 ≤ x ≤ 4.0
m2=1.0 range 0 ≤ x ≤ 4.0
 Deflection Calculations using Integral

𝟏 𝟒 𝟐 −𝟐𝟓𝟔𝟎
ΔL1 =
𝑬𝑰
‫( 𝟎׬‬80x−20x2/x−160)(4−x) dx+ ‫( 𝟎׬‬−320)(4−x) dx =
𝑬𝑰

𝟏 𝟒 𝟐 −𝟐𝟓𝟔𝟎
ΔL2 =
𝑬𝑰
‫( 𝟎׬‬80x−20x2/x−160)(1) dx+ ‫( 𝟎׬‬−320)(1) dx =
𝟑𝑬𝑰

𝟏 𝟒 𝟔𝟒
𝛅11 =
𝑬𝑰
‫( 𝟎׬‬4−x)𝟐 dx =
𝟑𝑬𝑰

𝟏 𝟒 𝟖
𝛅12 = 𝛅21 = ‫( 𝟎׬‬4−x)(1)dx =
𝑬𝑰 𝑬𝑰

𝟏 𝟒 𝟒
𝛅22 =
𝑬𝑰
‫( 𝟎׬‬1)𝟐 dx =
𝑬𝑰
 1 64/3 8
𝐹=
𝐸𝐼 8 4
1
Det(F) = (64/3x4-8x8)=64/3EI
𝐸𝐼

-1 3𝐸𝐼 4 −8
F =
64 −8 64/3

𝑄𝑖 = 𝐹 −1 ∆𝐿𝑖

𝑸𝟏 −𝟑𝑬𝑰 𝟒 −𝟖 −𝟏 𝟐𝟓𝟔𝟎 𝟏𝟔𝟎

= =
𝑸𝟐 𝟔𝟒 −𝟖 𝟔𝟒/𝟑 𝑬𝑰 𝟐𝟓𝟔𝟎/𝟑 −𝟑𝟐𝟎/𝟑
Other reactions can be obtained using equilibrium equations:

ΣFy=0 → R1-20x4+160 = 0
→ R1=-80 KN =80 KN (downward)

ΣM/A=0 → M-20x42/2+160x4-320-320/3=0
→M=-160/3 KN.m = 160/3 KN.m (clockwise)