Chapter 10

ANALYSIS
OF INDETERMINATE
STRUCTURAL
ANALYSIS
STRUCTURES BY FORCE METHOD
10 - 1 Statically Indeterminate Structures

10 - 2
10 - 3
10 - 4
10 - 5
10 - 6
10 - 7

Force Method of Analysis General Procedure

Maxwells Theorem of Reciprocal Displacements; Bettis Law
Force Method of Analysis : Beams
Force Method of Analysis : Frames
Force Method of Analysis : Trusses
Force Method of Analysis : Composite Structures

ANALYSIS OF INDETERMINATE STRUCTURES BY

FORCE METHOD - AN OVERVIEW

INTRODUCTION
METHOD OF CONSISTENT DEFORMATION
INDETERMINATE BEAMS
INDETRMINATE BEAMS WITH MULTIPLE DEGREES OF
INDETERMINACY
TRUSS STRUCTURES

INTRODUCTION
While analyzing indeterminate structures, it is
necessary to satisfy (force) equilibrium, (displacement)
compatibility and force-displacement relationships
Force equilibrium is satisfied when the reactive forces
hold the structure in stable equilibrium, as the
structure is subjected to external loads
Displacement compatibility is satisfied when the
various segments of the structure fit together without
intentional breaks, or overlaps
Force-displacement requirements depend on the
manner the material of the structure responds to the
applied loads, which can be linear/nonlinear/viscous
and elastic/inelastic; for our study the behavior is
assumed to be linear and elastic

 Two methods are available to analyze indeterminate

structures, depending on whether we satisfy force equilibrium
or displacement compatibility conditions - They are: Force
method and Displacement Method
Force Method satisfies displacement compatibility and forcedisplacement relationships; it treats the forces as unknowns Two methods which we will be studying are Method of
Consistent Deformation and (Iterative Method of) Moment
Distribution
Displacement Method satisfies force equilibrium and forcedisplacement relationships; it treats the displacements as
unknowns - Two available methods are Slope Deflection
Method and Stiffness (Matrix) method

METHOD OF CONSISTENT DEFORMATION

Procedure
1.
2.
3.

4.

Make the structure determinate, by releasing the extra

forces constraining the structure in space
Determine the displacements (or rotations) at the locations
of released (constraining) forces
Apply the released (constraining) forces back on the
structure (To standardize the procedure, only a unit load of
the constraining force is applied in the + ve direction) to
produce the same deformation(s) on the structure as in 2
Sum up the deformations and equate them to zero at the
position(s) of the released (constraining) forces, and
calculate the unknown restraining forces

INDETERMINATE BEAMS
Propped Cantilever - Redundant vertical reaction released
Propped Cantilever: The structure is indeterminate to the first
degree; hence has one unknown in the problem.
In order to solve the problem, release the extra constraint and
make the beam a determinate structure. This can be achieved
in two different ways, viz., (a) By removing the vertical
support at B, and making the beam a cantilever beam (which
is a determinate beam); or (b) By releasing the moment
constraint at A, and making the structure a simply supported
beam (which is once again, a determinate beam).

INDETERMINATE BEAMS (Contd)

(a) Release the vertical support at B:
y
x

P
B

L/2

B
B

=
C

L/2

B
+

RB

BB=RB*fBB
Applied in +ve direction

The governing compatibility equation obtained at B is,

B + 'BB = 0

B + ( RB ) ( f BB ) = 0

RB = B / f BB

From earlier analyses,

B = P( L / 2) 3 /(3EI ) + [ P( L / 2) 2 /(2 EI )] ( L / 2)
= PL3 /( 24 EI ) PL3 /(16 EI )
= (5 / 48)( PL3 / EI )
f BB = L3 /(3EI )

RBB = [(5 / 48)( PL3 / EI )] /[ L3 /(3EI )] = (5 / 16) P

fBB = displacement per unit load (applied in +ve direction)

INDETERMINATE BEAM (Contd)

Propped cantilever - Redundant support moment released
L/2

P
L

(b) Release the moment constraint at a:

P

A
A

+M

B
A=MAAA
Redundant MA applied

Primary structure

Governing compatibility equation obtained at A is,

+ ( M ) ( ) = , = rotation per unit moment
A

M A = A
AA

AA

AA

From known earlier analysis,

AA

PL2
(16 EI )

[under a central concentrated

load]
AA = (1)[ L /(3EI )]

This is due to the fact that +ve moment causes a ve rotation

M A = [ PL2 /(16 EI)] /[ L/(3 EI)]
= (3 / 16) PL

OVERVIEW OF METHOD OF CONSISTENT DEFORMATION

I. Structure with single degree of indeterminacy:

P
A

B
RB

(a) Remove the redundant to make the structure determinate (primary

structure)
P
A

Bo

(b) Apply unit force on the structure, in the direction of the redundant, and find
the displacement

fBB

(c) Apply compatibility at the location of the removed redundant

B0 + fBBRB = 0

INDETERMINATE BEAM WITH MULTIPLE DEGREES OF

INDETERMINACY

w/u.l

RB

B0

RC

RD

C0

D0

(a) Make the structure determinate (by releasing the supports at B, C and
D) and determine the deflections at B, C and D in the direction of removed
redundants, viz., BO, CO and DO

(b) Apply unit loads at B, C and D, in a sequential manner and

determine deformations at B, C and D, respectively.

A
B
fBB

fCB

fDB

A
B
fBC

fCC

1 fDC

A
B
fBD

fCD

D
fDD

(c ) Establish compatibility conditions at B, C and D

BO + fBBRB + fBCRC + fBDRD = 0
CO + fCBRB + fCCRC + fCDRD = 0
DO + fDBRB + fDCRC + fDDRD = 0

When support settlements occur:

w / u. l.
A

D Support settlements

Compatibility conditions at B, C and D give the following equations:

BO + fBBRB + fBCRC + fBDRD = B

CO + fCBRB + fCCRC + fCDRD = C
DO + fDBRB + fDCRC + fDDRD = D

Go to Animations

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TRUSS STRUCTURES
80 kN
60 kN

80 kN

60 kN

D
A

D
B

Primary structure

(a) (a) Remove the redundant member (say AB) and make the structure
a primary determinate structure
The condition for stability and indeterminacy is:
r+m>=<2j,
Since, m = 6, r = 3, j = 4, (r + m =) 3 + 6 > (2j =) 2*4 or 9 > 8 i = 1

47