CVEN 2303 Structural Analysis

and Modelling

FORCE/FLEXIBILITY
METHOD for
STATICALLY
INDETERMINATE
TRUSSES
INTRODUCTION TO FORCE AND
DISPLACEMENT METHODS

STATICALLY STATICALLY
DETERMINATE INDETERMINATE
stable structure stable structure

EQUILIBRIUM 1.EQUILIBRIUM
(statics) (statics)
2.STRESS-STRAIN
(force-displacement)
3.GEOMETRY
(compatibility)
INTRODUCTION TO FORCE AND
DISPLACEMENT METHODS

FLEXIBILITY STIFFNESS
METHOD METHOD
1 EQUILIBRIUM 3

STRESS-STRAIN 2
(force) 2
(displacement)
3 GEOMETRY 1

Calculate N Calculate u
FLEXIBILITY or
FORCE METHOD

EQUILIBRIUM - relates P and N

STRESS-STRAIN - relates N and e
GEOMETRY - relates u and e
 STATICALLY INDETERMINATE
STRUCTURES
A structure of any type is classified as STATICALLY
INDETERMINATE when the number of unknown reactions or
internal forces exceeds the number of equilibrium equations
available for its analysis.

i.e. available equilibrium equations for trusses, beams and frames

BEAMS, FRAMES
TRUSSES

2 Equations of Equilibrium 3 Equations of Equilibrium

Procedure for analysis of 1-
fold statically indeterminate
trusses
Principle of Superposition
Specify the unknown redundant forces that must be removed
from the structure in order to make it statically determinate and
stable

Solve the primary structure, which supports the same external

loads as the statically indeterminate structure

Solve the redundant force structure by applying a unit load

By enforcing compatible displacement field and equating the sum of

displacements at each release to zero, calculate the redundant force

Add the forces from the two structures

Understanding the Principle of
Superposition
Beams Trusses
Example 1

m = 3, r = 6, j = 4
m+r=9
2j = 8
L1= L3 = 3 m, L2 = 6 m
Statically
Indeterminate A1 = A2 = A3 = 300 mm2
B 1 STATIC E = 2x105 MPa
REDUNDACY
A
2

45o 3

45o D C

20 kN f1 = 0.05 mm/kN
f2 = 0.1 mm/kN
f3 = 0.05 mm/kN
ACTUAL STRUCTURE
 Specify N here
0 (unit load)
B
R1
A R1
C

D
20 kN
N0 - PRIMARY STRUCTURE n1 - OTHER (Redundant) STRUCTURE
(Statically determinate) REDUNDANT R1 APPLIED

The choice of REDUNDANT BAR is arbitrary

1st solution approach: Dragging X as
an unknown
1. Equillibrium N = N0 + Xn1

bar force in 2

B
A
C Since,
f1 = 0.05 mm/kN
f2 = 0.1 mm/kN
D
f3 = 0.05 mm/kN
20 kN

2. Stress-Strain
3. Geometry

2
1
3
v

20 kN u

COMPATIBLE FIELD
Solution
Using e from the stress-strain relations, and substitute
here, we can work out X as:

(now we can work out e)

2nd solution approach: Calculate X at
the end (a better approach!)
If the problem is about about equating the
displacement developed in the Primary
structure to the one in the Redundant
force structure, why not using the
principle of virtual work to calculate the
displacements as we did last week?!
VIRTUAL WORK PRINCIPLE
The displacement at the Primary structure is:
If q and the unit load are in the
same direction. Otherwise, a
minus will apply.

The displacement at the Redundant force

structure due to unit load is:

The unknown force X is:

TABULAR FORM N = N0 + X1n1

Bar, i Ni0 ni1 fi ni1fi Ni0 ni1fini1 Ni

1 20 -1.414 0.05 -1.414 0.1 4

2 0 1 0.1 0 0.1 11.31

3 28.28 -1 0.05 -1.414 0.05 16.97

… … … -2.828 0.25 …

Specify N here
0 (unit load)

A
C
20 D
EXAMPLE 2

m = 6, r = 3, j = 4, m + r = 9, 2j = 8
4 kN A 1 B  Statically Indeterminate
1 STATIC REDUNDACY
(i.e internal indeterminacy)
5 6

10 m
4 2
L1= L2= L3= L4 = 10 m,
L5 = L6 = 14.14 m

3
A1,A2 … A6 = 500 mm2
C D
10 m E = 2x105 MPa

ACTUAL STRUCTURE

f1 = f2 = f3= f4 = 0.0001 mm/N

f5 = f6 = 0.00014 mm/N
EXAMPLE 2 

4 kN A 0 B
1 A -0.707 B
5

+4 4
0 1
2

4 kN 3 1
C +4 D
C -0.707 D

4 kN 4 kN Support reactions = 0

N0 - PRIMARY STRUCTURE n1 – REDUNDANT FORCE

(STATICALLY DETERMINATE) STRUCTURE
FORCE METHOD
Bar, i Ni0 ni1 fi ni1fi Ni0 ni1fini1 Ni
1 0 -0.707 10/EA 0 5/EA -2

2 0 -0.707 10/EA 0 5/EA -2

3 +4 -0.707 10/EA -28.28/EA 5/EA +2

4 +4 -0.707 10/EA -28.28/EA 5/EA +2

5 -5.66 +1 14.14/EA -79.99/EA 14.14/EA -2.83

6 0 +1 14.14/EA 0 14.14/EA +2.83

… … … -136.55 48.28 …
/EA /EA
3.COMPATIBILITY
SOLUTION
EXAMPLE 3
m = 9, r = 4, j = 6
m + r = 13
2j = 12
Statically
Indeterminate
30 kN 1 STATIC
B C D REDUNDACY
2 3 (i.e external
1.5 m 1.5 m

7 indeterminacy)
8 6
1 4
9 E 5

A F

2m 2m

ACTUAL STRUCTURE f1 = f4 = 3/EA

f2 = f3 = 2/EA
f5 = f9 = 2.5/EA
f6 = f8 = 2.5/EA
f7 = 1.5/EA
EXAMPLE 3
30 kN
B C D
2 3
1.5 m 1.5 m

7
8 6
1 4
9 E 5

A F

2m 2m
 30 kN

B -20 C -20 D B +1 C +1 D
-15

+0.75
E E

F
1
A A F

15 kN 15 kN

N0 - PRIMARY STRUCTURE n1 – REDUNDANT FORCE

(STATICALLY DETERMINATE) STRUCTURE
FORCE METHOD

Bar, i Ni0 ni1 fi ni1fi Ni0 ni1fihi1 Ni

1 (x2) -15 +0.75 3.0/EA 1 -33.75 1.69 -5.1
/EA1 /EA1

2 (x2) -20 +1 2.0/EA 2 -40.0 2.0 -6.8

/EA2 /EA2

7 -30 0 1.5/EA 7 0 0 -30

8 (x2) +25 -1.25 2.5/EA 8 -78.13 3.91 8.5

/EA8 /EA8

9 (x2) 0 -1.25 2.5/EA 9 0 3.91 -16.5

/EA9

… … … -303.76 23.02 …
/EA /EA
2.STRESS – STRAIN LAW
3.COMPATIBILITY
SOLUTION
EXTERNAL (support reactions) + INTERNAL (bar) FORCES

30 kN

B C D
-6.8 -6.8
-5.1

13.2 kN 13.2 kN
A F

15 kN 15 kN
 Calculate the reactions and
EXAMPLE 4 bar forces for this truss.

1 12 kN m = 5, r = 4, j = 4
D
m+r=9
2j = 8
2 Statically
4m 1 Indeterminate
5
1 STATIC
REDUNDACY
5 6 8

4 (external
3 B 4
3 7

indeterminacy)
C
A

3m 3m

A = 100 mm2
ACTUAL STRUCTURE E = 2x105 MPa
PRIMARY STRUCTURE
2
1 12 kN
D

1 2
5
5 6 8

4 B
3 4
3 7

A C
12 kN

8 kN 8 kN

PRIMARY SYSTEM - N0
(STATICALLY DETERMINATE)
REDUNDANT STRUCTURE
2
1
D

1 2
5
5 6 8
A 3
4 B 4
3 7

REDUNDANT SYSTEM - n1
TABULAR FORM
Bar, ni fi  i0 ni1 fi i0 ni fini
1 1 Ni
(kN)
i (kN) (x10-3 m/kN) (x10-3) (x10-3) (kN)

1 +0.625 0.25 10 1.5625 0.0976 9.035

2 +0.625 0.25 -10 -1.5625 0.0976 -10.965

3 -0.375 0.15 -6 0.3375 0.021 -5.421

4 -0.375 0.15 -6 0.3375 0.021 -5.421

5 -1.0 0.2 0 0 0.2 1.544

… … … 0.675 0.4372 …

N = N0 + X1n1
Two-fold statically
indeterminate trusses
TWO-FOLD STATICALLY
INDETERMINATE TRUSSES
If (m + r) exceeds 2j the truss is said to be
STATICALLY INDETERMINATE.

If (m + r) – 2j = 1, the truss is
ONE-FOLD STATICALLY INDETERMINATE,
or ONCE REDUNDANT.

If (m +r ) – 2j = 2, the truss is
TWO-FOLD STATICALLY INDETERMINATE, or TWICE
REDUNDANT.
PROCEDURE FOR ANALYSIS
1. Select two bars/support reactions as the redundant
bars/reactions and release each from their joints.
(These two releases convert the truss to a primary truss which is
statically determinate.)

2. This primary truss can be regarded as a structure subjected to

three distinct loadings:
1. The given external loading which is known in magnitude;
2. An unknown force (or rather pair of forces) X1 acting at release
number 1; and
3. An unknown force X2 acting at release number 2.

3. For each of these loadings, by the virtual work

method, find the relative displacement at each of the
releases.

4. Equating the overall displacements to zero to determine

the two unknowns X1 and X2.
Understanding principle of
superposition
 EXAMPLE 1

D C
Calculate N:
2 50 kN
m = 6, R = 4, j = 4,
6 5 m + R = 10, 2j = 8
Statically Indeterminate
12 m

3 4 2 STATIC REDUNDACIES
(external and internal
indeterminacy)

A 1 B

12 m
PRIMARY SYSTEM

Removed member 5 and

horizontal reaction at B

PRIMARY SYSTEM N0
(STATICALLY
DETERMINATE)
REDUNDANT SYSTEMS

REDUNDANT SYSTEM n1 REDUNDANT SYSTEM n2

TABULAR FORM

Bar, fi Ni0 ni1 ni2

(kN) (kN) (kN)
i
1 0.005 50 -0.707 1
2 0.005 50 -0.707 0
3 0.005 50 -0.707 0
4 0.005 0 -0.707 0
5 0.00707 0 1 0
6 0.00707 -70.71 1 0

… … … … …
TABULAR FORM

Bar, i ni1fi Ni0 ni2fi Ni0 ni1fi ni1 ni1fi ni2 ni2fi ni2 Ni (kN)

1 -0.17678 0.25 0.0025 -0.003535 0.005 0

2 -0.17678 0 0.0025 0 0 22.12
3 -0.17678 0 0.0025 0 0 22.12
4 0 0 0.0025 0 0 -27.88
5 0 0 0.00707 0 0 39.43
6 -0.5 0 0.00707 0 0 -31.27

-1.03 0.25 0.02414 -0.003535 0.005 …

SOLUTION
SOLUTION

D 22.12 kN C 50 kN

-27.88 kN
22.12 kN
12 m

27.88 kN 0 22.12 kN
A B
50 kN 50 kN
12 m
Another Example
Member L[m] EA

1 3 2

2 3 2

3 2 2

4 3 2

5 3 2

6 2 2

7 3.6 1

8 3.6 1

9 3.6 1

10 3.6 1

11 2 2