Duke University

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

CEE 421L. Matrix Structural Analysis
Henri P. Gavin
Fall, 2012
Frame Element Stiness Matrices
Truss elements carry axial forces only. Beam elements carry shear forces
and bending moments. Frame elements carry shear forces, bending moments,
and axial forces. This document picks up with the previously-derived truss
and beam element stiness matrices in local element coordinates and proceeds
through frame element stiness matrices in global coordinates.
1 Frame Element Stiness Matrix in Local Coordinates, k
A frame element is a combination of a truss element and a beam element.
The forces and displacements in the local axial direction are independent of the
shear forces and bending moments.
_

_
N
1
V
1
M
1
N
2
V
2
M
2
_

_
=
_

_
q
1
q
2
q
3
q
4
q
5
q
6
_

_
=
_

_
EA
L
0
12EI
L
3
sym
0
6EI
L
2
4EI
L

EA
L
0 0
EA
L
0
12EI
L
3

6EI
L
2
0
12EI
L
3
0
6EI
L
2
2EI
L
0
6EI
L
2
4EI
L
_

_
_

_
u
1
u
2
u
3
u
4
u
5
u
6
_

_
2 CEE 421L. Matrix Structural Analysis Duke University Fall 2012 H.P. Gavin
2 Relationships between Local Coordinates and Global Coordinates: T
The geometric relationship between local displacements, u, and global dis-
placements, v, is
u
1
= v
1
cos + v
2
sin u
2
= v
1
sin + v
2
cos u
3
= v
3
or, u = T v.
The equilibrium relationship between local forces, q, and global forces, f ,
is
q
1
= f
1
cos + f
2
sin q
2
= f
1
sin + f
2
cos q
3
= f
3
or, q = T f , where, in both cases,
T =
_

_
c s 0
s c 0 0
0 0 1
c s 0
0 s c 0
0 0 1
_

_
c = cos =
x
2
x
1
L
s = sin =
y
2
y
1
L
The coordinate transformation matrix, T, is orthogonal, T
1
= T
T
.
CC BY-NC-ND H.P. Gavin
Frame Element Stiness Matrices 3
3 Frame Element Stiness Matrix in Global Coordinates: K
Combining the coordinate transformation relationships,
q = k u
T f = k T v
f = T
T
k T v
f = K v
which provides the force-deection relationships in global coordinates. The
stiness matrix in global coordinates is K = T
T
k T
K =
_

_
EA
L
c
2 EA
L
cs
EA
L
c
2

EA
L
cs
+
12EI
L
3
s
2

12EI
L
3
cs
6EI
L
2
s
12EI
L
3
s
2
+
12EI
L
3
cs
6EI
L
2
s
EA
L
s
2

EA
L
cs
EA
L
s
2
+
12EI
L
3
c
2 6EI
L
2
c +
12EI
L
3
cs
12EI
L
3
c
2 6EI
L
2
c
4EI
L
6EI
L
2
s
6EI
L
2
c
2EI
L
EA
L
c
2 EA
L
cs
+
12EI
L
3
s
2

12EI
L
3
cs
6EI
L
2
s
sym
EA
L
s
2
+
12EI
L
3
c
2

6EI
L
2
c
4EI
L
_

_
CC BY-NC-ND H.P. Gavin
4 CEE 421L. Matrix Structural Analysis Duke University Fall 2012 H.P. Gavin
4 Fixed-Pinned Frame Element, k
k =
_

_
EA
L
0 0
EA
L
0 0
3EI
L
3
3EI
L
2
0
3EI
L
3
0
3EI
L
0
3EI
L
2
0
EA
L
0 0
sym
3EI
L
3
0
0
_

_
5 Pinned-Fixed Frame Element, k
k =
_

_
EA
L
0 0
EA
L
0 0
3EI
L
3
0 0
3EI
L
3
3EI
L
2
0 0 0 0
EA
L
0 0
sym
3EI
L
3

3EI
L
2
3EI
L
_

_
For frame element stiness matrices including shear deformations, see:
Theory of Matrix Structural Analysis, by J.S. Przemieniecki (Dover Pub., 1985).
(... a steal at $12.95)
CC BY-NC-ND H.P. Gavin
Frame Element Stiness Matrices 5
6 Fixed-Pinned Frame Element in Global Coordinates, K
K =
_

_
EA
L
c
2 EA
L
cs
3EI
L
2
s
EA
L
c
2

EA
L
cs 0
+
3EI
L
3
s
2

3EI
L
3
cs
3EI
L
3
s
2
+
3EI
L
3
cs
EA
L
s
2 3EI
L
2
c
EA
L
cs
EA
L
s
2
0
+
3EI
L
3
c
2
+
3EI
L
3
cs
3EI
L
3
c
2
3EI
L
3EI
L
2
s
3EI
L
2
c 0
EA
L
c
2 EA
L
cs 0
+
3EI
L
3
s
2

3EI
L
3
cs
sym
EA
L
s
2
0
+
3EI
L
3
c
2
0
_

_
7 Pinned-Fixed Frame Element in Global Coordinates, K
K =
_

_
EA
L
c
2 EA
L
cs 0
EA
L
c
2

EA
L
cs
3EI
L
2
s
+
3EI
L
3
s
2

3EI
L
3
cs
3EI
L
3
s
2
+
3EI
L
3
cs
EA
L
s
2
0
EA
L
cs
EA
L
s
2 3EI
L
2
c
+
3EI
L
3
c
2
+
3EI
L
3
cs
3EI
L
3
c
2
0 0 0 0
EA
L
c
2 EA
L
cs
EI
L
2
s
+
3EI
L
3
s
2

3EI
L
3
cs
sym
EA
L
s
2

3EI
L
2
c
3EI
L
3
c
2
3EI
L
_

_
CC BY-NC-ND H.P. Gavin
6 CEE 421L. Matrix Structural Analysis Duke University Fall 2012 H.P. Gavin
8 Notation
u = Element deection vector in the Local coordinate system
q = Element force vector in the Local coordinate system
k = Element stiness matrix in the Local coordinate system
... q = k u
T = Coordinate Transformation Matrix
... T
1
= T
T
v = Element deection vector in the Global coordinate system
... u = T v
f = Element force vector in the Global coordinate system
... q = T f
K = Element stiness matrix in the Global coordinate system
... K = T
T
k T
d = Structural deection vector in the Global coordinate system
p = Structural load vector in the Global coordinate system
K
s
= Structural stiness matrix in the Global coordinate system
... p = K
s
d
Local Global
Element Deection u v
Element Force q f
Element Stiness k K
Structural Deection - d
Structural Loads - p
Structural Stiness - K
s
CC BY-NC-ND H.P. Gavin