Stiffness matrix

method_member_approach
Beam
• Introduction
• Beams are long slender members subjected to
transverse loading and most common structural
element used in buildings, bridges and many other
structures. Most commonly the beam is idealized as
a one-dimensional member with the assumptions
of simple bending theory and under the action of
transverse loads, the beam deflects and develops
bending moment and shear forces at a cross
section. The main interest in the analysis of beams
is to determine slopes and deflection and bending
moment and shear force along the length of the
beam.
• A beam is composed of beam elements connected
at the nodes and is subjected to transverse loads. A
beam is usually horizontal. Beam lies in XY plane
and global coordinate axes X and Y are horizontal
and vertical respectively. Only deformations
considered are due to bending and shear
deformations are neglected. Thus at a point in a
beam, displacements of interest are transverse
displacement and slope. The axial deformations in
the beam are not considered.
 Stiffness Matrix of a beam member
• A beam member in global axis with nodes 1 and 2 at
either ends is shown in fig.(b) together with
external loads. The deformed shape of the member
is shown in fig (a). Forces (F) and moments (M) as
well as corresponding displacements v and rotation
θ exist at nodes 1 and 2. Thus for the member

 F1   v1 
M   
 1  1
Force vector  {P}   and displacement vector     
 F2  v2 
M 2   2 
• The stiffness matrix will be a relationship between forces
and displacements in a member. To obtain the stiffness
matrix, the member will be made kinematically
determinate by fixing both the nodes and displacement will
be applied one by one as shown in fig. (c) –(f).
• For example, in fig. (c), vertical displacement v1 is applied at
node 1 to the kinematically determinate structure, keeping
other displacement zero, i.e. θ1 =v2 =θ2 =0. The equlibrating
forces have been shown in the figure with forces (F) and
transverse displacement (v) positive in the direction of Y
axis and moment (M) and rotation (θ)positive in the
anticlockwise direction. The equlibrating forces satisfy
condition of equlibrium for displacement v1. Figures (d) –(f)
show the equlibrating forces for rotation θ1 , displacement
v2 and rotation θ2 respectively.
• In general the member will be subjected to member
loads-uniformly distributed load, varying load,
concentrated load, etc. These loads will generate
fixed end forces at the either ends of kinematically
determinate structure which are shown in fig (g).
• To get overall relationship between forces and
displacement of a member together with the fixed
end forces due to external loads, the equlibrating
forces (c) to (g) can be superimpose and put in
matrix form:
• Beam and its deformed shape

Y
q2
q1

v2
v1 (a)

X 2
1
F1 , M1 L F2 , M2

(b)
Equilibrating forces: anti-clockwise moments and
rotations are taken as positive.

M1
v1
M2

F1 (c)

With v1 only F2

12 EIv1 12 EIv1
F1  F2  
L3
L3
6 EIv1 6 EIv1
M1  2 M 2  2
L L
• With θ1 only

θ1
M1 M2

F1 (d)
F2

6 EI1 6 EI1
F1  F2   2
L2
L
4 EI1 2 EI1
M1  M2 
L L
• With v2 only
M2

M1 v2

F1
F2
(e)

12 EIv2 12 EIv2
F1   F2 
L3
L3
6 EIv2 6 EIv2
M1   2 M 2   2
L L
• With θ2 only

M1

M2
θ2

F1
F2

(f)

6 EI 2 6 EI 2
F1  F2   2
L 2
L
2 EI 2 4 EI 2
M1  M2 
L L
• Fixed end force vector due to load

M1 M2

(g)
F1
F2

 1 
F F

M F 
 1
P    F 
F

 F2 
M 2F 
 v1 1 v2 2
 12 EI 6 EI 12 EI
 3
6 EI 
 L3 L2
L L  v
2
F
 1   6 EI   1  F1 
F

4 EI 6 EI 2 EI
M  
 1
 2  1  M 1F 
L2
L L L 
    12 EI 6 EI 12 EI 
6 EI  v2   F 
F
   3
2   2  2    F2 
M 2   L L L3 L    M F 
 2
 6 EI 2 EI 6 EI 4 EI  2
 L2  2
L L L 
P  K m .m  P m
F
• Thus, the stiffness matrix of a beam member is given by
 12 EI 6 EI 12 EI
 3
6 EI 
 L3 L 2
L L2 
 6 EI 4 EI 6 EI 2 EI 
  2 
K   L L L L 
2

 12 EI 6 EI 12 EI 6 EI 
m

 2  2
 L 3
L L 3
L 
 6 EI 2 EI 6 EI 4 EI 
 L2  2
L L L 
( 4  4)
• The stiffness matrix [K]m for the beam member is a square
and symmetric matrix with elements as the stiffness
coefficients. Further, the elements of a column in [K]m are
the equlibrating forces for the displacement and hence
satisfy condition of equlibrium. For example, the first
column is for v1 and second θ1 etc.
• In the conventional methods of analysis, i.e. slope
deflection, moment distribution, etc. clockwise moments
and rotations are taken as positive. To be consistent with
those methods, the stiffness matrix given by above
equation for clockwise moment and rotations to be positive
takes the form as given by, changing the sign of 6EI/L2
termed as
• This stiffness matrix can be simplified for a member
with only rotation θ1 and θ2 at the ends, by deleting
rows and columns corresponding to v1 and v2 to
obtain the reduced matrix as

 4 EI 2 EI 
K   L
 L   2 EI 2 1 
2 EI 4 EI  L 1 2
m

 
 L L 
• Determine the joint displacements, member forces
and support reactions for three span continuous
beam as shown in fig. by
• (a) Slope deflection method
• (b) Matrix displacement (stiffness matrix) method.
• Note: Anticlockwise moment and upward force is
assumed positive.
• Solution:
• (a) Slope Deflection Method
• The beam shown in fig. consists of three beam
members with four joints. The supports 1 and 4 are
fixed and at supports 2 and 3 the rotations θ2 and θ3
are to be determined. The kinematic indeterminacy
of the structure is two.
• For a member AB, the slope deflection equations
without settlement are
2 EI
M AB  M AB 
F
2 A   B 
L
2 EI
M BA  M BA 
F
2 B   A 
L
• Slope Deflection Equations
• Member 1-2 L=2.0 m
wL 16  2
Fixed end moment    4kNm
8 8
M 12  4  EI (21   2 )
M 21  4  EI (2 2  1 )
Member 2  3 L  1.0m
Fixed end moment  0
M 23  2 EI (2 2   3 )
M 32  2 EI (2 3   2 )
Member 3  4
wL2 6  4
Fixed end moment    2kNm
12 12
M 34  2  EI (2 3   4 )
M 43  2  EI (2 4   3 )
• Joint Equilibriun Equations
At jo int 2  M 2  0
At jo int 3  M 3  0
 M2  0 gives
M 21  M 23  4  EI (2 2  1 )  2 EI (2 2   3 )  0
 M3  0 gives
M 32  M 34  2 EI (2 3   2 )  2  EI (2 3   4 )  0
From boundary condition 1   4  0, rearranging
above two equations by taking fixed end moment
terms on the right  hand side,
6 EI 2  2 EI 3  4
2 EI 2  6 EI 3  2
• In matrix form the above equations take the form
6 2  2   4 
EI     
2 6  3   2
• An observation which will be useful in matrix
displacement method is that in the above
equations, the right-hand side vector contains
elements of {PF } vector with signs changed.
• Solving we get
• θ2 =7/8EI and θ3 =-5/8EI
• Member Forces
• The end moments for members can be obtained from slope
deflection equations, considering each members as
Member 1  2
7  39
M 12  4  EI (21   2 )  4  EI       kNm
 8 EI  8
 2 7 18
M 21  4  EI (2 2  1 )  4  EI       kNm
 8 EI  8
Similarly,
18 6
Member 2  3 M 23   kNm M 32   kNm
8 8
6 21
Member 3  4 M 34   kNm M 43   kNm
8 8
Support Re actions
149 131 57 111
R1  kN ; R2  kN ; R3  kN ; R4  kN
Matrix Displacement (stiffness Matrix)
Method
• Step I: We note from Fig. that there are three beam
members with 4 nodes, out of which nodes 1 and 4
are fixed. Further the vertical displacement at all
the four nodes is zero, hence a reduced stiffness
matrix, involving rotations only as given in eqn., will
be used in the analysis. Out of four rotations, only
θ2 and θ3 are to be determined.
• Step II: Compute stiffness matrix of members [k]m
and fixed end force vector {PF }m . As only rotations
are present at the nodes, the stiffness matrix of
members is given as:
2 EI  2 1   1
M F

[ K ]m    and P m   F 
F

L 1 2  M 2 
and F m  k m m  P F m
Member 1 Connected 1  2 L  2m
1  2
 2 1  1  1    4  1
M F

[ K ]1  EI   P 1   F    
F

 1 2  2 M 2   4 2
• Member 2 Connected 2-3 L=1 m
 2 3
2 1   2  M 2  0 2
F

[ K ]2  2 EI    P 2   F    
F

1 2  3  M 3  0 3
Member 3 Connected 3  4 L  2m
3  4
2 1   3  M 3   2  3
F

K 3  EI   P 
F
  F  
1 2   4 M 4   2 4
3
• Step III: Assemble global matrix of structure [K]G and
global load vector {PF} G and fixed end forces
1. The global stiffness matrix is assembled as follows:
• Create the global matrix as null matrix of size (4x4)
• Transfer elements of stiffness matrix of members to
the global matrix as per the nodal connectivity
• Assemblage global force vector.
2. Transfer the elements of { PF }m to global force
vector [P]G one by one as per nodal connectivity by
changing sign.
3. Transfer the nodal loads, if present, to the global
force vector.
• Add vector of nodal displacement to complete the
set of equations. The assembled equations are
given below:
1 2 3 4
2 1 0 0 1   4
 1 ( 2  4) 2    
0  2   4 
EI      
0 2 ( 4  2) 1   3   2
0 0 1 
2  4   2

K G G PG
• Step IV: Apply Boundary conditions and solve set
of reduced equations
• As θ1 =θ4 =0, the rows and columns corresponding
to θ1 and θ4 can be deleted from the above
equations and the reduced equations are
6 2  2   4
EI     
2 6  3   2
Which are same as obtained by slope deflection method .
Solving we get
7 5
2  and  3  
8 EI 8 EI
• Step V: Compute Member Forces
• Once the displacements are known, the member forces are
computed one by one using the matrix force displacement
relationship of member as follows:
• Member 1 connectivity 1-2 P  [ K ]   P F 
1 1 1 1

M
 1  2 1 
 1   1 
M F

   EI     F
M 2  1 2  2  M 2 
2 1   0   4
 EI    7  
1 2 8 EI   4
 39 
 8
  kNm
18
 
 8
• Member 2 connectivity 2-3
P  [ K ]   P 
2 2 2
F
2

M
 2  2 1 
 2   2 
M F

   EI     F
M 3  1 2  3  M 3 
 7 
2 1   8 EI  0
 EI    5  
1 2    0
 8 EI 
 18 
 8
  kNm
6
 
 8
• Member 3 connectivity 3-4

P  [ K ]   P 
3 3 3
F
3

M
 3  2 1 
 3   3 
M F

   EI     F
M 4  1 2  4  M 4 
2 1  5  2
    
 EI   8 EI    
1 2  0   2
6
 8
  kNm
21
 
 8
• Support reactions
149 131
R1  kN R2  kN
16 16
57 111
R3  kN R4  kN
16 16
• Note: From this example we observe that:
• 1. For beam problems stiffness matrix method is a slope
deflection method put in matrix form.
• 2. The assembled equations obtained in direct stiffness are
the equilibrium equations.
• While transferring the elements of {PF } vector to global
load vector, the signs are changed.