Vertical Loads on Building Frames

Assumptions for The Analysis of Girders Using Approximate Analysis:

1- Identify the deflected shape of the girder under the applied loads.

2- Identify the location of inflection points where the bending moment is equal to
zero, at these points the bending moment is changing from positive to negative or the
opposite. This location is determined as the average case between fixed end beams
and the simply supported beams. It’s located at 0.1 L of the fixed supports of the
girder as shown below.

3- Using
these points of zero moment the girder can be divided into two parts, the middle part
will be presented as a simply supported beam carried by two cantilevers, the length of
the cantilevers is equal to 0.1 L and the length of the simply supported beam is 0.8 L
as shown in the figure below.
Example 3:
Determine (approximately) the moment at the joints E and C caused by members EF
and CD of the building bent in the figure.

Answer:

Using the assumptions of the approximate method, the girders can be represented as
follows;

1x4.8= 4.8 kn
Bending moment at the fixed support (M) = 0.6 x 0.3 + 2.4 x 0.6

= 1.62 Kn.m

So the general equation to draw the bending moment will be as:

1.x = resultant of uniform load

Moment of resultant = 1x. x/2

x 3 kn
3 kn
M+1.62 – 3.x + 1.x.x/2 = 0

M = 3x – x2/2 -1.62 = 2.88 kn.m

Portal Frames carrying lateral loads:
1- Pin supported Frame:
The frame is statically indeterminate to the first degree. So one assumption is needed
to make the frame determinate. This assumption can be made using the deflected
shape of the structure under the vertical loads. It’s very clear from the deflected shape
that the inflection point is located at the mid of the girder as shown in the figure
below:

So a hinge will be placed at the mid

of the girder, and this will make the
frame a determinate one.

Example: (Pin supported Frame):

Draw the bending moment diagram

for the following frame.

Dy = F

Ay =F

Ay Dy

Applying ∑ Fx = 0

Because the two horizontal forces at A and D are equal, we will get:

5-F-F = 0 5-2F=0 F = 2.5 KN

Taking the moment at point D to find Ay:

-Ayx5 – 5 x 3 = 0
 Ay = - 15/5 = - 3 KN

Ay = 3 KN

∑ Fy = 0

Dy – 3 = 0

Dy = 3 KN

Using the assumption made for pin supported frame, the hinge will be placed at the
middle of the girder, to help find the internal forces in the members of the frame.

B C

x
D
A

Taking a section in
Column AB to calculate the bending moment as follows:

M – 2.5x X= 0

M = 2.5X

So the bending moment Diagram for the two vertical members will be as follows:

Column AB
Column CD

For the girder (BC), the general equation of the bending moment will be as follows:
 7.5 KN.m M 7.5 KN.m

3 KN 3 KN
M +3X- 7.5 = 0

M = 7.5 – 3X

Bending Moment Diagram for the

Girder

2- Fixed Support frame:

The frame is statically indeterminate to the third degree, so we need three
assumptions to analyze the structure. These assumptions can be made from the
deflected shape of the frame as shown in the figure below.

So the inflection points (points of zero moment) will be located at the mid of the
three members which can be replaced by hinges to satisfy the condition of zero
bending moment, this will make the frame a determinate one and can be analyzed
easily to find internal forces.
Example: Fixed support frame:

Draw the bending moment diagram for the frame shown below.

Ax = F Dx = F

Ay Dy

Applying ∑ Fx = 0

Because the two horizontal forces at A and D are equal, we will get:

5-F-F = 0 5-2F=0 F = 2.5 KN

Using the assumption made for pin supported frame, the hinge will be placed at the
middle of the girder, to help find the internal forces in the members of the frame.

Using the equations of equilibrium for the member (AE), we can find the bending
moment at the fixed support by taking the moment at the assumed hinge as follows:
 MA -2.5 x 1.5 = 0 MA = 3.75 KN.m

The same method will be applied for the member (GD) to find the moment at the
fixed support D, so MD = 3.75 KN.m. To find the vertical reaction A y at A, we will
take the moment at support D as follows:

∑ MD = 0

3.75+3.75+5Ay – 5x3 = 0

5Ay = 7.5 Ay = 1.5 KN

∑ FY = 0

Dy – 1.5 =0

Dy = 1.5 KN

After finding the reactions, the general equation of bending moment for member
(AB) and (CD) is:

M + 3.75 – 2.5X = 0 M = 2.5X – 3.75

Bending Moment of members (AB) and

(CD)

Now, to find the bending moment equation for member (BC), we will take a section
at distance x from B as shown in the figure below:

3.75 KN.m M 3.75 KN.m

 x
1.5 KN 1.5 KN

M - 3.75 + 1.5X = 0

M = 3.75 – 1.5X

Using this equation, the bending moment diagram can be drawn for the girder as
shown in the figure below:

3- Partial Fixed
support frame:
The same procedure will be applied for the semi-fixed support; the location of the
hinges for the two columns will be at (h/3), while the hinge for the girder will be in
middle. The bending moment diagram will be as shown in the figure below:

Example: Semi-Fixed support frame:

2m 2m

E 2.5 Kn 2.5 Kn
F
N N
2.5 Kn 2.5 Kn F
E
1m 2.5 Kn 1m
2.5 Kn
Ma Md
Ay Dy

Taking the moment at support A to find Ma

Ma – 2.5 x 1 = 0 Ma = 2.5 kn.m

To find the reaction N, take the moment at E for the upper part of the frame:

5N - 5 x 2 = 0 N = 2 KN

Applying the section method to draw the bending moment diagrams for the two
columns and the girder as shown in
the figure below.

5 Kn.m
2.5 Kn.m
5 Kn.m

5 Kn.m