CHAPTER 7

Influence Lines for Statically Determinate Structures

CHAPTER7

INFLUENCE LINES FOR STATICALLY

DETERMINATE STRUCTURES

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

CHAPTER 7
Influence Lines for Statically Determinate Structures

7.1 Introduction
Many structures are also subjected to loads (such as live loads and
environmental loads) whose positions may vary on the structure, the socalled moving loads, in addition to dead or fixed loads (loads whose
positions are fixed on the structure) such as the dead load due to the
weight of the structure itself and of other materials and equipment
permanently attached to the structure.
For example, if we consider a car/ truck moving on a bridge, the force
exerted on the bridge may act anywhere along the span of the bridge.
The reactions and the internal forces will vary with the position of the
moving loads (car/ truck). Since the stress caused by the moving loads
will vary with their position, and since the structures must be designed
for the largest stresses that will occur, it is necessary to determine the
position of the moving loads that produce the maximum stresses in the
structure.
The analysis of structures subjected to moving loads consists of two
steps:
1. Determine the position(s) of the load(s) at which the response
function of interest (e.g. a reaction, shear force or bending
moment at a section of a beam, or axial force in a truss member)
becomes maximum;
2. Compute the maximum value of the response function.
An important concept used in the analysis of structures subjected to
moving loads is that of the influence lines, initially introduced by E.
Winkler in 1867.
An influence line is a graph of a response function of a structure as a
function of the position of a downward unit load moving across the
structure.
So, an influence line represents in fact the variation of the reaction,
shear force or bending moment at a specific point in a member/
structure when a concentrated unit force moves across the member/
structure.
3

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

Once this line is constructed, one can easily tell where the moving
load(s) should be placed on the structure so that it creates the greatest
influence at the specified point. Furthermore, the magnitude of the
associated reaction, shear force or bending moment at that point can
then be calculated from the ordinates of the influence line diagram. For
these reasons, influence lines play an important role in the design of
structures that resist large live loads such as bridges, industrial crane
rails, conveyors, and other structures where loads move across their
span (also called the loading line).
Although the procedure for constructing an influence line is rather basic,
one should clearly be aware of the difference between constructing an
influence line and constructing a shear force or a bending moment
diagram. Influence lines represent the effect of a moving load only at a
specified pointon a member, whereas shear and bending moment
diagrams represent the effect of fixed loads at all points along the axis
of the member.
Since beams (or girders) often form the main load-carrying elements of
a floor system or bridge deck, it is important to be able to construct the
influence lines for the reactions, shear force or bending moment at any
specified point on a beam.
Once the influence line for a function has been constructed, it will then
be possible to position the live loads on the beam which will produce
the maximum value of that function.
Lets consider the following structure subjected to a system of moving
loads:

Fig. 7.1

CHAPTER 7
Influence Lines for Statically Determinate Structures

Any static amount at a section i, Si (reaction at i or internal force at i),

can be expressed by applying the principle of superposition as:
n

Si = SiP1 + SiP2 + ... + SiPk + ... + SiPn = SiPk

(7.1)

k =1

If we denote sik the value of the static amount from section i produced
by a dimensionless unit load (Pk=1) acting at the application point and in
the direction of force Pk, and taking into account the linear-elastic
behaviour of the structure, the static amount Si can be expressed as:
n

Si = si1 P1 + si 2 P2 + ... + sik Pk + ... + sin Pn = sik Pk

(7.2)

k =1

The static amount sik is called influence coefficient. It represents the

effect (thus the influence) of a dimensionless unit force on the
magnitude of the static amount Si under consideration.
The following notations are used:

nik

v
influencecoefficients ik
mik
r
ik

Si = Ni

Si = Vi
correspondingstaticamounts
Si = Mi
Si = Ri

Since the position of a moving load permanently changes, the position

of the unit force applied at the application point and in the direction of
each moving load will also change. It means that a unit moving load can
have infinity of positions on the loading line of the structure. The graph
representing the variation of the static amount Si when a unit load
moves across the loading line of a structure is called influence line
(denoted ILSi).

7.2Methods for the Construction of the Influence Lines

Since the static equilibrium of a structure can be analytically expressed
or by using the virtual work principle (the kinematic way), the two
methods can be also applied to construct the influence lines.

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

7.2.2 The Kinematic Method

In 1886, Heinrich Mller-Breslau developed a technique for rapidly
constructing the shape of an influence line. Referred to as the MllerBreslau principle, it states that:
The influence line for a force (or moment) response function (reaction,
shear force or bending moment) is given by the deflected shape of the
released structure obtained by removing the restraint corresponding to
the response function from the original structure and by giving to the
released structure a unit dimensionless unit displacement (linear or
angular) at the location and in the direction of the response function, so
that only the response function and the unit load perform external work.
This principle is valid only for the influence lines for response functions
involving forces and moments (e.g. reactions, shear forces, bending
moments, or axial forces in truss members), and it does not apply to the
influence lines for deflections.
In implementing this principle for constructing an influence line, the
restraint corresponding to the force or moment response function of
interest needs to be removed from the structure. In the case of a
statically determinate structure, removal of any such restraint from the
structure reduces it to a statically unstable structure, or a mechanism.
When this statically unstable released structure is subjected to the unit
displacement (linear or rotation), no stresses are induced in the
members of the structure, which remain straight and translate and/or
rotate as rigid bodies, thereby forming a deflected shape (and thus an
influence line) that consist only of straight-line segments.
Furthermore, the principle of virtual work can be applied. The work is
the product of a linear displacement and the force in the direction of the
displacement, or a rotational (angular) displacement and the moment in
the direction of the displacement. If a rigid body (beam) is in equilibrium,
the sum of all the forces and moments on it must be equal to zero.
Consequently, if to the body is given an imaginary or virtual
displacement, the work done by all these forces and couple moments
must also be equal to zero.

CHAPTER 7
Influence Lines for Statically Determinate Structures

7.3Procedure for Analysis

1. From the given structure remove the restraint corresponding to
the response function, Si, whose influence line is desired, in
order to obtain the released structure. The released connection
is replaced by the desired static amount, Si, acting in positive
direction (according to the positive sense of the coordinate axes
in case of reactions or to the positive sign convention in case of
internal forces). The structure becomes a mechanism.
2. Perform the kinematic analysis of the obtained mechanism to
establish the location of the instantaneous rotation centres (IRC).
3. Apply a small displacement (linear or rotation), i,to the obtained
mechanism (released structure) at the location and in the
opposite direction to the positive sense of Si. Draw the deflected
shape of the mechanism that is consistent with the supports and
continuity conditions of the released structure to obtain the
general shape of the influence line. Remember that the influence
lines for statically determinate structures consist only of straightline segments. These are in fact vertical displacements
diagrams.
4. Place a unit moving load on the obtained mechanism and apply
the virtual work equilibrium equation. The sign and the scale of
the influence line are obtained.

Si i 1 ( x) = 0

(7.3)

In the previous relationship the - sign of the first term is due to the fact
that the imposed displacement, i, is considered in the opposite
direction of the static amount, Si. The sign of the second term is due
to the fact that the unit load moves across the loading line and it may
have or not the same direction as the displacement at a given position,
( x) . From this relationship results:

Si =

1 ( x)

(7.4)

In order for the ordinates ( x) of the displacement diagram to become

values of the static amount, that is Si = ( x) , it is necessary to set
7

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

i = 1 . This condition gives the scale of the influence line. The other
ordinates will result from simple computations.
The vertical displacement diagram will be vertically hatched and the
sign convention is as in the case of bending moment diagrams:

So, the influence line (IL) is a vertical displacement diagram (VDD) with
a scale and a sign on it.