FORMALIZATION OF FLEXIBILITY METHOD

Objectives
• To assemble the flexibility matrix for a released structure from the flexibility matrices
of individual members
• To derive a formalized approach for flexibility method
 Formalization of the Flexibility Method
Use of the complementary virtual work will be made to assemble the flexibility
matrix for a released structure.
• Recall that for an individual member, DMi  FMi AMi

• For a structure consisting of m members,  DM 1   FM 1 0 0  0  0   AM 1 

D   0 FM 2 0  0  0   AM 2 
 M2   
 DM 3   0 0 FM 3  0  0   AM 3 
    
           
 DMi   0 0 0  FMi  0   AMi 
    
            
 DMm   0 0 0  0  FMm   AMm 

D M =FM A M
 Formalization of Flexibility Method
• Member end-actions A M are related to certain structural actions AS applied to
the released structure:
 AJ 
A M = BMS AS =  BMJ BMQ   
 AQ 
Note: If loads are not applied at the joints, they must be converted to equivalent
joint loads before proceeding with this analysis.

• Consider an arbitrary set of virtual loads δAS applied to the released structure
δA J 
δA M = BMSδAS =  BMJ BMQ   
δA
 Q
 Formalization of Flexibility Method
• External complementary virtual work δW *due to δAS and DS;
T  J 
D
δW = δA S DS = δA J δAQ   
* T T

 DQ 
• Internal complementary virtual work δU * due to δA Mand D M ; δU * = δATM D M
• By the principle of complementary virtual work; δATS DS = δATM D M
• δAST DS = δAST BTMS FM BMS AS
• DS = BTMS FM BMSAS
• DS = FSAS
where FS = BTMS FM BMS
 Formalization of Flexibility Method
 DJ   FJJ FJQ   A J  • A R =  A RC  BRJ A J  BRQ A Q
D  =   
 Q   QJ JJ   A Q 
F F Examples:
where
FJJ = BTMJ FM BMJ FJQ = BTMJ FM BMQ
FQJ = BTMQ FM BMJ FQQ = BTMQ FM BMQ
• DJ = FJJ A J  FJQ A Q ; DQ = FQJ A J  FQQ AQ
1
• A Q = FQQ (DQ - FQJ A J )
• A M = A MF  BMJ A J  BMQ A Q
 AJ 
• A R = BRS AS =  BRJ BRQ   
 AQ 