Technical Report:

Stability of Planar Structural Systems in

3D Space
Abdalla Talaat; Ihab M. El Aghoury; Mohamed A. El Aghoury

220929-STABILITY_PLANAR_3D-1

COPYRIGHTED TO AND PUBLISHED BY:

29 SEPTEMBER 2022
Stability of Planar Structural Systems in 3D Space
Abdalla Talaat; Ihab M. El Aghoury; Mohamed A. El Aghoury

Summary
Ensuring the stability of structures is of key importance to the structural
analysis. Instability might be introduced to a structural model if the
differences in the Degrees of Freedom (DOF) between 2D and 3D space are
ignored. Two common cases of instability are usually encountered. Those
are the lack of torsional restraint and out-of-plane excessive deformations.
Most of these problems occur due to incorrect implementation of boundary
conditions. This technical note addresses these issues.

Keywords : Stability; Planar Structures; 3D Space; Restraints

Hashtags : #Fundamentals #Modelling_Tips

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ID : STABILITY_PLANAR_3D
Publish Date : 29/09/2022
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 Technical Note no. 220929-STABILITY_PLANAR_3D-1
Stability of Planar Structures in 3D Space

Introduction
The Degrees of Freedom (DOF) are the independent joint’s movements; where a joint can
translate or rotate. The number of degrees of freedom depends on the coordinate space in
which the analysis is performed. For example, each joint in a 2D frame element has three
degrees of freedom: two translations in the direction of two in-plane coordinate vectors, and a
rotation around the vector normal to the 2D plane. While, in the case of a space frame, the
number of degrees of freedom becomes six: three translations and three rotations (Figure 1).
However, if the end conditions of the member are pinned (truss/link member), the rotational
degrees of freedom are not considered since they do not cause any force within the member
and hence, they are not relevant.

Figure 1: Joint DOF for 2D and 3D Grillage Elements

When modeling two-dimensional structures in 3D space, the restraints for the additional
degrees of freedom should be checked. This technical note discusses two cases of instability of
planar structures corresponding to the additional degrees of freedom in 3D space:

• Out-of-plane instability (Uy, Rz)

• Torsional instability (Rx)

Out-of-plane Instability
Consider a two-hinged frame: a statically indeterminate stable 2D structure. This frame is
usually used as a “main system” which is repeated across a piece of land (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Schematic of a Statical System using a Two-hinged Frame as The Main System

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Stability of Planar Structures in 3D Space

Lateral out-of-plane loading can be applied on the frame, but the two-hinged frame cannot
resist the out-of-plane motion (both translation and rotation). The instability of this system is
apparent from the side view (Figure 3), where the system is allowed to move at the top level
without any restraint. This is why hinged bases are usually provided by a minimum of four anchor
bolts in practice (as shown in Figure 9); to provide a minimum rotational restraint ensuring
minimum stability during erection. It is important to note that although this model is totally
stable if analyzed in 2D space, it is unstable if analyzed in 3D space. This can easily be adjusted
in the finite element analysis software as shown in Figure 4 (for SAP2000).

Figure 3: Elevation and Side View of The System

Figure 4: Relevant DOFs for the analysis

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Torsional Instability
The simple beam is arguably the simplest structure. Using SAP2000, we draw a simple beam
in 3D space, hinged at one end (Ux, Uy, Uz) and a roller at the other (Uy, Uz) as shown in Figure 5.
Analyzing this beam under the effect of its own weight (uniformly distributed load), we find a
warning that this simple beam is unstable (Figure 6). However, SAP2000's solver will produce a
bending moment despite the structure being unstable since it detected the source of instability
and automatically modified the stiffness matrix.

Figure 5: Simple Beam Model in SAP2000

Figure 6: SAP2000 Standard Solver Analysis log

The lack of a torsional restraint translates to a zero value in the diagonal of the global
stiffness matrix, meaning that if a torsional moment is applied, the beam will rotate indefinitely.
This model of the simple beam is similar to a towel holder that can rotate around its axis despite
being fixed from the two ends. The instability caused by the lack of restraint in torsional DOF can
be more easily understood by not restraining another DOF. A beam supported on multiple
rollers is still unstable as there is nothing preventing its horizontal motion (Figure 7).

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Figure 7: Unstable Beams due to Unrestrained DOF

The problem with the simple beam can be easily solved if the analysis is defined to occur in
a 2D plane, meaning that only three DOFs are relevant in the analysis –Ux, Uz, and Ry (Figure 4).
So, in order to model a 2D structure, one should either define the analysis to occur in a 2D plane
with the respective DOF for that plane (as in Figure 4), or that structure shall be treated as a 3D
structure while imposing additional restraints to account for the additional DOF.

Torsional instability may also occur in 3D structures due to inadequate modeling. Consider
the structure shown in Figure 8. The initial intuition would be that this structure is stable as it is
braced from all directions. However, the columns of this structure are not restrained in their
torsional DOF since all the joints in this structure are pinned. This is exactly similar to the simple
beam case. This means that, despite the excessive bracing, this structure is unstable.

Figure 8: Unstable 3D structure

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Stability of Planar Structures in 3D Space

It should be noted that the analysis model may not reflect the actual construction. So, care
should be taken to accurately model the properties and boundary conditions of the structure.
Consider if the structure shown in Figure 8 is constructed using typical steel profiles. I-beams
may be used for the columns, with a typical hinged baseplate connection at the end (Figure 9).
This hinged baseplate with a minimum of two anchor bolts will surely act as a torsional restraint,
effectively restraining Ux, Uy, Uz, and Rx. Only restraining the translation DOF at the supports
misrepresents the actual structure. Exceptions can be made if the joint is a ball joint.

Figure 9: Hinged Column Base

Conclusion
The key conclusions are summarized as follows:

• Unstable structures have one or more unrestrained DOF. For planar structures modeled
in 3D space, usual sources of instability are neglecting the torsional restraint, or allowing
excessive out-of-plane deformation.
• Unrestrained DOF corresponds to a zero in the diagonal of the stiffness matrix. Its
physical meaning is that the structure cannot “resist” deformations in the direction of that
DOF (translation or rotation).
• Care should be taken when defining the boundary conditions of the analytical model to
accurately represent the physical construction and the appropriate analysis space should
be carefully chosen based on the designer’s needs.
• All normal hinged bases for vertical columns should be totally restrained from movement
and from rotation about the vertical axis, unless the joint is a ball joint.

About AGECS Research Center (ARC)

AGECS Research Center (ARC) is a nonprofitable private identity specialized in research topics
related to structural engineering. ARC team is composed of experienced university professors
and highly qualified professional engineers with expertise in designing numerous types of
structures and bridges. ARC aims to provide innovative solutions to a wide range of engineering
problems via useful engineering guides and technical notes. ARC is part of the Egyptian
consultancy and Software development company (AGECS).

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