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DIRECT STIFFNESS METHOD

(I) GLOBAL AND LOCAL COORDINATES, DEGREES OF


FREEDOM
*a line diagram of a structure is a line on which all the joints and members are
identified by numbers.
*stiffness method is only valid for prismatic structural members.
*local coordinate system is made for each joint where x axis is going along the
direction of the centroid and y axis is the curling of right hand counter clockwise
and obviously z will be out of the plane.
*displacements are drawn in the same direction of local coordinate axes with the
same sign convention and then a JOINT DISPLACEMENT VECTOR is formed d =

[]
d1
d2
d3

*numbering starts with the lowest numbered joint first, and in case of multiple
degrees of freedom for the same joint, numbering starts X then Y then Z
*FOR CONTINUOS BEAMS DO NOT CONSIDER AXIAL DEFORMATIONS, SO THA
MAX DEGREE OF FREEDOM FOR A CONTINUOES BEAM IS TWO.
*for trusses, the joints are assumed to be frictionless so they do not transfer
moments and their rotations are assumed to be zero.

(II) MEMBER STIFFNESS RELATIONS IN LOCAL


COORDINATES
*the joint displacements is determined by solving

P=Sd

where; d is JOINT

DISPLACEMENT VECTOR
S is the
STIFFNESS MATRIX
P effects
of ext. loads on joints
*the stiffness matrix for a member expresses the forces at the ends of the member
as functions of the displacements of the members ends.

(A) FRAME MEMBERS


*u denotes frame member displacement, and Q denotes member end forces.
*the first objective is to find the relationship between displacements and member
end forces in terms of external forces applied to the member.

Q=ku+Qf

where;

Q : member end force vector in local coordinates


u : member end displacements local coordinates
k : member stiffness matrix local coordinates
Qf : member fixed-end forces local coordinates
the stiffness matrix for the members of plane frames in local coordinates : note that
its symmetric

(B) CONTINUOUS BEAM MEMBERS


*axial forces and deformations are assumed to be zero.
* the member stiffness matrix in local coordinates k is given by:

(C) TRUSS MEMBERS


*trusses only subjected to axial forces(no rotations).
*stiffness relationships for truss members in local coordinates is given by:
note that Qf(member end forces) are zero for trusses.
*k the member stiffness matrix in local coordinates is given by:

Q=ku

(III) COORDINATE TRANSFORMATIONS


*its important to transform stiffness relations for each member from the members
local coordinates system to a common global coordinate system
*the objective is to transform member end forces and displacements from local to
global coordinates and vice versa.

(A) FRAME MEMBERS


*

is the angle measured counterclock-wise from the positive global X to positive

local x.
* the stiffness relations derived befor (Q : end forces, u: end displacements) are only
valid in terms of local coordinates.
*to transform member end forces from global to local we use the transformation
matrix according the the following formula : Q = TF , also we can transform local
end forces by the following formula : F = TQ

where Xb,Xe and Yb,Ye are the global coordinates and L is the length of the
member.
* we can also transform global end displacements to local according to the formula :
u = Tv
also, we can transform local end displacements to global according to the formula :
v = Tu

(B) CONTINUOUS BEAM MEMBERS


* for continuous beams, the end forces and end displacements are oriented the

same for both local and global coordinations, so no need to transform anything.
F=Q
v=u

(C) TRUSS MEMBERS


*to transform trusses end forces and displacements, the same formulas of FRAMES
are used but with a different transformation matrix:

(IV) MEMBER STIFFNESS RELATIONS IN GLOBAL


COORDINATES
(A) FRAME MEMBERS
*now our objective is to find the relation between member end forces and
displacements in terms of GLOBAL COORDINATES, that is:
F = Kv + Ff where;

K=T T kT F f =T T Q f K is the member stiffness matrix in the global coordinates and


Ff is the member end forces in the global coordinates.

(B) CONTINUOUS BEAM MEMBERS


*THE SAME IN BOTH COORDINATE SYSTEMS

(C) TRUSS MEMBERS


*the stiffness relations in local coordinate system is F = Kv (note that Ff fixed-end
force vector is zero for trusses).
* member stiffness matrix in global coordinate system is given by:

(V) STRUCTURE STIFFNESS RELATIONS

*after deriving the member stiffness relations in terms of global coordination, one
can develop the structure stiffness relation for the WHOLE structure by writing
equilibrium equations of the JOINTS and compatibility equations.
* the structure stiffness relations in global coordinations is given by :

PP f =Sd

where: S : is the structure stiffness matrix


Pf : is the structure fixed-end joint force vector
*note that Pf is zero for TRUSSES.

PROCEDURE
FOR ANALYSIS
Based on the discussion presented in the
previous sections, we can develop the following
step-by-step procedure for the analysis of
structures by the matrix stiffness method.
(1.) Prepare an analytical model of the
structure as follows:
[a.] Draw a line diagram of the structure, on
which each joint and member must be
identified by a number.
[b.] Select a global XY coordinate system, with
the X and Y axes oriented in the horizontal
(positive to the right) and vertical (positive
upward) directions, respectively. It is usually
convenient to locate the origin of this
coordinate system at a lower left joint of the
structure, so that the X and Y coordinates of
most of the joints are positive.
[c.] For each member, establish a local xy
coordinate system by selecting one of the
joints at its ends as the beginning joint and the
other as the end joint. On the line diagram of
the structure, for each member indicate the
positive direction of the local x axis by drawing
an arrow along the member pointing toward
the end joint. For horizontal members, the
coordinate transformations can be avoided by
selecting the joint at the left end of the
member as the beginning joint.
[d.] Identify the degrees of freedom or
unknown joint displacements, d, of the
structure. The degrees of freedom are specified
on the structures line diagram by drawing
arrows at the joints and are numbered by
starting at the lowest joint number and

proceeding sequentially to the highest joint


number. In the case
of more than one degree of freedom at a joint,
the X translation is numbered first, followed by
the Y translation, and then the rotation. Recall
that a joint of a plane frame can have up to
three degrees of freedom (two translations and
a rotation); a
joint of a continuous beam can have up to two
degrees of freedom (a translation
perpendicular to the beams centroidal axis
and a rotation); and a joint of a plane truss can
have up to two degrees of freedom (two
translations). Note that joint translations
are considered as positive when in the positive
directions of the X and Y axes; joint rotations
are considered as positive when
counterclockwise.
(2.) Evaluate the structure stiffness matrix S
and fixed-joint force vector Pf . For each
member of the structure, perform the following
operations:
[a.] For trusses, go directly to step 2(d).
Otherwise, compute the member stiffness
matrix in local coordinates, k. Expressions of k
for the members of frames and continuous
beams are given in Eqs. (18.5) and (18.6),
respectively.
[b.] If the member is subjected to external
loads, then evaluate its fixed-end force vector
in local coordinates, Qf , by using the
expressions for fixed-end moments given
inside the back cover of the book and by
applying the equations of equilibrium (see
Examples 18.2 and 18.3).
[c.] For horizontal members with the local x
axis positive to the right (i.e., in the same
direction as the global X axis), the member
stiffness relations in the local and global
coordinates are the same (i.e., K = k and Ff =
Qf ); go to step 2(e). Otherwise, compute the

members transformation matrix T by using Eq.


(18.12).
[d.] Determine the member stiffness matrix in
global coordinates,

K=T T kT

(Eq. (18.26)),

and the corresponding fixed-end force vector,


T

F f =T Qf

(Eq. (18.27)), The matrix K must

be symmetric and found for each member and


then stored in S. For trusses, it is usually more
convenient to use the explicit form of K given
in Eq. (18.29). Also, for trusses, Ff = 0.
[e.] Identify the members structure degree of
freedom numbers and store the pertinent
elements of K and Ff in their proper positions in
the structure stiffness matrix S and the fixedjoint force vector Pf , respectively, by using the
procedure described in Section 18.5. The
complete structure stiffness matrix S obtained
by assembling the stiffness coeffcients of all
the members of the structure must be
symmetric.
(3.) Form the joint load vector, P by analyzing
the load applied to the structure to two
components and form a vector.
(4.) Determine the unknown joint
displacements. Substitute P, Pf , and S into the

structure stiffness relations, P - Pf = Sd (Eq.


(18.41)), and solve the resulting system of
simultaneous equations for the unknown joint
displacements d.(Pf is zero for trusses).
(5.) Compute member end displacements and
end forces. For each member, do the following:
[a.] Obtain member end displacements in
global coordinates, v, from the joint
displacements, d, by using the members
structure degree of freedom numbers.
[b.] Determine member end displacements in
local coordinates by using the relationship u =
Tv (Eq. (18.14)). For horizontal members with
the local x axis positive to the right, u = v.
[c.] Compute member end forces in local
coordinates by using the relationship Q =
ku+Qf (Eq. (18.4)). For trusses, Qf = 0.
[d.] Calculate member end forces in global
coordinates by using the transformation
relationship F = TTQ (Eq. (18.17)). For
horizontal members with the local x axis
positive to the right, F = Q.
(6.) Determine support reactions by
considering the equilibrium of the joints
located at the supports of the structure.

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