CE272: Structural Analysis
Example Problems - Set 8
Solve Problems 1 to 3 using the moment distribution method.
1. Draw the bending moment diagram of the beam. Support at A is fixed, at B is a roller, and at C
is a pin. EI is constant.
2. Draw the bending moment diagrams for each member of the frame. Support at A is fixed, and at
C is pinned. Joint B is a rigid connection. EI is constant.
3. Draw the bending moment diagram for each member of the frame. Supports at A and B are
pinned. Joints C and D are rigid connections. EI is constant.
4. For the truss shown below, use the direct siffness approach to compute: (a) the horizontal
deflections at nodes ② and ③, and vertical delflection at node ③; (b) all support reactions; and
(c) axial forces in all bars. Note: Node ① is a pinned support, and node ② is a roller support.
Homework 8 Solutions
4𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸 4 3𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸 1
Stiffness Factors: 𝐾𝐾𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 = = 𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸; 𝐾𝐾𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 = = 𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸
𝐿𝐿 9 𝐿𝐿 2
𝐾𝐾𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 𝐾𝐾𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵
Distribution Factors: 𝐷𝐷𝐹𝐹𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 = = 0.47; 𝐷𝐷𝐹𝐹𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 = = 0.53
𝐾𝐾𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 +𝐾𝐾𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 𝐾𝐾𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 +𝐾𝐾𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵
𝑤𝑤𝐿𝐿2 𝑤𝑤𝐿𝐿2
Fixed End Moments: (𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹)𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 = 20
= 81 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 (𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹)𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 = −
30
= −54 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃 𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃
(𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹)𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 = − = −60 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 (𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹)𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶 = = 60 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
8 8
Joint A B C
Member AB BA BC CB
DF 1 0.47 0.53 -
FEM -54 81 -60 60
Dist. -9.87 -11.13 -60
CO -4.94 -30
Dist. 14.10 15.90
CO 7.05
� 𝑴𝑴 -51.89 85.23 -85.23 0
From equilibrium of span AB (sum of moments about B = 0):
1 9
𝑅𝑅𝐴𝐴 × 9 + 𝑀𝑀𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 + 𝑀𝑀𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 − × 9 × 20 × = 0 ⟹ 𝑅𝑅𝐴𝐴 = 26.29 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
2 3
From equilibrium of span BC (sum of moments about B = 0):
−𝑅𝑅𝐶𝐶 × 6 + 𝑀𝑀𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 + 80 × 3 = 0 ⟹ 𝑅𝑅𝐶𝐶 = 25.80 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
From force equilibrium of whole beam:
1
𝑅𝑅𝐴𝐴 + 𝑅𝑅𝐵𝐵 + 𝑅𝑅𝐶𝐶 = × 9 × 20 + 80 = 170 ⟹ 𝑅𝑅𝐵𝐵 = 117.91 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
2
Equations for bending moments along the spans:
Span AB 1 20 𝑥𝑥
𝑀𝑀(𝑥𝑥) = 𝑀𝑀𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 + 𝑅𝑅𝐴𝐴 𝑥𝑥 − × � 𝑥𝑥� 𝑥𝑥
2 9 3
10 3
or: 𝑀𝑀(𝑥𝑥) = −51.88 + 26.29𝑥𝑥 − 𝑥𝑥
27 For x = 0 to 9 m
Span BC 1
𝑀𝑀(𝑥𝑥) = 𝑀𝑀𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 + 𝑅𝑅𝐴𝐴 𝑥𝑥 − × 20 × 9 × (𝑥𝑥 − 6) + 𝑅𝑅𝐵𝐵 (𝑥𝑥 − 9)
2
or: 𝑀𝑀(𝑥𝑥) = −573.07 + 54.20𝑥𝑥 For x = 9 to 12 m
1
𝑀𝑀(𝑥𝑥) = 𝑀𝑀𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 + 𝑅𝑅𝐴𝐴 𝑥𝑥 − × 20 × 9 × (𝑥𝑥 − 6) + 𝑅𝑅𝐵𝐵 (𝑥𝑥 − 9) − 80(𝑥𝑥 − 12)
2 For x =12 to 15 m
or: 𝑀𝑀(𝑥𝑥) = 386.93 − 25.80𝑥𝑥
Bending Moment Diagram for the beam
Note: For span BC, we could have also computed the FEMs for a fixed pinned beam (as in HW6),
3𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃
in which case we would have had (𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹)𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 = − 16 = −90 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘, (𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹)𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶 = 0, and:
Joint A B C
Member AB BA BC CB
DF 1 0.47 0.53 -
FEM -54 81 -90 0
Dist. 4.23 4.77
CO 2.12
� 𝑴𝑴 -51.88 85.23 -85.23 0
4𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸 4 3𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸 3
Stiffness Factors: 𝐾𝐾𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 = = 𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸; 𝐾𝐾𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 = = 𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸
𝐿𝐿 3 𝐿𝐿 4
𝐾𝐾𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 𝐾𝐾𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵
Distribution Factors: 𝐷𝐷𝐹𝐹𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 = 𝐾𝐾 = 0.64; 𝐷𝐷𝐹𝐹𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 = 𝐾𝐾 = 0.36
𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 +𝐾𝐾𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 +𝐾𝐾𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵
𝑤𝑤𝐿𝐿2 𝑤𝑤𝐿𝐿2
Fixed End Moments: (𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹)𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 = 12
= 1.5 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 (𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹)𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 = −
12
= −1.5 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
Joint A B C
Member AB BA BC CB
DF 1 0.64 0.36 -
FEM -1.5 1.5 0 0
Dist. -0.96 -0.54
CO -0.48
� 𝑴𝑴 -1.98 0.54 -0.54 0
From equilibrium of span AB (sum of moments about B = 0):
𝑅𝑅𝐴𝐴𝑉𝑉 × 3 + 𝑀𝑀𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 + 𝑀𝑀𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 − 2 × 3 × 1.5 = 0 ⟹ 𝑅𝑅𝐴𝐴𝑉𝑉 = 3.48 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
From equilibrium of span BC (sum of moments about B = 0):
𝑅𝑅𝐶𝐶𝐻𝐻 × 4 + 𝑀𝑀𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 = 0 ⟹ 𝑅𝑅𝐶𝐶𝐻𝐻 = 0.14 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 (towards right)
From force equilibrium of whole beam:
𝑅𝑅𝐴𝐴𝐻𝐻 = 0.14 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 (towards left)
𝑅𝑅𝐶𝐶𝑉𝑉 = 2 × 3 − 𝑅𝑅𝐴𝐴𝑉𝑉 = 2.52 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
Equations for bending moments along the spans:
Span AB 𝑥𝑥 For x = 0 at A to
𝑀𝑀(𝑥𝑥) = 𝑀𝑀𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 + 𝑅𝑅𝐴𝐴𝑉𝑉 𝑥𝑥 − 2𝑥𝑥 = −1.98 + 3.48𝑥𝑥 − 𝑥𝑥 2
2 3 m at B
For x = 0 at C to
Span BC 𝑀𝑀(𝑥𝑥) = 𝑅𝑅𝑐𝑐𝐻𝐻 𝑥𝑥 = 0.14𝑥𝑥 4 m at B
Bending moment diagram for the frame
