1.

Introduction

Purpose of this course

To calculate the responses including internal forces (axial, shear, moment) distribution
and displacements (deflections) of framed structures.

Five elements of structural analysis

1. Basic mechanics:
(a) stress-strain relationships
(b) equilibrium equations
(c) compatibility equations
2. Finite element mechanics, or member force-deformation relationships

M1(α1) M2 (α2 )
EI

L
Stiffness methods: forces in terms of displacements through stiffness
coefficients

⎧ M 1 ⎫ 2 EI ⎡2 1 ⎤ ⎧α 1 ⎫
⎨ ⎬= ⎨ ⎬
⎩M 2 ⎭ L ⎢⎣1 2⎥⎦ ⎩α 2 ⎭

Flexibility methods: deformations in terms of forces through flexibility

coefficients

⎧α 1 ⎫ L ⎧ 2 − 1⎫⎧ M 1 ⎫
⎨ ⎬= ⎨ ⎬⎨ ⎬
⎩α 2 ⎭ 6 EI ⎩− 1 2 ⎭⎩M 2 ⎭

3. Formulation of structural (global) equations

Meaning of structural equations:
Stiffness methods: equilibrium equations
Flexibility methods: compatibility equations (consistent deformation)
4. Equation solving
Gauss elimination, decomposition methods, etc.
5. Solution interpretation
Member forces diagrams such as axial, shear and moment diagrams
Deformed shapes
1
Types of analysis (see also Sec 8.1 of textbook)
Linear analysis
Nonlinear analysis:
Geometrically nonlinear analysis (second-order analysis, P-Delta effects)

P P
1
V V V ∆ ≅ ∆L ×
P
1−
PE

h Vh 3
∆L =
3 EI

π 2 EI
V V V PE =
4h 2
Vh Vh Vh + P ∆
P P

Materially nonlinear analysis

σ

elastic

Nonlinear analysis due to change in boundary conditions (such as contact problems)

P (∆ )

Considering a ball subjected to a load P, the contact area will increase as the load
increases.

2
Example of geometrically nonlinear analysis:
A simple example, two-member truss, illustrating the geometrically nonlinear analysis is
as follows.

L ∆
L′
h−∆
θ θ′

Solution:

For a displacement ∆ , we have L′ = (h − ∆ ) 2 + ( L cosθ ) 2 . Knowing

L − L'
ε= and the stress-strain relationship σ = f (ε ) , we can first obtain the stress
L
corresponding to this displacement and then the axial force F = σA . Finally, the equilibrium
equation states that P = 2F sin θ ′ , where sin θ ′ = (h − ∆ ) / L′ . It shall be noted that the
equilibrium equation is written for the deformed configuration, which is the main feature of
geometric nonlinear analysis. With different stress-stain relationships, the P − ∆ curves are
of different shapes but all the curves pass through (0,0), (h,0)and (2h,0).

Plim
Pi

∆i h 2h ∆

Another famous example related to geometric nonlinear analysis is a horizontal cable

fixed at both ends and with a pretention T. Assume the length of the cable is 2L and the cable
is subjected to a vertical load P applied at the midpoint. Assuming T is much larger than P,
calculate the vertical deflection at the loaded point.

3
 T T
θ
v L′
L
P

Solution:
The equilibrium equation for the deformed configuration is:

2(T + ∆F ) sin θ = P

where ∆F is the increment of the tension since T is much larger than P, ∆F much be very
small compared with T. Also, sin θ ≈ v / L ; hence,

v PL
2T =P v=
L 2T
P
The relation v α is what we will expect
T

Different levels of analysis