CLIFFORD JAY C.

ANSINO THEORY OF STRUCTURE II

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SLOPE-DEFLECTION METHOD

Analysis of Continuous Beams

Based on the discussion presented in the preceding section, the procedure for the analysis of continuous
beams by the slope-deflection method can be summarized as follows:
1. Identify the degrees of freedom of the structure. For continuous beams, the degrees of freedom consist
of the unknown rotations of the joints.
2. Compute fixed-end moments. For each member of the structure, evaluate the fixed-end moments due to
the external loads by using the expressions given inside the back cover of the book. The counter clockwise fixed-end
moments are considered to be positive.
3. In the case of support settlements, determine the rotations of the chords of members adjacent to the
supports that settle by dividing the relative translation between the two ends of the member by the member length
ðc ¼ D=LÞ. The chord rotations are measured from SECTION 16.3 Analysis of Continuous Beams 651 the unreformed
(horizontal) positions of members, with counter clockwise rotations considered as positive.
4. Write slope-deflection equations. For each member, apply Eq. (16.9) to write two slope-deflection
equations relating member end moments to the unknown rotations of the adjacent joints.
5. Write equilibrium equations. For each joint that is free to rotate, write a moment equilibrium equation,
PM ¼ 0, in terms of the moments at the member ends connected to the joint. The total number of such equilibrium
equations must be equal to the number of degrees of freedom of the structure.
6. Determine the unknown joint rotations. Substitute the slope deflection equations into the equilibrium
equations, and solve the resulting system of equations for the unknown joint rotations.
7. Calculate member end moments by substituting the numerical values of joint rotations determined in
step 6 into the slope-deflection equations. A positive answer for an end moment indicates that its sense is counter
clockwise, whereas a negative answer for an end moment implies a clockwise sense.
8. To check whether or not the solution of simultaneous equations was carried out correctly in step 6,
substitute the numerical values of member end moments into the joint equilibrium equations developed in step 5. If
the solution is correct, then the equilibrium equations should be satisfied.
9. Compute member end shears. For each member, (a) draw a free body diagram showing the external loads
and end moments and (b) apply the equations of equilibrium to calculate the shear forces at the ends of the
member.
10. Determine support reactions by considering the equilibrium of the joints of the structure.
11. To check the calculations of member end shears and support reactions, apply the equations of
equilibrium to the free body of the entire structure. If the calculations have been carried out correctly, then the
equilibrium equations should be satisfied.
12. Draw shear and bending moment diagrams of the structure by using the beam sign convention.
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Beams with Simple Supports at Their Ends

Although the foregoing procedure can be used to analyse continuous beams that are simply supported at
one or both ends, the analysis of such structures can be considerably expedited by using the modified slope-
deflection equations (Eqs. (16.15)) for spans adjacent to the simple end supports, thereby eliminating the rotations
of simple supports from the analysis (see Example 16.3). However, this simplified approach can 652 CHAPTER 16
Slope-Deflection Method be used only for those simple end supports at which no external moment is applied. This is
because the modified slope-deflection equations for a member with one end hinged (Eqs. (16.15)) are based on the
condition that the moment at the hinged end is zero.

Structures with Cantilever Overhangs

Consider a continuous beam with a cantilever overhang, as shown in Fig. 16.4(a). Since the cantilever portion
CD of the beam is statically determinate in the sense that the shear and moment at its end C can be obtained by
applying the equations of equilibrium (Fig. 16.4(b)), it is not necessary to include this portion in the analysis. Thus,
for the purpose of analysis, the cantilever portion CD can be removed from the structure, provided that the moment
and the force exerted by the cantilever on the remaining structure are included in the analysis. The indeterminate
part AC of the structure, which needs to be analysed, is shown in Fig. 16.4(c).

FIG. 16.4
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Analysis of Frames with Sidesway

A frame, in general, will undergo sidesway if its joints are not restrained against translation, unless it is a
symmetric frame subjected to symmetric loading. To develop the analysis of frames with sidesway, consider the
rectangular frame shown in Fig. 16.15(a). A qualitative deflected shape of the frame for an arbitrary loading is also
shown in the figure using an exaggerated scale. While the fixed joints A and B of the frame

are completely restrained against rotation as well as translation, the joints C and D are free to rotate and translate.
However, since the columns AC and BD are assumed to be inextensible and the deformations of the frame are
assumed to be small, the joints C and D can translate only in the horizontal direction—that is, in the direction
perpendicular to the columns AC and BD, respectively. Furthermore, since the girder CD is also assumed to be
inextensible, the horizontal displacements of joints C and D must be the same. Thus the frame has three unknown
joint displacements or degrees of freedom, the rotations yC and yD of joints C and D, respectively, and the horizontal
displacement D of both joints C and D. As shown in Fig. 16.15(a), the displacement D of the joints C and D causes the
chords of the columns AC and BD to rotate, and these chord rotations can be expressed in terms of the unknown
displacement D as

in which the negative sign indicates that the chord rotations are clockwise. Since joints C and D cannot displace
vertically, the chord rotation of the girder CD is zero; that is, cCD ¼ 0. To relate the member end moments to the
unknown joint displacements, yC; yD, and D, we write the slope-deflection equations for the three members of the
frame. Thus by applying Eq. (16.9), we obtain
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Note that the foregoing slope-deflection equations contain three unknowns, θ C; θ D, and D, which must be
determined by solving three independent equations of equilibrium before the values of the member end moments
can be computed. Two of the three equilibrium equations necessary for the solution of the unknown joint
displacements are obtained by considering the moment equilibrium of joints C and D (Fig. 16.15(b)):

The third equilibrium equation, commonly termed the shear equation, is based on the condition that the sum of all
the horizontal forces acting on the free body of the entire frame must be zero. The free-body diagram of the frame,
obtained by passing an imaginary section just above the support level, is shown in Fig. 16.15(c). By applying the
equilibrium equation ∑Fx= 0, we write

in which SAC and SBD are the shears at the lower ends of the columns AC and BD, respectively, as shown in Fig.
16.15(c). To express the third equilibrium equation (Eq. (16.23c)) in terms of column end moments, we consider the
equilibrium of the free bodies of the columns AC and BD shown in Fig. 16.15(d). By summing moments about the top
of each column, we obtain the following:
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By substituting Eqs. (16.24a) and (16.24b) into Eq. (16.23c), we obtain the third equilibrium equation in terms of
member end moments:

which reduces to

With the three equilibrium equations (Eqs. (16.23a), (16.23b), and (16.25)) now established, we can proceed with
the rest of the analysis in the usual manner. By substituting the slope-deflection equations (Eqs. (16.22)) into the
equilibrium equations, we obtain the system of equations that can be solved for the unknown joint displacements
yC; yD, and D. The joint displacements thus obtained can then be back substituted into the slope-deflection
equations to determine the member end moments, from which the end shears and axial forces of members and the
support reactions can be computed, as discussed previously.

Frames with Inclined Legs

The analysis of frames with inclined legs is similar to that of the rectangular frames considered previously,
except that when frames with inclined legs are subjected to sidesway, their horizontal members also undergo chord
rotations, which must be included in the analysis. Recall from our previous discussion that the chord rotations of the
horizontal members of rectangular frames, subjected to sidesway, are zero. Consider the frame with inclined legs
shown in Fig. 16.16(a). In order to analyze this frame by the slope-deflection method, we must relate the chord
rotations of its three members to each other or to an independent joint translation. To that end, we subject the joint
C of the
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frame to an arbitrary horizontal displacement D and draw a qualitative deflected shape of the frame, which is
consistent with its support conditions as well as with our assumption that the members of the frame are
inextensible. To draw the deflected shape, which is shown in Fig. 16.16(b), we first imagine that the members BD
and CD are disconnected at joint D. Since member AC is assumed to be inextensible, joint C can move only in an arc
about point A. Furthermore, since the translation of joint C is assumed to be small, we can consider the arc to be a
straight line perpendicular to member AC. Thus, in order to move joint C horizontally by a distance D, we must
displace it in a direction perpendicular to member AC by a distance CC’ (Fig. 16.16(b)), so that the horizontal
component of CC’ equals D. Note that although joint C is free to rotate, its rotation is ignored at this stage of the
analysis, and the elastic curve AC’ of member AC is drawn with the tangent at C’ parallel to the unreformed direction
of the member. The member CD remains horizontal and translates as a rigid body into the position C’ D1 with the
displacement DD1 equal to CC’, as shown in the figure. Since the horizontal member CD is assumed to be
inextensible and the translation of joint D is assumed to be small, the end D of this member can be moved from its
deformed position D1 only in the vertical direction. Similarly, since member BD is also assumed to be inextensible, its
end D can be moved only in the direction perpendicular to the member. Therefore, to obtain the deformed position
of joint D, we move the end D of member CD from its deformed position D1 in the vertical direction and the end D of
member BD in the direction perpendicular to BD, until the two ends meet at point D’, where they are reconnected to
obtain the displaced position D0 of joint D. By assuming that joint D does not rotate, we draw the elastic curves C’D’
and BD’, respectively, of members CD and BD, to complete the deflected shape of the entire frame.
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The chord rotation of a member can be obtained by dividing the relative displacement between the two ends of the
member in the direction perpendicular to the member, by the member’s length. Thus we can see from Fig. 16.16(b)
that the chord rotations of the three members of the frame are given by

in which the chord rotations of members AC and BD are considered to be negative because they are clockwise (Fig.
16.16(c)). The three chord rotations can be expressed in terms of the joint displacement D by considering the
displacement diagrams of joints C and D, shown in Fig. 16.16(b). Since CC’ is perpendicular to AC, which is inclined at
an angle b1 with the vertical, CC’ must make the same angle b1 with the horizontal. Thus, from the displacement
diagram of joint C (triangle CC’ C2), we can see that

Next, let us consider the displacement diagram of

joint D (triangle DD1D’). It has been shown
previously that DD1 is equal in magnitude and
parallel to CC’. Therefore,

Since DD’ is perpendicular to member BD, it makes an angle b2 with the horizontal. Thus, from the displacement
diagram of joint D,

By substituting Eqs. (16.27) through (16.29) into Eq. (16.26), we obtain the chord rotations of the three members in
terms of Δ:

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The foregoing expressions of chord rotations can be used to write the slope-deflection equations, thereby
relating member end moments to the three unknown joint displacements, θ C; θ D, and D. As in the case of the
rectangular frames considered previously, the three equilibrium equations necessary for the solution of the
unknown joint displacements can be established by summing the moments acting on joints C and D and by summing
the horizontal forces acting on the entire frame. However, for frames with inclined legs, it is usually more convenient
to establish the third equilibrium equation by summing the moments of all the forces and couples acting on the
entire frame about a moment center O, which is located at the intersection of the longitudinal axes of the two
inclined members, as shown in Fig. 16.16(d). The location of the moment center O can be determined by using the
conditions (see Fig. 16.16(d))

Once the equilibrium equations have been established, the analysis can be completed in the usual manner,
as discussed previously.