Topic

Flexibility Matrix Method for Beam

 Flexibility Matrix Method

• Force method of analysis (also known as flexibility method of analysis,

method of consistent deformation, flexibility matrix method)

• In the force method of analysis, primary unknown are forces.

• In this method compatibility equations are written for displacement and

rotations.

• Solving these equations, redundant forces are calculated.

• Once the redundant forces are calculated, the remaining reactions are
evaluated by equations of equilibrium.

• The flexibility method of analysis or force method of analysis (or method

of consistent deformation) was originally developed by J. Maxwell in
1864 and O. C. Mohr in 1874.
 Flexibility Matrix Method
 A Simple Example

• Consider a propped cantilever beam (of constant flexural rigidity EI , and span
L ), which is carrying uniformly distributed load of as shown in Fig. 1a.
• The beam is statically indeterminate i.e. its reaction cannot be evaluated from
equations of statics alone. To solve the above problem by force method
proceeds as follows.

Fig. 1a: Propped cantilever Beam

• Determine the degree of statical indeterminacy. In the present case it is one.

• Identify the reaction, which can be treated as redundant in the analysis. In the
present case, the RB or MA can be treated as redundant.
 Flexibility Matrix Method
 Solution with RB as the redundant

• After selecting as RB redundant, express all other reactions in terms of the

redundant RB. This can be accomplished with the help of equilibrium equations.

• Now release the restraint corresponding to redundant reaction RB. The

released structure with the external loads is also sometimes referred as the
primary structure.

Fig. 1b: Treating reaction RB as redundant

 Flexibility Matrix Method
 Solution with RB as the redundant

Fig. 1c: Cantilever beam with External loading

Fig. 1d: Cantilever beam with unit load along redundant RB

• It is observed that, in the original structure, the deflection at B is zero. Hence

the compatibility equation can be written as,

Or
 Flexibility Matrix Method
 Solution with RB as the redundant

• Once RB is evaluated, other reaction components can be easily determined from equations
of statics. Thus,

• Once the reaction components are determined, the bending moment and shear force at
any cross section of the beam can be easily evaluated from equations of static
equilibrium
 Flexibility Matrix Method
 Solution with MA as the redundant

Fig. 2a: Propped Cantilever beam with External loading

• First consider only uniformly distributed

load (see Fig. 2b) and compute slope at A
i.e.

Fig. 2b: Released beam with External loading

• Since MA is redundant, calculate the slope at

A due to unit moment acting at A in the
direction of MA which is denoted by

Fig. 2c: Released beam with unit moment in redundant

direction
 Flexibility Matrix Method
 Solution with MA as the redundant

• Taking anticlockwise moment and anticlockwise rotations as positive, the slope at A ,

due to two different cases may be written as,

• Applying the principle of superposition

• From the geometry of the original structure, it is seen that the slope at A is zero. Hence the
required compatibility equation or geometric condition may be written as,

Or

• Now other reaction components can be evaluated using equilibrium equations. Thus,

and
 Flexibility Matrix Method
• In this method, the basic unknowns to be determined in the analysis are the redundant
forces.

• Hence, the degree of static indeterminacy of the structure is identified first and then the
coordinate number is assigned to each redundant force direction.

• Like, P1, P2, ..., Pn are the redundant forces in the coordinate directions 1, 2, ... n
respectively

• Then, restraints to all the redundant are removed, the resulting structure is called as
basic determinate structure or released structure.
 Flexibility Matrix Method
• From the principle of superposition, the net displacement at any point in a statically
determinate structure is the sum of the displacements in the basic determinate structure
due to the applied loads and redundant forces.

Where, Δi= displacement in ith coordinate direction

δij = displacement at i due to unit force at j (flexibility matrix element)
ΔiL = displacement at i due to given loading in released structure

• In Matrix format

In the indeterminate structure, the final displacements (Δ) are either zero or known values.
 Flexibility Matrix Method

• This method is known as:

(a) Flexibility matrix method: Since, flexibility matrix is used.

(a) Force method: Since, redundant forces are the basic unknowns.

(a) Compatibility method: Since, the compatibility conditions of deformations in

the indeterminate structure give the final equation to be solved.
 Flexibility Matrix Method
The following steps are to be taken to get the required solution by flexibility
method:
1. Determine the degree of static indeterminacy n
2. Choose the redundants
3. Assign the coordinates to the redundant force directions
4. Remove restraints to redundant forces and get basic determinate structure
5. Determine the deflections in coordinate directions due to given loading
condition in the basic determinate structure
6. Determine the flexibility matrix
7. Apply the compatibility conditions [assign the values to (Δ)]
8. Knowing the redundant forces, compute the member forces
 Flexibility Matrix Method
Example: Analyse the continuous beam shown in Fig. 3(a) by flexibility matrix
method.

Fig. 3(a): Continuous Beam

 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:
Degree of static indeterminacy =2
Select MA and MB as redundant forces
Therefore, the released structures are the two independent simply supported beams AB and
BC as shown in Fig. 3(b).

Fig. 3(b): Released beam.

The bending moment diagram due to given loads in released structure is known as free
moment diagram.
 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:

Fig. 3(c): Conjugate beam.

 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:

Fig. 3(c): Conjugate beam.

 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:

To find the flexibility matrix, a unit force is applied in each of the coordinate directions
and the resulting displacements in coordinate directions 1 and 2 are found.

Applying unit force in coordinate direction 1 [Fig. 3(d)] the resulting bending moment
diagram is found; this divided by EI value is shown in Fig. 3(e).

Fig. 3(d): Released structure with unit load in coordinate direction 1.

Fig. 3(e): Conjugate beam for unit load in coordinate direction 1.

 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:
Since, conjugate beam is a simply supported beam,

Similarly, a unit load is applied in coordinate direction 2 as shown in Figure 3(f) and the
𝑀
resulting 𝐸𝐼 diagram is as shown in Figure 3(g).

Fig. 3 (f): Released structure with unit load in coordinate direction 2. (g)
Conjugate beam.
 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:
From consistency conditions, final displacements,

Note: ∆𝟐 is the relative rotation between beam BA and BC, hence, it is zero.

Therefore, the flexibility equation is:

 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:
Final moments and bending moment diagrams are as shown in Figure 3(h) and 3(i).

Fig. 3 (h): Final moments (i) Bending moment diagram.

 Flexibility Matrix Method
Example 2: Analyze the continuous beam shown in Figure 4(a), if the downward
settlement of supports B and C are 10 mm and 5 mm, respectively. Take EI =
184x103 N-mm2. Use flexibility matrix method.

Fig. 4(a): Continuous Beam

 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:
To account for vertical settlements at B and C, select coordinates as vertical directions at B
and C. Hence, the redundant forces at B and C are vertical reaction components at B and C.

The released structure is shown in Fig. 4(b)

Fig. 4(b): Released structure with coordinates.

 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:
The conjugate beam for the released structure is shown in Fig. 4(c).

Fig. 4(c): Conjugate beam.

 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:
The conjugate beam for the released structure is shown in Fig. 4(c).

Fig. 4(c): Conjugate beam.

 Flexibility Matrix Method
Flexibility Matrix:
Fig. 4(d) shows unit force in coordinate direction 1 in released beam and Fig. 4(e) shows
𝑀
its conjugate beam with (𝐸𝐼) diagram as load.

Fig. 4(d): Released structure with unit load in coordinate direction 1.

Fig. 4(e): Conjugate beam

 Flexibility Matrix Method
Flexibility Matrix:
Fig. 4(f) shows unit force in coordinate direction 2 in released beam and Fig. 4(g) shows
𝑀
its conjugate beam with (𝐸𝐼) diagram as load.

Fig. 4(f): Released structure with unit load in coordinate direction 2.

Fig. 4(g): Conjugate beam

 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:
 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:
The continuous beam ABC with redundant forces is as shown in Fig. 4(h). Hence, the
bending moment at the ends may be obtained as

Fig. 4(h): Continuous beam with redundant forces and loads.

 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:

Fig. 4(i): Bending moment diagram.

 Flexibility Matrix Method
Example 3: Analyze the pin-jointed plane frame shown in Fig. 5 (a) by flexible
matrix method. The numbers in parenthesis are cross-section areas of the members in
mm2

Fig. 5(a): pin-jointed plane frame

 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:
• The force in the member FC and the horizontal force at D are treated as
redundant forces. Hence, the released structure and the coordinates selected are
as shown in Fig. 5(b).
• The unit load method is used for calculating the displacements required. The
forces in the members due to given loads (P), unit force in direction 1 (k1) and
unit force in direction 2 (k2) are shown in Table (1).

Fig. 5(b): Released structure with coordinates.

 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:
Note: Tension is taken as +ve and compression as -ve. All forces are in kN and all linear
dimensions in mm unit.

Table 1: Calculations as per unit load method

 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:
 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:
 Flexibility Matrix Method
Solution:
Table 2: Final forces in the members
 Flexibility Matrix Method
Example 4: If the member CF in the Example 3 is short by 2.5 mm, determine the
forces in the members of truss due to force fitting of this member. Take E = 200
kN/mm2.
Flexibility Matrix Method
Flexibility Matrix Method

Table 3: Final forces in the members