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CIRCULAR REFERENCE
11 Christy
3:41
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ENGINEERING with the SPREADSHEET

Copyright 2006 American Society of Civil Engineers
485063895.xls  
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N
CIRCULAR REFERENCE
The circular reference is intentional in this file.

You will get this error message when you open the file. Click
on the x to cancel this message if it occurs.

In Tools, Options... set Iterations to 1. Figure 11-1 The circular reference pop-up flag.

Try different numbers in the highlighted cell and press [F9] (calculate) several times to row 20
see the answer in the "Output" cell quit changing (converge).

Input + 0.05*Outpu = Output

1 + 0.05263 = 1.05263

The circular reference may be used, at times, to advantage. One example is the
P-delta effect that takes place in columns and slender walls. If a column is already
bent and an axial load is placed on it, it will bend more. This is because the l P
times its distance from the centerline at the bowed part of the column creates an row 30
additional moment which bends the column further. In a template, this
relationship becomes a circular reference which will converge in about four iterations.

e 24 in load eccentricity
P 100 k load
L 12 ft length of column
E 29000 k/in2 modulus of elasticity
I 50 in4 moment of inertia

M1 2 2603.2 k-ft moment at top and bottom of column row 40

L /2 6.0 ft where L /2 = x PD

D 0.032 ft h / 371
0.388 in
203.2 k-ft additional moment

MD 2606.5 k-ft

Try different numbers in the highlighted cell and press [F9] (calculate) several row 50
times to see the answer in the "Output" cell "converge."

Figure 11-2 Using a circular reference to calculate the P∆ effect.

row 60