INFLUENCE LINES FOR

STATICALLY INDETERMINATE
STRUCTURES
PROF. C.K. KANKAM
The analysis of influence lines for statically indeterminate structures will be
introduced with a beam as an example.

Example:

Draw the influence line for the reaction at B of the following continuous
beam ABC
 Solution:

To construct the influence line for the reaction at B i.e. VB , it is necessary to compute the values

of VB for various positions of a unit load on the beam from one end to the opposite end.

For a unit load at a variable position P as shown in fig (a), by virtue of the principle of consistent
deformation (fig (a), (b) & (c)),

VB BB   BP or VB 
 BP -------------------------------------------------------------------(1)
 BB

Where  BP &  BB are given in figures (b) and (c) respectively.

The expression VB 
 BP
 BB in equation (1) is obtained from the fact that in the real beam the net
deflection at B is zero. By Maxwell-Betti’s reciprocal law,  PB   BP . So, equation (1) can be

expressed as

VB 
 BP 
 PB
 BB  BB
Thus the influence ordinate VB at P is equal to
 PB where the numerator  PB is the deflection
 BB
at point P due to a unit load at B, and the denominator which is a constant is the deflection at point
B due to a unit load at B. the elastic or deflection curve for a unit load at B as shown in fig (d)
illustrates the values of  PB along the beam. The influence line for VB is giving by dividing each

ordinate in the elastic curve by  BB (as shown in fig (e)).

 Example:

Draw the influence line for reactions RO , R3 & R8 , and the bending moments at points 1.0m, 3.0m

and 5.0m from the left support (A) in the continuous beam. Take EI as constant.
 Solution:

Divide the beam into equal intervals of 1.0m. Any one of the three (3) reactions can be made
redundant, but for convenience R3 is chosen. The conjugate beam method will be used to determine

the deflections  when the beam simply supported at A and C is loaded with a unit point load at
B (or point 3).
The conjugate beam for this real beam as shown in fig (d) is shown in fig (a). the reactions in the

conjugate beam and the “new” load M  EI  on the conjugate beam are both indicated in fig (a).
i. For the unit load at point O on beam

EI  O 3 is equal to the bending moment at point O in the conjugate beam (refer to fig. b)

That is EI  O 3  4.0625 x0  0

 P 3  03
Therefore, R3   0
 33  33

With R3 ( 0) known for this position of unit load, the beam is statically determinate, and hence

R0 , R8 , M 1 , M 5 & M 8 are computed to obtain the following:

R0  1, R8  0, M 1  M 2  M 5  0
i.ii Unit load at point 1 on beam

EI 13  bending moment at point 1 in conjugate beam.

That is:

1 1
EI 13  4.0625 x1  0.625 1  x1
2 3 
EI 13  3.9583kNm3
iii.
i. Unit load at point 2 on beam

1 1 
EI  23  4.0625 x 2.0  1.250    x2 
2
2 3 
EI  33  7.2917 kNm3

Thus,

 23 7.2917
R3    0.78kN
 33 9.375

Hence R0  0.328kN , R8  0.003kN , M 1  0.328kNm, M 3  0.016kNm, M 5  0.009kNm

 iv. Unit load at point 3 on beam
EI  33  9.375kNm3
 33
R3   1kN
 33

Hence R0  R8  0, M 1  M 3  M 5  0

v. Unit load at point 4 on beam

1 4
EI  43  3.4375 x 4.0  1.5 4   
2 3
EI  43  9.75kNm3

Thus,

 43 9.75
R3    1.04kN
 33 9.375

Hence R0  0.15kN , R8  0.119kN , M1  0.15kNm, M 3  0.45kNm, M 5  0.33kNm

vi. Unit load at point 5 on beam

1 3
EI  53  3.4375 x3.0  1.125 3   
2 3
EI  43  8.625kNm3

Thus,

 53 8.625
R3    0.92kN
 33 9.375

Hence R0  0.20kN , R8  0.28kN , M 1  0.20kNm, M 3  0.60kNm, M 5  0.84kNm

vii. Unit load at point 6 on beam

1 2
EI  63  3.4375 x 2   0.75 2   
2 3
EI  43  5.875kNm3

Thus,

 63 5.875
R3    0.627kN
 33 9.375

Hence R0  0.142kN , R8  0.515kN , M1  0.142kNm, M 3  0.426kNm, M 5  0.545kNm

 viii. Unit load at point 7 on beam

1 1
EI  73  3.4375 x1   0.375 1  
2 3
EI  73  3.375kNm3

Thus,

 73 3.375
R3    0.36kN
 33 9.375

Hence R0  0.10kN , R8  0.7 kN , M 1  0.10kNm, M 3  0.30kNm, M 5  0.22kNm

 ix. Unit load at point 8 on beam

EI  83  3.4375 x0  0

Thus,

 83
R3  0
 33

Hence R0  0, R8  1.0kN , M 1  M 3  M 5  0
 Tabulating the results in a Table

Load at  P3
R3 
Point in beam P  33
0 0 1 0 0 0 0
1 0.422 0.6625 -0.0025 0.66 -0.012 -0.0075
2 0.78 0.328 -0.003 0.328 1.346 -0.009
3 1 0 0 0 0 0
4 1.04 -0.15 0.11 -0.15 -0.45 0.33
5 0.92 -0.20 0.28 -0.2 -0.66 0.84
6 0.627 -0.142 0.515 -0.142 -0.426 0.545
7 0.36 -0.10 0.74 -0.1 -0.3 0.22
8 0 0 1 0 0 0
 Problem:

draw the influence lines for the reactions at points B and C in the continuous beam
shown below. EI is constant.
 Solution:

Let reactions RB & RC be the redundant reactions, for convenience. For consistent deformations
(figs (b) to (d))
 RB BB  RC BC   BP
RB CB  RC CC   CP

For a unit load at B on a simple beam AD, due to the law of reciprocal deflections

 BC   CB
 BP   PB

And because of symmetry of the beam

 CC   BB

By reciprocal theorem;

RB BB  RC BC   PB
RB CB  RC CC   PC
 Example:

Construct the influence lines for reactions RO and R3 and the moments M 1 & M 5 in the

continuous beam. The subscripts denote the positions marked in the beam. EI is constant
 Solution:

The continuous beam is divided into 10m segments to help the analysis. Select the reactions at
points 3 and 7 namely, R3 and R7 as the redundant reactions for ease of analysis (that is, the

resulting beam is a simply supported beam).

With a unit load at point 3, the conjugate beam for the simple beam is as shown in figure (a)

When the unit load is at point 7, the conjugate beam is shown in fig. (b) figures (c) and (d) show
elastic curves when the unit load  P  1kN  is placed at point 3 and point 7 respectively.
Due to the symmetry in the beam,

 33   77
13   97
 37   73

Etc.

The deflections shown in the elastic curves for the two positionings of the unit load are computed
from the conjugate beams.

As an illustration, values of R0 , R3 , M 1 , M 3 & M 5 will be computed when the unit load is located
at point 4.
 Unit load at point 4 (figure e):

The two conditions for consistent deformations are;

R3 33  R7 37   34   43 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------(1)

R3 73  R7 77   74   47 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------(2)

From the laws of reciprocal deflection and symmetry,

EI  77  EI  33  bending moment at point 1 in conjugate beam  M '3  .

1 1
 595 30    2130   x30 
2 3 

 14700kNm3

1 1 
EI  37  EI  73  M '7  455 x30  9 30   x30 
2 3 

 12300kNm3

1 1
EI  34  EI  43  M '4  455 x60  18 60   x60 
2 3 

 16500kNm3
EI  74  EI  36  EI  63  M '6

1 1 
 455 x 40     
12 40 x 40 
2  3 

 90000kNm3

Substituting these values equation (1) and (2); and solving simultaneously,

R3  0.8958kN , R7  0.2708

With the beam now statically determinate, we have:

R0 = 0.1083kN ( ) and R10= 0.0583kN ( )

Hence,

M 1  10 R0  1.083kNm
M 3  30 R0  3.249kNm
M 5  50 R10  20 R7  50  0.0583   20 0.2708 

 2.501kNm
The table below shows all the results of the analysis based on the same procedure:

Load at Point on
R0 (kN )
beam
0 1.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
1 0.60 0.47 5.98 -2.08 -0.74
2 0.25 0.84 2.47 -2.59 -0.93
3 0.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
4 -0.11 0.90 -1.08 -3.25 2.50
5 -0.11 0.61 -1.11 -3.33 6.67
6 -0.06 0.27 -0.58 -1.75 2.50
7 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
8 0.03 -0.11 0.25 0.74 -0.93
9 0.02 -0.09 0.20 0.59 -0.74
10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
END OF SLIDES