CE331,Fall2009 Stability & Determinacy of Beams & Frames 1/5

Astructureisstaticallyindeterminateifthememberforcescannotbecalculatedusingthe
equationsofstaticequilibrium.

Example1.

NumberofUnknowns=16
6forcespermemberx2members=12
4reactions

NumberofEquations=16
3equationspermemberx2members=6(F
H
, F
V
, M)
3equationsperjointx3joints=9(F
H
, F
V
, M)
1equationofconditionatmomentrelease(M)

Shortcut:
NumberofUnknowns=1610
63forcespermemberx2members=126
4reactions

NumberofEquations=1610
3equationspermemberx2members=6(F
H
, F
V
, M)
3equationsperjointx3joints=9(F
H
, F
V
, M)
1equationofconditionatmomentrelease(M)

Sincethenumberofunknowns=thenumberofequations,thestructureisstatically
determinate(memberforcescanbecalculatedusingequilibriumequations).

moment
release
CE331,Fall2009 Stability & Determinacy of Beams & Frames 2/5
Ingeneral:

If Thestructureis
numberofunknowns < numberofequations Unstable
numberofunknowns = numberofequations Stable&Determinate
numberofunknowns > numberofequations Indeterminate

Theprocedureoutlinedabovedoesnotalwaysworkwithregardtostability.Analternate
method(thedisplacedshapemethod)ofdeterminingwhetherastructureisstableorunstable,
anddeterminateorindeterminateisthefollowing
Ifthedisplacedshapeofthestructurecanbedrawnsothatnomembersdeform,the
structureisunstable.
Ifthedisplacedshapecannotbedrawnwithoutcausingamembertodeform,the
structureisstable.
o Ifremovalofoneconstraint(asupportforceoramemberforce)causesthe
structuretobeunstable(i.e.thestructurecanbedisplacedwithoutdeforminga
member),thentheoriginalstructureisstableanddeterminate.
o Iftwoormoreconstraintsneedtoberemovedtocausethestructuretobe
unstable,theoriginalstructureisstableandindeterminate.

Example2.

CountingMethod

NumberofUnknownForces=(2members)x(3memberforces/member)+4reactions=10
NumberofEquilibriumEquations=(3joints)x(3equations/joint)=9
Thereforestructureisindeterminate.Ithasonemoreforce(calledaredundantforce)than
neededforadeterminatestructure.

CE331,Fall2009 Stability & Determinacy of Beams & Frames 3/5
DisplacedShapeMethod
1.OriginalStructure:

Structuredisplacementcausesmember
deformation,thereforethisstructureis
stable.
2.OriginalStructureminus1force

Structuredisplacementcausesmember
deformation,thereforethisstructureis
stable.
3.OriginalStructureminus2forces
StructuredisplacementcausesNOmember
deformation,thereforethisstructureis
UNstable.
Case2.OriginalStructureminus1forceisthereforethestableanddeterminateversionof
thisstructure.Thereforetheoriginalstructureisindeterminatewithoneredundant.

Example3.

CountingMethod

NumberofUnknownForces=(3members)x(3memberforces/member)+6reactions=15
NumberofEquilibriumEquations=(4joints)x(3equations/joint)+2momentreleases=14
Thereforestructureisindeterminatewithoneredundant.

CE331,Fall2009 Stability & Determinacy of Beams & Frames 4/5
DisplacedShapeMethod
1.OriginalStructure:

Structuredisplacementcausesmember
deformation,thereforethisstructureisstable.
2.OriginalStructureminus1force

Structuredisplacementcausesmember
deformation,thereforethisstructureisstable.
3.OriginalStructureminus2forces

StructuredisplacementcausesNOmember
deformation,thereforethisstructureis
UNstable.

Case2.OriginalStructureminus1forceisthereforethestableanddeterminateversionof
thisstructure.Therefore the original structure is indeterminate with one redundant.

CE331,Fall2009 Stability & Determinacy of Beams & Frames 5/5
AdvantagesofIndeterminateStructures
Indeterminatestructuresareoftenmorestructurallyefficient.

Example4.

Indeterminatestructuresalsoprovideredundantloadpaths,meaningifamemberfails,the
loadisredistributedtoothermembersandthestructuredoesnotcollapse.Saythebending
strengthofthemiddlespanisexceededandaplastichingeforms.

Thedeterminatestructureisnowunstableandwillcollapse,whilefortheindeterminate
structure,loadisredistributedtotheothermembersandthestructuredoesnotcollapse.

DisadvantagesofIndeterminateStructures
Disadvantagesofstaticallyindeterminatestructuresinclude
settlement(andotherapplieddisplacementssuchastemperaturechange)cancause
largeinternalforcesinindeterminatestructures

calculationofmemberforcesismorecomplicatedsincetheequilibriumequationsalone
areinsufficient.

collapse
1 k/ft
1 k/ft
L L L
L
L L
M
M
max
=w L
2
/ 8
M
max
=-w L
2
/ 10
3 simply-supported spans 3 continuous spans