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Stability & Determinacy of Beams and Frames

This document discusses the determinacy and stability of beam and frame structures. It provides examples of using both a counting method and displaced shape method to determine if a structure is stable/determinate or unstable/indeterminate. The counting method checks if the number of unknown forces equals the number of equilibrium equations. The displaced shape method checks if the structure can be displaced without member deformation when removing constraints. Indeterminate structures can be more structurally efficient but more complicated to analyze due to redundant forces.

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Rajiv Rudra Sarran
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99 views5 pages

Stability & Determinacy of Beams and Frames

This document discusses the determinacy and stability of beam and frame structures. It provides examples of using both a counting method and displaced shape method to determine if a structure is stable/determinate or unstable/indeterminate. The counting method checks if the number of unknown forces equals the number of equilibrium equations. The displaced shape method checks if the structure can be displaced without member deformation when removing constraints. Indeterminate structures can be more structurally efficient but more complicated to analyze due to redundant forces.

Uploaded by

Rajiv Rudra Sarran
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

CE331,Fall2009

Stability & Determinacy of Beams & Frames

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Astructureisstaticallyindeterminateifthememberforcescannotbecalculatedusingthe
equationsofstaticequilibrium.

Example1.
moment
release

NumberofUnknowns=16

6forcespermemberx2members=12
4reactions

NumberofEquations=16

3equationspermemberx2members=6(FH, FV, M)
3equationsperjointx3joints=9(FH, FV, M)
1equationofconditionatmomentrelease(M)

Shortcut:
NumberofUnknowns=1610

63forcespermemberx2members=126
4reactions

NumberofEquations=1610

3equationspermemberx2members=6(FH, FV, M)
3equationsperjointx3joints=9(FH, FV, M)
1equationofconditionatmomentrelease(M)

Sincethenumberofunknowns=thenumberofequations,thestructureisstatically
determinate(memberforcescanbecalculatedusingequilibriumequations).

CE331,Fall2009

Stability & Determinacy of Beams & Frames

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Ingeneral:

If

Thestructureis

numberofunknowns

< numberofequations

Unstable

numberofunknowns

= numberofequations

Stable&Determinate

numberofunknowns > numberofequations Indeterminate

Theprocedureoutlinedabovedoesnotalwaysworkwithregardtostability.Analternate
method(thedisplacedshapemethod)ofdeterminingwhetherastructureisstableorunstable,
anddeterminateorindeterminateisthefollowing
Ifthedisplacedshapeofthestructurecanbedrawnsothatnomembersdeform,the
structureisunstable.
Ifthedisplacedshapecannotbedrawnwithoutcausingamembertodeform,the
structureisstable.
o Ifremovalofoneconstraint(asupportforceoramemberforce)causesthe
structuretobeunstable(i.e.thestructurecanbedisplacedwithoutdeforminga
member),thentheoriginalstructureisstableanddeterminate.
o Iftwoormoreconstraintsneedtoberemovedtocausethestructuretobe
unstable,theoriginalstructureisstableandindeterminate.

Example2.

CountingMethod

NumberofUnknownForces=(2members)x(3memberforces/member)+4reactions=10
NumberofEquilibriumEquations=(3joints)x(3equations/joint)=9
Thereforestructureisindeterminate.Ithasonemoreforce(calledaredundantforce)than
neededforadeterminatestructure.

CE331,Fall2009

Stability & Determinacy of Beams & Frames

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DisplacedShapeMethod
1.OriginalStructure:

2.OriginalStructureminus1force

Structuredisplacementcausesmember
deformation,thereforethisstructureis
stable.

Structuredisplacementcausesmember
deformation,thereforethisstructureis
stable.

3.OriginalStructureminus2forces

StructuredisplacementcausesNOmember
deformation,thereforethisstructureis
UNstable.

Case2.OriginalStructureminus1forceisthereforethestableanddeterminateversionof
thisstructure.Thereforetheoriginalstructureisindeterminatewithoneredundant.

Example3.

CountingMethod

NumberofUnknownForces=(3members)x(3memberforces/member)+6reactions=15
NumberofEquilibriumEquations=(4joints)x(3equations/joint)+2momentreleases=14
Thereforestructureisindeterminatewithoneredundant.

CE331,Fall2009

Stability & Determinacy of Beams & Frames

4/5

DisplacedShapeMethod
1.OriginalStructure:

Structuredisplacementcausesmember
deformation,thereforethisstructureisstable.

2.OriginalStructureminus1force

Structuredisplacementcausesmember
deformation,thereforethisstructureisstable.

3.OriginalStructureminus2forces

StructuredisplacementcausesNOmember
deformation,thereforethisstructureis
UNstable.

Case2.OriginalStructureminus1forceisthereforethestableanddeterminateversionof
thisstructure.Therefore the original structure is indeterminate with one redundant.

CE331,Fall2009

Stability & Determinacy of Beams & Frames

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AdvantagesofIndeterminateStructures
Indeterminatestructuresareoftenmorestructurallyefficient.

Example4.

3 simply-supported spans
3 continuous spans

1 k/ft
1 k/ft

L
L
L
L
L

L
2

Mmax = w L / 8

Mmax = -w L2 / 10

Indeterminatestructuresalsoprovideredundantloadpaths,meaningifamemberfails,the
loadisredistributedtoothermembersandthestructuredoesnotcollapse.Saythebending
strengthofthemiddlespanisexceededandaplastichingeforms.

collapse

Thedeterminatestructureisnowunstableandwillcollapse,whilefortheindeterminate
structure,loadisredistributedtotheothermembersandthestructuredoesnotcollapse.

DisadvantagesofIndeterminateStructures
Disadvantagesofstaticallyindeterminatestructuresinclude
settlement(andotherapplieddisplacementssuchastemperaturechange)cancause
largeinternalforcesinindeterminatestructures

calculationofmemberforcesismorecomplicatedsincetheequilibriumequationsalone
areinsufficient.

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