Analysis of Two Hinged and Fixed Arches Week 5

COURSE CODE: CVE 321

COURSE TITLE: THEORY OF STRUCTURES II

TOPIC: ANALYSIS OF TWO-HINGED

HINGED AND FIXED
ARCHES INCLUDING SECONDARY EFFECT

WEEK 5 - 6

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 Analysis of Two Hinged and Fixed Arches Week 5

The most common structure that carries pure compression in its primary element is the arch.
Structure of this type, which have the configuration of an inverted cable have a pure
compressive trust along the rib of the arch under the specific loading condition for which it
was designed. It receives its load mainly in compression although because of its rigidity, it
must also resist some bending and shear depending upon how it is loaded and shaped.
Variations in this loading will introduce some bending in the arch but compression will
remain the dominant mode of action. Arches can be considered has curved beams (vertically
curved). They can be designed as steel, timber, reinforced concrete or as distressed concrete
structure which is capable of taking compression and bending as the major internal action.

Arches can be of single or multi span. Their support is either of the fixed or pinned/hinged
type while additional interior hinge may exist.

Extrados (or back) Crown

Centreline rise
Intrados (or soffit)

Springings or Abutment

In descriptive term, the crown is the highest point on an arch and springing are the support
points. Arches can be used in structure that requires curved outline of long span effect such as
places of religious worship, Conference hall, exhibition hall, Stadia, bridge structures etc

Types of Arch

There are 3 basic arch structures, they are:

1. Three Hinged Arch

2. Two Hinged Arch
3. Fixed Arch

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 Analysis of Two Hinged and Fixed Arches Week 5

 Three Hinged Arch

A three hinged arch has one hinge along its curved length primarily at the crown and
one each at supports. It is statically determinate and not affected by settlement or
temperature changes.
W2
W3
W1

HA HB
A B

VA
VB

Advantage

1. No Bending moment exist at the springing (abutment) and the crown because
hinges cannot resist moment.
2. It is statically determinate hence its analysis is simpler than any other type of
arches.
3. Differential settlement of the support does not appreciably affect springing.
4. The pin joint enable the arch to adjust itself to expansion and contraction due to
changes in temperature.

Disadvantage

The major disadvantage of three hinged arch is that bending moment away from the
pins are larger than the two hinged.

 Two Hinged Arch

This type of arch has two hinges at the supports and none at the interior part. This
type of arch is frequently used. The major advantage of two hinge arch is that it can
distribute more evenly the bending moment as opposed to the case of the three-hinged

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 Analysis of Two Hinged and Fixed Arches Week 5

arch, this gives a greater savings in the material. The disadvantage of a two hinge arch
is that problem of undue settlement of the abutment. Settlement problems particularly
differential settlement can have more serious effect in the case of two hinged arch
when compared to the three hinged arch.

 Fixed Arch

MA MB
HA HB

VA
VB

Fixed arch does not allow for hinges at all. The arch is designed and constructed
monolithically with its support. It is statically indeterminate to the third degree and
consequently direct application of castigliano’s theorem may be used as the abutments are
rigid as shown above.

= 0, = 0, =0

This will give the three equations required to solve the problems.

Typical Loading System of an Arch

1. Through Type
2. Deck Type

3. Half-through Type

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 Analysis of Two Hinged and Fixed Arches Week 5

Outline of Structural Arch

Semi-circular Arches
Segmented Arches (linear)
Parabolic Arches
Elliptical Arches
Multi-cellular Arches

Geometric Properties of Parabolic Arch

Arches may have a variety of shapes but many problems deal with a parabolic Arch and
therefore the properties of a parabola must be known.

x o
y
Consider any P
point P on the b
h
curve as shown
a 2−

The coordinate of P taking o as origin = P( 2 − , ℎ − )

Mathematically, a general expression for a parabola is =

Hence ℎ − = ( 2− ) ..................................................eqn (1)

At the springing when a = 0, b = 0

ℎ= ( 4) => = 4ℎ

Substitute for m in eqn (1)

ℎ− = 4ℎ ( 2− )

ℎ− = 4ℎ ( 4− + ) .......................................eqn (2)

ℎ − =ℎ − 4ℎ + 4ℎ

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 Analysis of Two Hinged and Fixed Arches Week 5

or ℎ− =ℎ− + .......................................eqn (2b)

= + => = ( − )

x o
Note =
P α D y
But =ℎ−
b h
tan ∝= =
a 2−
A B ( )
=

Substitute for ℎ − using eqn 2b

( )
∝=

( )
=

tan ∝=

( )
=

( )
=

tan ∝= ( −2 ) [Slope of a parabolic arch at any point P]

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 Analysis of Two Hinged and Fixed Arches Week 5

EXAMPLE 1

A three pinned parabolic arch spans 18m & the hinge at the crown is 4m above the
springing. It carries point loads of 180kN, 60kN & 240kN at 3m, 6m & 13.5m to the support
A respectively. What is the bending moments under the loads?
60kN
C 240kN
180kN Q
R
4m
P
HA HB
A B
VA VB
3m 3m 7.5m 4.5m

EXAMPLE 2

A three-hinged parabolic arch of uniform cross-section has a span of 60m and a rise of 10m.
It is subjected to uniformly distributed load of intensity 10 / as shown below. Show that
the bending moment is zero at any cross-section of the arch.

10m
b
HA A HB
a B

VA VB
60m

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 Analysis of Two Hinged and Fixed Arches Week 5

ANALYSIS OF A TWO-HINGED ARCH

Two-hinged arch is the statically indeterminate structure to degree one. Usually, the
horizontal reaction is treated as the redundant and a strain energy equation is used to evaluate.
W
W

≡ +
HA HB HA M HB 1 M 1
A B A B
VA VA
VB VB

From Castigliano’s first theorem, horizontal deflection of AB- ∆ =

For the entire structure, the bending moment at any point P is given as +

Where M= Moment due to applied load

Hm= Moment due to horizontal reaction [where m is moment when H=1]

Recall, strain energy due to bending, given as =∫ 2

( )
=∫

( )
∆ = =∫

∆ =∫ + ∫

Assuming there is no deflection at the springing, ∆ = 0

−∫
Hence, =
∫

Also for an arch with the horizontal unit load at the support =−

−∫
=
∫

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 Analysis of Two Hinged and Fixed Arches Week 5

In many arch problems, it is given that second moment of area of the cross-section of the arch
rib varies as the secant of the slope of the arch, if this is the case, then the integral can be
taken across the span instead of round the arch

δx

δL
δy
α α
δL δx

∝ sec

= sec

At the crown =0

Sec ∝ = 1 Hence =

= sec , sec =

= .

∫ .
Hence, =
∫ .

∫
=
∫

This expression, may be used in any arch problem provided I varies as sec .

Note : ∫ =

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 Analysis of Two Hinged and Fixed Arches Week 5

EXAMPLE 3

A Symmetrical two hinged parabolic arch rib has a span of 18m between abutment pins and
a rise at the crown of 4m, the second moment of area varies as the secant of the angle of
slope. The rib carries a single vertical concentrated load of 200kN at the crown, determine
from first principle the horizontal thrust on the abutment pins.
200kN

4m

HA HB

VA VB
18m

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