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Curs Cap. 7 - 12 Statica Constructiilor
Curs Cap. 7 - 12 Statica Constructiilor
CHAPTER7
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
CHAPTER 7
Influence Lines for Statically Determinate Structures
7.1 Introduction
Many structures are also subjected to loads (such as live loads and
environmental loads) whose positions may vary on the structure, the socalled moving loads, in addition to dead or fixed loads (loads whose
positions are fixed on the structure) such as the dead load due to the
weight of the structure itself and of other materials and equipment
permanently attached to the structure.
For example, if we consider a car/ truck moving on a bridge, the force
exerted on the bridge may act anywhere along the span of the bridge.
The reactions and the internal forces will vary with the position of the
moving loads (car/ truck). Since the stress caused by the moving loads
will vary with their position, and since the structures must be designed
for the largest stresses that will occur, it is necessary to determine the
position of the moving loads that produce the maximum stresses in the
structure.
The analysis of structures subjected to moving loads consists of two
steps:
1. Determine the position(s) of the load(s) at which the response
function of interest (e.g. a reaction, shear force or bending
moment at a section of a beam, or axial force in a truss member)
becomes maximum;
2. Compute the maximum value of the response function.
An important concept used in the analysis of structures subjected to
moving loads is that of the influence lines, initially introduced by E.
Winkler in 1867.
An influence line is a graph of a response function of a structure as a
function of the position of a downward unit load moving across the
structure.
So, an influence line represents in fact the variation of the reaction,
shear force or bending moment at a specific point in a member/
structure when a concentrated unit force moves across the member/
structure.
3
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
Once this line is constructed, one can easily tell where the moving
load(s) should be placed on the structure so that it creates the greatest
influence at the specified point. Furthermore, the magnitude of the
associated reaction, shear force or bending moment at that point can
then be calculated from the ordinates of the influence line diagram. For
these reasons, influence lines play an important role in the design of
structures that resist large live loads such as bridges, industrial crane
rails, conveyors, and other structures where loads move across their
span (also called the loading line).
Although the procedure for constructing an influence line is rather basic,
one should clearly be aware of the difference between constructing an
influence line and constructing a shear force or a bending moment
diagram. Influence lines represent the effect of a moving load only at a
specified pointon a member, whereas shear and bending moment
diagrams represent the effect of fixed loads at all points along the axis
of the member.
Since beams (or girders) often form the main load-carrying elements of
a floor system or bridge deck, it is important to be able to construct the
influence lines for the reactions, shear force or bending moment at any
specified point on a beam.
Once the influence line for a function has been constructed, it will then
be possible to position the live loads on the beam which will produce
the maximum value of that function.
Lets consider the following structure subjected to a system of moving
loads:
Fig. 7.1
CHAPTER 7
Influence Lines for Statically Determinate Structures
(7.1)
k =1
If we denote sik the value of the static amount from section i produced
by a dimensionless unit load (Pk=1) acting at the application point and in
the direction of force Pk, and taking into account the linear-elastic
behaviour of the structure, the static amount Si can be expressed as:
n
(7.2)
k =1
nik
v
influencecoefficients ik
mik
r
ik
Si = Ni
Si = Vi
correspondingstaticamounts
Si = Mi
Si = Ri
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
CHAPTER 7
Influence Lines for Statically Determinate Structures
Si i 1 ( x) = 0
(7.3)
In the previous relationship the - sign of the first term is due to the fact
that the imposed displacement, i, is considered in the opposite
direction of the static amount, Si. The sign of the second term is due
to the fact that the unit load moves across the loading line and it may
have or not the same direction as the displacement at a given position,
( x) . From this relationship results:
Si =
1 ( x)
(7.4)
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
i = 1 . This condition gives the scale of the influence line. The other
ordinates will result from simple computations.
The vertical displacement diagram will be vertically hatched and the
sign convention is as in the case of bending moment diagrams:
So, the influence line (IL) is a vertical displacement diagram (VDD) with
a scale and a sign on it.