Structural Mechanics 2

Moment distribution method

or
Hardy Cross Method

Dr Łukasz Kaczmarczyk
Rankine Building 626

l.kaczmarczyk@civil.gla.ac.uk

Moment distribution method 1/2010/V01 1

Basics

MJB

MJA

J MJC
MJD
M

Moment distribution method 1/2010/V01 2

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• What are rigid-jointed structures and

continuous beams?
• What is the moment distribution method
(Prof. Hardy Cross, 1932)
– Assumptions
– When is it useful?
– Principle of the method

Moment distribution method 1/2010/V01 3

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Moment distribution method 1/2010/V01 4

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By bending

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• Axial force (tension compression)

• Shear force
• Bending moments

M M V
N N
V

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M M V
N N
V
N
Corner joint
M
V M M V
N
V
V N
M N

Straight joint

Moment distribution method 1/2010/V01 9

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• Angles remain constant

before before

v "
! v

u after "
u after

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• Assumptions
– 1. Axial deformations due to axial forces and
shear deformations due to shear forces are
ignored. Thus members do not change length,
they only bend.
– 2. No out-of-plane movement is allowed.
– 3. The structure is linear-elastic and therefore the
principle of superposition applies.
• Goal: calculate the values of the bending
moments in a statically indeterminate
structure (continuous beam, frame)

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• This is statically indeterminate

(exercise: check)
W1 W2 W3
q
B C
A D

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• Forces and moments will distribute so

that the concentrate in the most rigid
parts of the structure and avoid the
most flexible ones.
• This is this basic principle upon which
the moment distribution method relies.
• Let us now see how it works in practice

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 (1) Restrain all joints against rotation, i.e. the joints are
fixed in position. This produces fixed end moments
at the ends of each member.
W1 W2 W3
q
B C
A D

W1 W2 W3
q
B C
A D

deflected
out-of-balance out-of-balance
shape
moment moment

BMD

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• Fixed end moments acting on the ends of each
member produce out-of-balance moments acting in
the opposite direction on each joint. These tend to
rotate the joint.
• Equal & opposite restraining moments are
imagined to act on each joint which prevent this
rotation.
M 1F M F M2 F M2F
1

member joint member

M1F+M2F out-of-balance moment

tendency to rotate

F F restraining moment preventing

M1 +M2 rotation (imagined)

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carry-over carry-over
moment moment
B C
A D

distribute out-of-
out-of-balance
balance moment
moment

carry-over carry-over
moment moment
C
A D
B
distribute out-of-
balance moment

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• Release the restraining moment
• Allow the joint to rotate to its new orientation
• Once in its new position, restrain the joint again
• Each member meeting at the joint absorbs part of
the released moment (proportionally to their
distribution factors: their stiffness).
• This is known as distribution of the moment.
• Moments are also induced at the far ends of the
members.
• These are known as carry-over moments.

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carry-over carry-over
moment moment
B C
A D

distribute out-of-
balance moment
• Carry-over moments cause previously
released joints to become "out-of-balance"
again.
• Continue releasing each joint in turn until the
out-of-balance moments are “negligible”
• At this stage, all joints will have rotated into
their final positions for all practical purposes.
• Hence the complementary solutions will
have been obtained by a series of
approximations.

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• Using the principle of superposition, the

same end result is obtained if
(i) out-of-balance moments are distributed
simultaneously at all joints
(ii) all carry-over moments are evaluated
simultaneously in all members

In practice, this is more convenient than

releasing and restraining each individual joint
in turn.

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• Using the principle of superposition, the

same end result is obtained if
(i) out-of-balance moments are distributed
simultaneously at all joints
(ii) all carry-over moments are evaluated
simultaneously in all members

In practice, this is more convenient than

releasing and restraining each individual joint
in turn.

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Can be used directly

Convention : clockwise end moments and
rotations are positive.

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 general loading

A B loaded member
L
EI constant

A !A B MB moments & rotations

MA !B

A B
CAB CBA fully constrained,
no rotation

MA1 A !A B MB1 rotation at end A only

MA2 A B MB2
!B rotation at end B only

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• From previous lectures EI
k=
L
2 EI! A 4 EI! A 2 EI! B
M B1 = = 2k! A M A1 = = 4k! A M A2 = = 2k! B
L L L
4 EI! B general loading
M B2 = = 4k! B
L A B
L
• Using the principle of superposition, EI constant

A !A B MB
MA !B

M A = M A1 + M A2 + C AB CAB
A B
CBA

M A = 4k! A + 2k! B + C AB MA1 A !A B MB1

M A = 2k (2! A + ! B ) + C AB
M B = 2k (! A + 2! B ) + C BA
MA2 A B MB2
!B

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B
Stiffnesses
A kB
kA kA = EAIA/LA
kB = EBIB/LB , etc.
!J
!J !J kC
!J J C
D kD M Joint J rotates rigidly an amount !J.
The members ends at J also rotate
by !J due to compatibility.

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 JB

MJB MJA
MJA Free body diagram
Free body diagram of joint J
MJC
MJD ofJ joint J
J MJC
MJD M
M
From the end stiffness relationships, eq.(1), and noting that !A = 0, then

M JA = 4k A! J , M JB = 4k B! J , ….. etc. (3)

From equilibrium of the joint:

M JA + M JB + ...... = M (4)

From eqs.(3) & (4):

4(k A + k B + ...... )! J = M (5)

" 4! J = M where #k = k A + k B + ...... (6)
#k

From eqs.(3) & (6),

kA k
M JA = M , M JB = B M , …… etc. (7)
#k #k

The proportion of M carried at end J of a member is equal to the stiffness k = EI/L of

the member divided by the sum of all the stiffness of members meeting at the joint.

kA/#k, kB/#k, ….. etc. are called distribution factors.

Moment distribution method 1/2010/V01 25
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• The proportion of M carried at end J of a

member is equal to the stiffness k = EI/L
of the member divided by the sum of all
the stiffness of members meeting at the
joint.
kA/!k, kB/!k, ….. etc. are called
distribution factors.

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• Answer the question:
– What moment is induced at the other end of a beam when a
joint is released at one end?

MAJ A J MJA
!J
LA kA = EAIA/LA

– From the end stiffness relationships, and noting

that !A = 0, then:

M JA = 4k A! J M AJ = 2k A! J
M AJ = 12 M JA

Moment distribution method 1/2010/V01 27

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The application of a moment at the rotated

end induces a moment of half that value,
and in the same sense, at the fixed end.
The moment MAJ is known as the carry-
over moment. The carry-over factor for a
uniform member is ½.

MAJ A J MJA
!J
LA kA = EAIA/LA

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• 1. Calculate the stiffnesses (EI/L) of each member, ensuring that the stiffnesses
of pin-ended members are adjusted by 3/4.
• 2. Calculate the distribution factors for each joint (DF).
• 3. Calculate the fixed end moments for each member due to (i) loads, (ii) known
joint movements (FEM)
• 4. Carry out operations in tabular form. Lay out the table so that each member is
allocated two columns representing its ends. Draw vertical lines under each joint to
mark off each member. Write down on the appropriate side of the vertical lines the
DFs and FEMs for each member.
• 5. If present, deal with pinned ends first. Adjust the moment at the pin so that it
becomes equal to the known moment (usually zero). Carry over the appropriate
moment to the other end of the member. Thereafter pinned joints can be
ignored.
• 6. At each joint in turn, release and distribute the restraining moment into each
member meeting at the joint in proportion to the distribution factors (D). Draw a
horizontal line across the table to indicate the end of the distribution.
• 7. Write down the carry-over moments induced from one end of the member to
the other end (CO).
• 8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 as many times as necessary to achieve the required
accuracy. Always work to the same number of significant figures throughout. Finish
off the iterative cycles after a distribution stage so that the moments at each joint
balance.
• 9. Add algebraically the moments in each column to give the final moments at
the ends of each member (M). At each joint check that the final end moments sum
to zero, thereby satisfying equilibrium. If not, an arithmetical error has been made.

Moment distribution method 1/2010/V01 29

Fixed End Moments

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 Examples

Contact Dr. Fouad Fanous for more information.

Last Modified: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 20:24:45 GMT
Moment distribution method 1/2010/V01 32