FCE 301: THEORY OF STRUCTURES II A

ANALYSIS OF INDETERMINATE STRUCTURES

CHAPTER 0: INTRODUCTION

0.1 OBJECTIVES
The objectives of FCE 301: Analysis of Indeterminate Structures are: -
1. To determine the internal member forces and the external support reaction
components induced due to a given load scenario.
2. To determine the displacements incurred at the salient points of the structure due to
member straining.
These objectives are achieved using classical methods suitable for manual analysis.

0.2 INDETERMINATE STRUCTURES

The main advantages of statically indeterminate structures include: -
1. High overall stiffness which implies less deformation and therefore smaller
displacements. Larger clear spans are therefore possible.
2. High load carrying capacity which implies lower stress levels for the same load
scenario. Smaller section sizes are therefore used.
3. Stress re-distribution at ULS which implies the failure mode gives ample warning,
thereby enhancing safety. Such failure mode is described as “fail-safe mode”.

The main disadvantages of statically indeterminate structures include: -

1. They are more “difficult” to analyse manually. The classical manual analysis
techniques are more tedious and time consuming.
2. They may suffer significant stresses due to causes other than loading. The stress
causing phenomena include support displacement, lack-of-fit, and differential
temperature gradients. The analysis of indeterminate structures must therefore
take into account these stress causing phenomena.
[If a statically determinate structure suffers support yield, the structure will only change its
geometry slightly, but no stresses will be induced in its members]

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0.3 ASSUMPTIONS
The following assumptions are made in the analysis of indeterminate structures: -
1. The material is isotropic, homogeneous, and exhibits linear elastic behavior.
2. The induced stresses are within the elastic range.
3. The applied loads are predominantly static, and are gradually applied.
4. The members are prismatic.
5. The joints (referred to as nodes) are either rigid type or pin type.

0.4 PRINCIPLES
The following principles are applied in the analysis of indeterminate structures: -
1. The principle of static equilibrium: The internally induced stress resultants must be
equal in magnitude but opposite in sense to the externally applied forces.
2. The principle of compatibility: The displacements must satisfy all continuity
requirements.
3. The principle of constitutivity: The stresses and strains must be related by the
material constitutive laws.
4. The principle of superposition: The structural response due to a number of
simultaneously applied loads is equal to the algebraic sum of the structural
responses of each load acting alone.

0.5 BOUNDARY CONDITIONS

Boundary conditions are the prescribed conditions at specific nodal points and at the
points of restraint. The forces and displacements induced in the structure must satisfy
all boundary conditions. There are two types of boundary conditions:
1. Force boundary conditions (Neumann boundary conditions). For example, the
bending moment and shear force at the free end of a cantilever must be zero.
2. Displacement boundary conditions (Dirichlet boundary conditions). For example,
the deflection and the slope at the fixed end of a cantilever must be zero (unless
there is some prescribed support yield).
The terms force and displacement are used in their general sense: A force may be linear
denoted by F or bending moment denoted by M. A displacement may be translational
denoted by δ or rotational denoted by θ.

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0.6 ELASTIC SPRING
The force-extension behavior of an elastic spring may be studied from two approaches.

Elastic Spring Stiffness Approach Flexibility Approach

F F = S∆ ∆

F = the applied ∆=fF

force.
∆ = the measured
extension
∆

F
∆ F

In the stiffness approach, the force is plotted against the extension. The gradient S is
called the stiffness of the spring. Stiffness is defined as the force required to cause unit
displacement, and is measured in kN/m units. In the flexibility approach, the extension
is plotted against the force. The gradient f is called the flexibility of the spring.
Flexibility is defined as the displacement caused by unit force, and is measured in m/kN
units. Similarly, the behavior of structures may be studied from two approaches.

0.7 THE FLEXIBILITY APPROACH

A structure is said to be statically determinate if all the external and internal force
resultants can be determined by applying the equations of static equilibrium only. If the
equations of static equilibrium are not sufficient to determine all the external and internal
force resultants, the structure is said to be statically indeterminate. The number of
additional equations needed to solve for all the unknown forces is termed the degree of
static indeterminacy.

The Flexibility Approach is based on the concept of Static Indeterminacy. The additional
forces that cannot be determined using equilibrium are referred to as the redundant
forces. In the flexibility approach, one must identify the redundant forces which if
removed would make the structure statically determinate, stable, in equilibrium and
statically admissible. Such a released structure is called the primary structure.
[NOTE: In establishing the statically determinate released structure, there may be several
possible alternative choices for the redundant forces. The choice of the redundant forces
is therefore a matter of convenience rather than principle].

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0.8 THE STIFFNESS APPROACH
A structure is said to be kinematically determinate if all the displacements (called
degrees of freedom, dof) at the nodal points are known so that the D-shape can be fully
defined. If there are some unknown displacements that must be determined in order to
define the D-shape, the structure is said to be kinematically indeterminate. The number
of unknown independent degrees of freedom is termed the degree of kinematic
indeterminacy.

The Stiffness Approach is based on the concept of Kinematic Indeterminacy. The

unknown independent degrees of freedom that must be determined in order to fully define
the D-shape are referred to as the redundant degrees of freedom. In the stiffness
approach, one must identify the redundant degrees of freedom which if fixed at zero would
make the D-shape fully defined. Such a fixed structure is called the primary structure.
[NOTE: In establishing the kinematically determinate fixed structure, ALL the independent
degrees of freedom are fixed. The choice of the redundant dof is therefore a matter of
principle.].

0.9 COMPARISON BETWEEN THE TWO APPROACHES

The table below gives a comparison between the flexibility and the stiffness approaches.
Item Flexibility Approach Stiffness Approach
The flexibility approach is also referred to as The stiffness approach is also referred to as
Names the force method, the direct method or the the displacement method, the indirect
compatibility method method, or the equilibrium method
The flexibility approach utilizes the concept of The stiffness approach utilizes the concept
Concept degree of static indeterminacy, to identify of degree of kinematic indeterminacy to
the number of unknown redundant forces identify the number of unknown dof.
Primary The primary structure is released, thereby The primary structure is fixed, thereby
structure violating compatibility violating equilibrium
Solution Solution is obtained by restoration of Solution is obtained by restoration of
compatibility equilibrium

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0.10 FUNDAMENTAL EQUATIONS
The fundamental equations used in the two approaches are given in the table below.
Flexibility Approach
Fundamental [∆] = [ f ] [F] + [δR]
Equation
[∆] = prescribed displacements
corresponding to the redundant forces
(Derichlet boundary conditions)
Definitions [ f ] = the flexibility matrix of the structure
[F] = Unknown redundant forces
[δR] = Released structure displacements
corresponding to the redundant forces.
(subscript R stands for released)
Notes [∆], [F] and [δR] are column vectors
[ f ] is a square symmetric matrix
Stiffness Approach
[F] = [S] [∆] + [FF]
[F] = prescribed forces corresponding to
the displaceable degrees of freedom
(Newmann boundary conditions)
[S] = the stiffness matrix of the structure
[∆] = unknown displacements
F
[F ] = Fixed structure forces
corresponding to the displaceable dof.
(superscript F stands for fixed)
F
[F], [∆] and [F ] are column vectors
[S] is a square symmetric matrix

0.11 COURSE OUTLINE

1. The Simplified Flexibility Method
2. Indeterminate Trusses
3. The Simplified Stiffness Method
4. Indeterminate Frames
5. Slope Deflection Method
6. Moment Distribution Method
7. Approximate Analysis

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