Plastic Analysis of 1 Continuous Beams

Increasing the applied load until yielding occurs at some locations will result in elastic elastic-plastic plastic defor deformations that will eventually reach a fully plastic condition. Fully plastic condition is defined as one at which a sufficient number of plastic hinges g are formed to transform the structure into a mechanism, i.e., the structure is geometrically t i ll unstable t bl .
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1See pages 142 152 in your class notes.

Additional Addi i l loading l di applied li d to the fully plastic structure would lead to collapse. Design g of structures based on the plastic or limit state approach is increasingly used and d accepted t db by various i codes d of f practice, particularly for steel construction Figure 1 shows a construction. typical stress-strain curve for mild steel and the idealized stressstrain response for performing plastic analysis.
2

rupture
x

idealized

y Figure 1. Mild Steel StressStrain Curve y = yield stress y = yield strain

ULTIMATE MOMENT
Consider the beam shown in Fig. 2. Increasing the bending moment results in going from elastic cross section behavior (Fig. 2(a)) to yield of the outermost fibers ( (Figs. g 2(c) ( ) and (d)) and finally the two yield zones meet (Fig. 2(e)); the cross section i in i this hi state is i defined to be fully plastic.

Figure. 2. Stress distribution in a symmetrical cross section subjected to a bending moment of increasing magnitude: (a) Cross section, (b) Elastic, (c) Top fibers plastic, plastic (d) Top and bottom 5 fibers plastic, and (e) Fully plastic

The ultimate moment is determined in terms of the yield stress y . Since the axial force is zero in this beam case, case the neutral axis in the fully plastic condition divides the section into two equal areas, and the resultant tension and compression are each equal to y A/2 A/2, forming a couple equal to the ultimate plastic moment Mp

Mp = 1 A (y + y ) y c t 2

(1)
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The maximum moment which a section can resist without exceeding the yield stress (defined as the yield moment My) is the smaller of

M y = y St M y = y Sc

(2a) (2b)

St = tension section modulus ( I / ct ) p section Sc = compression modulus ( I / cc )

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ct = distance from neutral axis to the extreme tension fiber cc = distance from neutral axis to the extreme compression fiber p I = moment of inertia

= Mp/My > 1 = shape factor

= 1.5 1 5 for a rectangular section = 1.7 for a solid circular section = 1.15 1.17 for I- or Csection
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PLASTIC BEHAVIOR OF A SIMPLE BEAM

If a load P at the mid-span of a simple beam (Fig. 3) is increased until the maximum mid-span id moment t reaches h the th fully plastic moment Mp, a plastic hinge is formed at this section and collapse will occur under any further load increase. Since this structure is statically determinate, the collapse load PC can easil be calc easily calculated lated to gi give e

PC = 4M p / L

(3)
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P
L 2 L

(a) Loaded Beam

Mp

(b) Plastic BMD PC

2

(c) Plastic Mechanism

Figure 3. Simple Beam

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Plastic Hinge Along the Length of the Simple Beam

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The collapse load of the beam can be calculated by equating the external and internal work during a virtual movement of the collapse mechanism (this approach is eq equally all applicable to the collapse analysis of statically indeterminate beams). ) Equating the external virtual work We done by the force PC to the internal virtual work Wi done by the moment Mp at the plastic hinge:

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We = Wi

L PC = M p (2) 2 PC = 4M p / L

which is identical to the result given in (3).

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ULTIMATE STRENGTH OF FIXED ENDED BEAM FIXED-ENDED

Consider a prismatic fixed-ended beam subjected to a uniform load of intensity q (Fig. 4(a)). Figure 4(b) shows the moment diagram sequence from the yield moment My

q L y I M y = y S( ) = c 12

qy =

12 M y L
2

through the fully plastic condition 14 in the beam.

(a)

L Mp

(b)
My Mp qC My Mp

(c)

Figure 4. Fixed-Fixed Beam

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The collapse mechanism is shown in Fig Fig. 4(c) and the collapse load is calculated by equating g the external and internal virtual works, i.e.

q CL L 2 = M p ( + 2 + ) 2 4 16 M p qC = 2 L
Sequence of S f Plastic Pl i Hinge Hi Formation: (1) Fixed-end Fi d d supports maxii mum moment (negative) (2) Mid-span Mid maximum i positive iti 16 moment

ULTIMATE STRENGTH OF CONTINUOUS BEAMS

Next consider N id the h three h span continuous beam shown in Fig. 5 with each span having a plastic moment capacity of Mp. Values of the collapse p load correspondp ing to all possible mechanisms are determined; the actual collapse ll load l d is i the th smallest ll t of f the possible mechanism collapse loads.

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Mp = constant
A B L L 2

P
E L

L 3 C

P
F L

(a)

PC1
1

(b)
2

PC2
2

(c)
+

Figure 5. (a) Continuous Beam (b) Mechanism 1 18 (c) Mechanism 2

For this structure, there are two possible collapse mechanisms are shown in Figs. 5(b) and (c). Using the principle of virtual work (We = Wi) for each mechanism leads to Figure 5(b) (1 = L/2):

L PC1 = M p ( + 2 + ) 2 PC1 = 8M p / L

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Figure 5(c) (2 = L/3):

L PC2 = M p ( + +) 3
2L L = 2 = 3 3 = 2

5M p 5 L PC2 = 2 3 PC2 = 15M p / 2L

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The smaller of these two values i th is the t true collapse ll l load. d Thus, Th PC = 7.5Mp/L and the corresponding bending moment diagram is shown below. When collapse occurs, occurs the part of the beam between A and C is still in the elastic range.
M < Mp
A B E C F D

Mp

-M > -Mp

-Mp
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Collapse BMD

P
L 2
1

qL = P
q
2

(a)

2Mp L

Mp L

PC

1

(b)

qC
2

(c)

L1

Figure 6. (a) Continuous Beam (b) Mechanism 1 22 (c) Mechanism 2

The two span continuous beam shown in Fig Fig. 6 exhibits some unique considerations: 1.the plastic moment capacity of span 1-2 is different than the plastic l ti moment t capacity it of f span 2-3; and 2.the location of the positive moment plastic hinge in span 2 3 is unknown 2-3 unknown.

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Mechanism 1:

PC L We = PC 1 = 2 Wi = 2M p + 2M p (2) + M p
= 7M p

We = Wi

PC =

14M p L

(A)

Mechanism 2:

2 2 We = q C L1 + q C (L L1) 2 2 2 = qCL 2
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Wi = M p + M p ( + )

L1 = 2 = (L L1) L1 = L L1
2L L1 M p Wi = L L1 We = 1 q C LL1 2

We = Wi 2 2L L1 qCL = M (B) p L1 L L1
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The problem with this solution for qCL is that the length L1 is unknown. L1 can be obtained by differentiating both sides of qCL with respect to L1 and set the result to zero, i.e.

d(q C L) 2L1(L L1) = Mp 2 2 dL1 (L1) (L L1) 2(2L L1)(L 2L1) (L1) (L L1)
2 2

Mp
(C)
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= 0

Solving (C) for L1:

2 2 2L1 8LL1 + 4L = 0

8L (8L) 2 4(8L2 ) L1 = 4 = 2L 2 L = 0.5858L

( ) (D)

Substituting (D) into (B):

qCL =

11 66 M p 11.66 L
(E)
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Comparing the result in (A) with (E) and df for qL L = P shows h th t the that th failure mechanism for this beam structure is in span 2 2-3 3.

M < 2Mp

L1 Mp

-M M > -2M 2Mp

-Mp

BMD for Collapse Load qC

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Direct Procedure to Calculate Positive Moment Plastic Hinge Location for Unsymmetrical Plastic Moment Diagram g
Consider any beam span that is loaded by a uniform load and the resulting plastic moment diagram is unsymmetric. Just as shown above the location of the maximum positive moment is unknown. For example assume beam span B example, C is subjected to a uniform load and a dt the ep plastic ast c moment o e t capac capacity ty at end B is Mp1, the plastic moment29

capacity at end C is Mp p2 and the plastic positive moment capacity is Mp3. Mp1 Mp3; Mp2 Mp3
Mp3 x -Mp1

L1

-Mp2

L
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The location of the positive plastic moment t can be b determined d t i d using i the bending moment equation M(x) = ax2 + bx + c and appropriate boundary conditions. (i) x = 0: M = -Mp1 = c (ii) x = L1: M = Mp3 = aL12 + bL1 + c aL12 + bL1 = Mp3 + Mp1 (iii) x = L1: dM/dx = 0 = 2aL1 + b 31

Solving for a and b from (ii) and (iii):

a= b=

(M p1 + M p3 )
2 L1

2(M p1 + M p3 ) L1

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(iv) x = L: M = -Mp2 = aL2 + bL + c = -(Mp1+ Mp3)(L/L1)2 + 2(Mp1+ Mp3) (L/L1) - Mp1 0 = -(M (Mp1+ Mp3)(L/L1)2 + 2(Mp1+ Mp3) (L/L1) - Mp1+ Mp2 Solving the quadratic equation:

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L =1 L1 4(Mp1 + Mp3)2 4(Mp1 Mp2)(Mp1 + Mp3) 2(Mp1 + Mp3) Mp1 Mp2 = 1 1 M + M p1 p3

L1 =

L M p1 M p2 1+ 1 M + M p3 p1
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EPILOGUE
The process described in these notes and in the example problems uses what is referred to as an upper bound approach; i.e., any assumed mechanism can pro ide the basis for an anal provide analysis. sis The resulting collapse load is an upper bound on the true col collapse load. For a number of trial mechanisms, the lowest computed load is the best upper bound. A trial mechanism is the correct one if the corresponding moment diagram nowhere exceeds the plastic moment capacity. 35