6 INTRODUCTION

the girders can be determined with reasonable accuracy, but there

seems equally good reason to' doubt whether the moments in the col
umns can be determined with much accuracy. Nevertheless an effort
should be made to include the column effects in the analysis.*
Problems in Continuity of Structures of Reinforced Concrete. The
most common problem in the design of continuous structures of rein
forced concrete is to find the curves of maximum moments and some
times of maximum shears on a series of continuous girders, usually
rigidly connected to columns, for dead load and for five load uniformly
distributed and applied to the girders either directly or through joists
or floor beams equally spaced.
Commonly the girders and columns are of uniform section for their
full length except as this is necessarily modified by the existence of the
joint. Sometimes the girder sections are varied by end haunches, which
may be either straight or curved.
For bridges it is usually necessary to make analyses for moving sys
tems of concentrated loads.
Wind stresses in buildings are usually determined
by approximate
" exact "
methods, but there is at present an increasing interest in more
analyses.
The design of arches of reinforced concrete is a problem of a different
order from those just outlined. It is not difficult, but it requires a good
deal of sound judgment. The analysis of continuous arches on slender
piers is a special problem.
Continuous slabs are so distinct a field of study that they have not
been discussed in this volume.
Methods of Analysis. The chief methods of thought used in the
book are the methods of the deflected structure and of pressure lines in
Chapter II, the method of moment distribution in Chapter IV and later
of distribution of shears in Chapter VII. The column analogy is used
in Chapters III, V, VII and IX. Influence lines are treated in Chapter
VIII. The relative importance of these methods is probably in the
order given.
These tools are in themselves not very productive; their usefulness
depends on the skill and resourcefulness of the man who uses them.
Too many students of indeterminate structures hope to progress by
acquiring an endless variety of tools and are so busy doing this that they
never learn how to use them.
The ability of a designer of continuous structures is measured chiefly
by his ability to visualize the deformation of the structure under load.
* See "Continuity as a Factor in Reinforced Concrete Design," Hardy Cross,
Proc. A.C.I., Vol. XXV.