BIALYSTOK UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

BASICS OF BUILDING STRUCTURE MECHANICS

PROJECT No 1

ANALYSIS OF
PLANE FRAME BY THE FORCE METHOD

Białystok, 2024
BUT (PB): Department of Building Structures and Structural Mechanics BBSM

Table of contents
1 The degree of statical indeterminacy of the structure.............................................4
2 Solution for static loads...........................................................................................4
2.1 Primary system and primary unknowns................................................................4
2.2 Canonic equations of the force method to solve the problem..............................5
2.2.1 Unit and loaded states and corresponding bending moment diagrams............6
2.2.2 The unit displacements and free terms of canonical equations.........................7
2.3 The solution of equations of the force method.....................................................7
2.4 Construction of final bending moment diagram...................................................8
2.5 Final shear force diagram..................................................................................... 9
2.6 Final axial force diagram.....................................................................................10
2.7 Verification of bending moment diagram...........................................................11

The Force Method 2/11

BUT (PB): Department of Building Structures and Structural Mechanics BBSM

Design diagram and loadings of the statically indeterminate frame is shown in the
figure. Using the Force Method construct the final internal force diagrams: bending
moment diagram M, shear force diagram V and axial (normal) force diagram N for
static loading q, ql shown below.
Bending stiffness (flexural stiffness /rigidity) of all members is constant and equals EI.

l = 8 [m] q = 5.5 [kN/m]

The Force Method 3/11

BUT (PB): Department of Building Structures and Structural Mechanics BBSM

1 The degree of statical indeterminacy of the structure

Analysis of any statically indeterminate structure by the force method begins with de-
termination of degree of statical indeterminacy. Degree of statical indeterminacy n s
(degree of redundancy) may be calculated by formula:
ns = r − 3 + 3⋅c − p1 − 2⋅p2 − ... − n⋅p n

r - number of constrains (support reactions in a structure)

c - number of closed contours (areas surrounded from all sides
by rigidly jointed members of a structure)
pn - number of n-degree hinges in a structure

Design diagram of the frame (given structure / original structure) and

static load

For the problem analysed the structure is statically indeterminate to the 2nd degree
(the degree of redundancy is 2):
n s = 5 − 3 + 3⋅0 − 0 = 2

2 Solution for static loads

2.1 Primary system and primary unknowns

Primary system (principal or released structure) is such structure, which is obtained

from the given one by eliminating redundant constraints and replacing them by
primary unknowns. Primary unknowns X i (i = 1... ns ) may represent reactions (forces or
moments in eliminated redundant constrains). It is possible to develop (construct)
different primary systems but each of the primary systems should be geometrically
unchangeable (stable) and statically determinate. In subsequent calculations we
choose only one of them (most suitable/effective).
Adopted primary system for solution of the problem is shown below

Primary system Primary structure and primary unknowns

The Force Method 4/11
BUT (PB): Department of Building Structures and Structural Mechanics BBSM

2.2 Canonic equations of the force method to solve the problem

General form of canonical equations of the force method is:

ns

∑ δ ij⋅X j +δiP = 0 , j = 1 ,…, n s (2.1)

i=1

and for the structure with two redundant constraints are written as follows ( n s=2 ):

{δ11 X 1 + δ12 X 2 + δ1 P = 0
δ21 X 1 + δ22 X 2 + δ2 P = 0
. (2.2)

All coefficients δ ij , δ iP (i , j=1 ,... , ns ) of canonical equations represent displacements of the

primary structure. Coefficients δij (called the unit displacements) are the displace-
ments along the direction of unknown X i due to action of unit unknown X j = 1 ; coeffi-
cients δiP (called the loaded terms or free terms) presents displacements along the
direction of unknown X i due to action of actual (given) load – externally applied loads
in primary system.
These coefficients and free terms of canonical equations are calculated from
a formula (Maxwell-Mohr integral, also referred to as: unit load method, graph
multiplication method, Vereshchagin rule):
l l l
Mk M p V V N N
δ kp =∑∫ dx + ∑∫ μ k p dx + ∑∫ k p dx +
0 EI 0 GA 0 EA
M M
R R R R
+∑ k p +∑ k p +
k κ
l l
Δt
+ ∑∫ N k⋅α t⋅t dx + ∑∫ M k⋅α t⋅ dx +
0 0 h
−∑ R si⋅Δ s
and summation is related to all members or supports of a structure.
Assuming that in framed structures bending moments have the greatest contribution
to displacements only first term of Maxwell-Mohr’s integral will be used (in most cases
of loading deformations of members caused by axial and shear forces can be
neglected):
l l
M M Mi M P
δij =∑∫ i j dx , δiP =∑∫ dx ,
0 EI 0 EI

M i , M j - bending moment (diagrams) due to unit primary unknowns X i = 1 and X j = 1 ,

respectively.
M P - bending moment (diagrams) due to given load — applied load in the primary
system.

Thus, in order to determine the values of the coefficients δ ij , δ iP at the unknowns in

the system of canonical equations of the force method, it is necessary to develop
diagrams of the bending moments in the unit states and bending moment diagrams
caused by external load in the primary system.

The Force Method 5/11

BUT (PB): Department of Building Structures and Structural Mechanics BBSM

2.2.1 Unit and loaded states and corresponding bending moment diagrams

Bending moment diagrams M 1 , M 2 in the unit states and bending moment diagram M P
caused by applied (external) load in the primary system:

The Force Method 6/11

BUT (PB): Department of Building Structures and Structural Mechanics BBSM

2.2.2 The unit displacements and free terms of canonical equations

The graph multiplication method leads to following results:

[ ]
l

( )
M1 M 1 1 1 2 20 l 3
δ11 = ∫ dx = ⋅2 l⋅2l⋅ ⋅2l + 2l⋅1 l⋅( 2 l ) =
0 EI EI 2 3 3 EI

l
M1 M2 1 l
3
δ12 = ∫ dx = [ 1l⋅1 l⋅(−2 l ) ] = −2
0 EI EI EI

l
M2 M1 1 l
3
δ21 = ∫ dx = [ 2l⋅1 l⋅(−1 l ) ] = −2
0 EI EI EI

[ ]
l

( )
M2 M2 1 1 2 4 l
3
δ22 = ∫ dx = ⋅1 l⋅1 l⋅ ⋅1 l + 1 l⋅1l⋅( 1 l ) =
0 EI EI 2 3 3 EI

[ ]
l

( )
M1 MP 1 1 3 1 ql 4
δ1 P = ∫ dx = ⋅2 ql 2⋅2 l⋅ − ⋅2l + ql 2⋅(−2 l ) = −3
0 EI EI 3 4 2 EI

[ ]
l

( ) ( )
M2 MP 1 1 2 1 1 1
δ2 P = ∫ dx = ⋅1 ql 2⋅1l⋅ − ⋅1l + ql 2⋅1l⋅ − ⋅1 l + ql 2⋅1 l⋅( 1 l ) =
0 EI EI 2 3 2 2 2
1 ql 4
= −
12 EI

2.3 The solution of equations of the force method

Canonical equations for primary unknown X 1 and X 2 (compatibility equations of the

force method, see eq. (2.2)) for the statically indeterminate structure become:

{
3 3 4
20 l l ql
X1 − 2 X2 − 3 = 0
3 EI EI EI
3 3 4
l 4 l 1 ql
−2 X + X − = 0
EI 1 3 EI 2 12 EI

The solution of these two equations leads to

75
X1 = ql ,
88
118
X2 = ql .
88

The Force Method 7/11

BUT (PB): Department of Building Structures and Structural Mechanics BBSM

2.4 Construction of final bending moment diagram

The final bending moment diagram will be constructed using the superposition
principle that in this case (with two redundant forces) may be written in the form:
M = M 1⋅X 1 + M 2⋅X 2 + M P
The first and second term presents the bending moment diagram due to actual
primary unknown X 1 and X 2 , respectively. M P is the bending moment diagram
caused by applied load in the primary system (see diagrams on page 6).
Thus, in order to compute the ordinates of the resulting bending moment diagram, it
is necessary to multiply each unit bending moment diagram M i by corresponding
primary unknown X i and summing up with bending moment diagram due to applied
load in the primary system M P (this formula expresses the superposition principle), we get

Final bending moment diagram (the sum of the three above diagrams)

The Force Method 8/11

BUT (PB): Department of Building Structures and Structural Mechanics BBSM

2.5 Final shear force diagram

Shear forces may be calculated on the basis of bending moment diagram considering
each member subjected to given loads and the end bending moments. For example,
for member AB we have

Similarly, we calculate the shear forces in the remaining members.

Final shear force diagram is shown below

The maximum value M max of the bending moment on member AB is located at the
point where the shear is equal to zero. Thus, the distance x 0 we can calculate from
the equation of shear force on member AB written in the form:
75 75
Q(x 0) = ql − q⋅x 0 = 0 → x0 = l.
88 88
75
And the maximum value of bending moment at distance x 0 = 88
l in the member AB is
75
75 x 75 75 75 l 5625 2
M max = ql⋅x 0 − q⋅x 0⋅ 0 = ql⋅ l − q⋅ l⋅ 88 = ql = 0.3632 ql 2 .
88 2 88 88 88 2 15488

The Force Method 9/11

BUT (PB): Department of Building Structures and Structural Mechanics BBSM

2.6 Final axial force diagram

Axial forces may be calculated on the basis of shear force diagram by considering
equilibrium of joints of the structure.

Substituting the data assumed at the beginning for length and loading:
l = 8 [m], q = 5.5 [kN/m],
we finally get the values of internal forces in units of [kN] and [m].

The Force Method 10/11

BUT (PB): Department of Building Structures and Structural Mechanics BBSM

2.7 Verification of bending moment diagram

The correctness of calculations is performed by control the value of displacements

that we know in the structure in advance (a kinematical control).
Displacement in the direction of constraint of support in the original system has to be
zero (e.g. E – fixed support, displacements: horizontal u E = 0 , vertical v E = 0 and
angular φ E = 0 ). The displacements may be calculated from Maxwell-Mohr integral by
multiplication of two bending moment diagrams, one is final bending moment
diagram for given structure (in actual state), and the second is bending moment
diagram in unit state.
Thus, for example to verify angular displacement φ E we assume statically
determinate system with no constraint in the direction of angular displacement to be
determined (different from primary system used, primary systems used for
verifications should by different from those used in solution by Force Method). We
apply a unit load (a unit moment for angular displacement) in the direction of
displacement to be determined. For this unit load, we make a bending moment
diagram M̄ 1 .

For the sake of simplicity the final bending moment diagram for static load we
decompose into simple geometric shapes (bounded by dashed lines; areas: quadratic
parabola, triangles, rectangles):

The displacement in the direction of the unit force is:

[
l

( ) ( )
M̄ 1 M 1 1 26 2 2 2 1 1 2
φ E=∑∫ dx= ⋅2l⋅ ql 2⋅ ⋅ + ⋅2l⋅ ql 2⋅ − ⋅ +
0 EI EI 2 88 3 3 3 2 2 3

ql ⋅l⋅(− ⋅ )+ ⋅ ql ⋅l⋅(− ⋅ )+ ql ⋅l⋅(1 )]=0

14 2 1 1 1 30 2 1 1 12 2
+
88 2 3 2 88 3 3 88

The value calculated is consistent with the assumptions (angular displacement of

support E in original structure is zero).
This type of verification should be carried out in a number that equals to degree of
statical indeterminacy of a structure (one more for this original structure).

The Force Method 11/11