THE ANALYSIS OF

STATICALLY-DETERMINATE

FRAMEWORKS
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The Analysis of Rigid-Jointed, Statically-Determinate Frameworks

Before beginning the study of these frameworks it is necessary to define clearly the
concepts of a rigid joint and of a statically-determinate frame.

It has been seen in the analysis of pin-jointed trusses that it is assumed as the name
suggests that wherever a member is connected to other members at a joint, or to a
support at a point of reaction the connection is made by a pin which allows free
rotation of each member
connected to that joint.

Under such conditions it has also been seen that the force in each member will
consist solely of an axial compression or tension.

However, if at the joint each member is fixed firmly to a gusset plate by welding or by
enough bolts to ensure a stiff connection then each member is no longer able to
rotate freely and if the joint as a whole undergoes rotation then each member will
retain the original angle it made with any either member.
Thus:—

Under these conditions the force in each member will no longer be just a pure axial
tension or compression, but in general each member will now be subject to an axial
force, a shear force and a bending moment.
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Such a joint is known as a Rigid Joint and a framework containing one

or more of these is known as a Rigid-Jointed Framework.
To deal with the term “Statically Determinate” consider the case of the rigid-jointed
frame shown below which is pinned to its support at A and rests on rollers at B.

There will be three support reactions acting on this frame which may be resolved into
a vertical reaction at A, VA, a horizontal reaction at A, HA and a vertical reaction at B,
VB.

There are three equations of static equilibrium available, i.e. the sum of all the
vertical forces acting on the structure must be zero, the sum of all the horizontal
forces acting on the frame must be zero and the sum of the moments of all the
forces acting on the frame about any one point must be zero.

Applying these to the frame gives the following:—

100 kN 100 kN

60 kN 60 kN

4 3 4 3
B B

A A HA

VB VA VB
2 2 2 2

FV  + = 0 VA + VB − 100 = 0 or VA + VB = 100 ( I )

+
FH ⎯⎯
→=0 H A + 60 = 0 or H A = −60 ( II )
MA + = 0 4  60 + 2 100 − 4VB = 0
4VB = 440 or VB = 110 ( III )
Subst in I : VA = −10

Thus:
100

60

B
A

60 110

10
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The bending moment, shear force and axial force diagrams may now be drawn for
the frame. However, it is necessary at this stage to modify the sign convention for
drawing bending moments as that previously used, i.e. sagging moments positive
and drawn above the beam and hogging moments negative and drawn below the
beam cannot obviously be applied to vertical or sloping members.

It is clear that with the two vertical members shown on the left that the bending in
neither of them can be described as either sagging or hogging.

Accordingly, the convention will now be adopted in drawing bending moment

diagrams that the diagram will be drawn on that side of the member on which the
bending moment produces tension.

With this convention the bending moment, shear force and axial force diagrams for
the frame will be as follows:—

240

240
220

BMD (KnM)

B
A

10

110

60

SFD (KN)
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110 (c)

10 (T)
AFD (KN)

Now consider the situation on this frame if the support at B is made pinned instead of
on rollers. There are now four support reactions, VA, HA, VB and HB. There are still
only three equations of static equilibrium available and of course four unknowns
cannot be found with just three equations.

To establish this applying the three equations to the frame as it now exists:—

100 kN 100 kN

60 kN 60 kN

3 4 3
4
HB

A 1 HA 1

B
VB

2 2 2 2
VA

FV  + = 0 VA + VB − 100 = 0 VA + VB = 100 (I )

+
FH ⎯⎯ →=0 H A + H B + 60 = 0 H A + H B = −60 ( II )

mA = 0 −4VB + H B + 4  60 + 2  100 = 0 4VB − H B = 440 ( III )

and with these three equations containing four unknowns there are an infinite
number of solutions, that is any desired value may be assumed for one of the
unknowns and this will then fix the value of the other three.

It might be thought that taking moments about support B would provide a fourth
equation, but it will be found that if this is done the equation obtained will contain no
new information that could not have been obtained from the original three equations.
 -6-

To establish this:—

MB + = 0 4VA − H A + 60  3 − 100  2 = 0

or 4VA − H A = 20 ( IV )

However Equation (IV) is basically just a rearrangement of the previous three

equations as can be seen from the following:—

4xI : 4VA + VB = 400

-III : - 4VB + HB = -440

4VA + HB = - 40
-II : -HA - HB = - 60

4VA - HA = 20

which is of course identical to Equation IV.

Thus it can be seen that only three equations of static equilibrium can he obtained
for a two-dimensional or plane structure, by resolving forces vertically, resolving
forces horizontally and taking moments about any desired point, and having done
this taking moments about a second support point will yield no additional information.

A structure which cannot be solved and whose bending moments, shear

forces, reactions etc. cannot be found by the use of the three equations of static
equilibrium, as is the case here, is known as a Statically Indeterminate Structure.
The terms Redundant Structure or Hyperstatic Structure may also be encountered
by these terms are identical in meaning to Statically Indeterminate.

The frame just dealt with had four unknown reactions with only three available
equations. The number of unknowns exceeded the number of available equations by
one and the frame is therefore said to be One-Degree Statically Indeterminate.

It can be seen that one extra piece of information is required before this frame can
be solved. Presuming that a frictionless pin is now inserted at the joint at point C, the
top left-hand corner of the frame. The frame will still remain stable and able to carry
its loads.
100
C
60
The bending moment at a frictionless pin
must be zero so the extra piece of information
now available is that the sum of the moments
HB
of all the forces acting either on the left-hand
HA side or the right-hand side of C must be zero,
and this will provide, the extra necessary
VB
VA
equation.
 -7-

60

C LHS
4
-4 HA = 0

 HA = 0
HA
IV
VA

Subst. in (II) HA + 0 = -60

 HB = -60

Subst. in III 4 VD + 60 = 440

380
VB = = 95
4
Subst. in I VA + 95 = 100
VA = 5

It can be seen therefore that a structure one degree statically indeterminate can he
made statically-determinate and solved by the insertion of a frictionless pin at a
suitable point on the frame.

There are of course other ways of making an indeterminate frame statically

determinate, for example by the removal of one reaction.

All the reactions on the present frame have now been found and it is possible to
draw the bending moment, shear force and axial force diagrams.

Degrees of Indeterminacy

It will frequently he found necessary when dealing with indeterminate structures to

be able to calculate the degree of indeterminacy and a method for doing this will be
explained here.

Consider the cantilever shown at the left. This has three

support reactions at support A, VA, HA and MA, all shown in
the positive direction.

There are of course available the three equations of static

equilibrium and all three reactions can be found for any
HA
condition of loading.
MA
VA Thus the cantilever is statically determinate.
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Now consider the same cantilever if the fixed support was

replaced with a pin. The structure would now be unstable and
would collapse. Thus in this condition one additional reaction
would need to be provided to make the structure statically
determinate.

If support A had been placed on rollers, then two additional

reactions would need to be provided to make it statically
determinate.

It will also be appreciated that whenever a structural member

is cut, three forces are released, a bending moment, a shear
force and an axial force.

F F

A A

M M

Cut in Member

Consider now the frame shown. It is required to establish how many degrees
statically indeterminate it is.

If a cut is made as shown in (b) it will be seen that the

frame has been converted to two cantilevers, each of
which are stable end statically determinate.

Each time a cut is made three actions are released and

3 actions
cut in this case it was necessary to make one cut and
release three actions to produce a set of statically
determinate cantilevers. Thus these three actions are
the indeterminacies in the frame and the frame is three
degrees indeterminate.

Consider now a second frame where the support on the

right is pinned. If a cut is made as before it will produce
a stable cantilever on the left but on the right a structure
which is unstable and which will need the provision of
3 Actions one additional reaction to make it statically
Cut
determinate.

Unstable The cut as before has released three actions but one
reaction must be provided to give stability.
 -9-

Thus the degree of indeterminacy is given by the three

3 actions actions released by the cut minus the one which must
cut
he restored to the right hand support.

1 Action i.e. 3 at cut — 1 restored at support

Restored = 2 degrees indeterminate

Thus the rule is:—

i) Make the necessary number of cuts in various members to convert the

structure into a series of sections which can be made into stable cantilevers.
Each cut releases three actions.

ii) Provide the necessary number of extra reactions to convert

the remaining sections of structure into stable cantilevers.

iii) The degree of indeterminacy equals

3 x number of cuts made — number of extra reactions provided.

Example: Calculate the degree of indeterminacy of the following rigid-jointed

frame.

1) Make the necessary number 2) Supply the necessary extra reactions

of cuts for stability

2 3

M O M

No. of cuts = 3 Necessary Extra Reactions = 3

Degree of indeterminacy = 3 x 3 – 3 = 6
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Further Examples: Find the degree of indeterminacy of each of the following rigid-
jointed frames:

i=1 i=8
i = 12

Now consider the frame ABCDE, fixed at A, pinned at E and with frictionless pins at
B and D. Its degree of indeterminacy may be found as follows:—

One cut will divide the frame into two but extra moments must be provided at B, D
and E to create two stable cantilevers.

Thus 3 x 1 cut - 3 moments = 0, i.e. the frame is statically determinate.

200 kN

Moment
100 kN provided
1 cut
B B
C 2
3 Moment
D 50 kN D provided
A
2
E
E Moment
provided

This frame may be analysed as follows:—

200
+ VA + VE = 200 (I)
100
+→ HA + HE = -150 (II)
50
A + 100 x 3 + 200 x 4 + 50 x 1 + MA
HA -4 VE - HE = 0
MA
VA HE or MA – 4 VE - HE = -1150 (III)

VE
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B + LHS B MA – 3 HA = 0 (IV)
3
HA 2 HE = 0  HE = 0 (V)

MA Subst. in (II) HA = -150

Subst. in (IV) MA + 450 = 0
VA  MA = -450

Subst. in (III) -450 – 4 VE = -1150 4 VE = 700

VE = 175

Subst. in (I) VA + 175 = 200

 VA = 25

Thus:-

200
C
B 100
100
C
B
50
D
150 A
D
450
E 
25 A
450 E
BMD (KNM)
175 Drawn on Tension side
 - 12 -

To calculate member reactions:

25 200
175

50 50
50
B C C
100 B 50

25 175
50

A E 
150

25 175

50
(T)

25

25 175
50 (C) (C)
AFD
150 (KN)

SFD
(KN)
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Example

The statically-determinate frame shown in Fig. 2 is fully fixed at A and on rollers at E.

Joints B and D are rigid and there is a frictionless pin at C. Draw the bending
moment, shear force and axial force diagrams for the frame.

200 kN
100 kN B C D

3
500 kN

2
E

2 2

Fig. II

Answer
200
400

100

600
400

SFD (KN)

200
BMD KNm
Draws on
Tension Side

200
(c)

AFD (Ka)
 - 14 -

Example

The statically-determinate frame ABC shown on the right has a frictionless pin at
joint B.

Draw the bonding moment, shear force and axial forces diagrams for the frame.

50 KN/m C
B

2
150 KN

2
75 KN

A
2 2

1,5 m
KN 75
125 (C) 50
56.25
25
125 250

75 KN
(C) 25
AFD
SFD
(KN) 200
100 BMD
(KNm)
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2. The statically-determinate frame ABCD shown below is fully-fixed to its

support at A and rests on rollers at D. There is a frictionless pin at C.

Draw the bending moment, shear force and axial force diagrams for the
frame.

160 kN/m
80 kN/m C
B
D

1m
400 kN

1m

200 kN

1m

4m 2m 2m

3m
160
320

40
240
320 BMD (KNm) (C) AFD (KN)

720

920

240 80

400
80

SFD (KN)
200
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TUTORIALS - Further problems in statically determinate frames (quite

important to solve these 5 questions)

Draw bending moment, sheer force and axial force diagrams for each structure
under the given loads.

1. 3.
50 KN
50 KN 40 KN/m Hinge

20 KN E B C
B E
D D
C
20 KN 2m
3m F

5 KN/m
4m
F G
2m
10kN
A

A
2m 4m 2m 2m 3m 1m 2m

2. 4.

50 KN 15 KN/m 20 KN/m
B
D
C D E F C 2m
2m 3m
20 KN
20 KN E
B
3m
2m A
G
G
A F

2m 2m 1m
2m 5m 1m

10 KN/m

5.
2m 2m

2m 20 KN 2m
20 KN

2m 5m 2m
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