!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A B
C
D
3m 3m 3m
50kN
10kN/m
60kN-m
I = 60 50 40 x 10
6
mm
4

Continuous Beams - Flexibility Method
Qu.1
Sketch the BM diagram for the beam shown in Fig.1. Take E = 200kN/mm
2
.
Qu.2
Sketch the BM diagram for the beam shown in Fig.2. Take EI = constant.
Fig.1
25.7
23.5
16.9
60.0
BM diagram in kN-m units
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A B C D
2m 8m 4m
80kN
15kN/m
A B
C
D
20kN
= =
= =
A B C D
18.3
83.6
58.2 @ mid-span
40.0
BM diagram in kN-m units
Fig.2
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A
B
C
D
8m 11m 8m
160kN
40kN/m
Continuous Beams - Flexibility Method
Qu.3
Sketch the BM diagram for the beam shown in Fig.3. Also calculate the
support reactions. Take EI const. [R
A
= -29.9 , R
B
= 236.8, R
C
= 381.1kN]
Qu.4
Sketch the BM diagram for the beam shown in Fig.4. Support B undergoes a
settlement of 15mm. Take E = 200kN/mm
2
and I = 1 x 10
-4
m
4
.
Fig.3
239.2
383.7
BM diagram in kN-m units
A
B C D
4m 8m 8m
A B
C
D
40kN
A
B
C
D
17.0
5.8
160.0
BM diagram in kN-m units
3m 5m
Fig.4
2m 6m
293.6
@ mid-span
84.4
80kN
179.8
End rotations of simply supported beams

Span = L Flexural rigidity = EI
"
#
UDL of intensity 1
# = " =
L
3
24EI
#
"
1
a
# =
L
2
(1 - $)(2 - $)$
6EI
" =
L
2
(1 - $
2
)$
6EI
$ =
a
L
1
1
2
1
1
2
f
11
f
12
f
21
f
22
L
3EI
f
11
=
L
6EI
f
12
=
L
6EI
f
21
=
L
3EI
f
22
=
Flexibility method applied to continuous beams

Example 1. Two-span continuous beam with the flexural rigidity EI = constant
Using statics
Res. vertically: R
A
+ R
B
+ R
C
= P + Q (1)
Taking mom. about C: R
A
x (L
AB
+ L
BC
) + R
B
x L
BC
= P x XC + Q x YC (2)
The three reactions are the unknowns but only two equations are available.
Therefore the problem is statically indeterminate. We must use compatibility
of displacements to generate an additional equation in order to complete the
solution.
One procedure for doing this is illustrated in the figures below:
R
A
R
B
L
AB
L
BC
A C B
P
Q
X Y
Step 1 Remove prop and calculate the deflection %
B
A C
B
A C B
P
Q
X Y
%
B
1
&
B
Step 2 Introduce unit force at B and calculate &
B
For compatibility R
B
= %
B
/ &
B
(3)
We use these three equations to solve for R
A
, R
B
and R
C
respectively.
The bending moment at B is M
B
= R
A
x L
AB
- P x XB (4)
R
C
A C
B
P
Q
M
B
Bending Moment Diagram
The major disadvantage of this method arises when EI varies from span to span.
The deflections cannot be calculated from standard tables which assume that
the flexural rigidity EI is constant.
The free-body diagram for the individual spans are given below:
A powerful method that does not suffer from this defect is now described. It
uses displacement compatibility and leads to the Three Moment Theorem. The
method breaks a continuous beam into a series of simply supported spans. The
slopes are therefore discontinuous over the supports. Rotations are then
introduced via the reactant moments to heal the cuts.
R
A
A
M
B
R
BA
P
C
B
R
C
R
BC
R
A
A
M
B
R
BA
P Q
R
B
=R
BA
+ R
BC
P
M
B
Reactant BM
Free BM
Final BM = Reactant BM + Free BM
Three Moment Theorem
Consider a continuous beam consisting of N spans.
A B I K J M
R
I
R
J
L
IJ
L
JK
I K J
R
K
"
J
tangent to curve
R
KL
R
JK
R
IJ
R
JI
R
J
=R
JI
+ R
Jk
K
J
I
M
J
M
I
M
K
#
JI
#
JK
I J K
Stage A : End rotations due to applied loads
K
J
I
M
J
M
I
M
K
$
'
Stage A : End rotations due to reactant moments
In order to restore continuity at joint J,
"
J
= #
JI
- $ = ' - #
JK
(a) (b) (i) (j)
1
f
11
1
1
2
1
2
f
12
f
21
f
22
Flexibility Coefficients: End rotations due to unit couples
Making use of the flexibility coefts shown above we may write the
compatibility condition as follows:
#
JI
- M
I
f
i
12
- M
J
f
i
22
= M
J
f
j
11
- M
K
f
j
21
- #
JK
or
M
I
f
i
12
+ M
J (
f
j
11
+ f
i
22
) + M
K
f
j
21
= #
JI
+ #
JK

Note f
i
12
= (L/6EI)
IJ
, f
i
22
= (L/3EI)
IJ
, f
j
11
= (L/3EI)
JK
, f
j
21
= (L/6EI)
JK

This is the so-called Three Moment Theorem (due to Clapeyron).
Settlement of supports
The theorem can be easily extended to deal with settlement of supports. Let %
J

be the settlement of support J. The rotations on each side of support J due to
the differential settlement are (%
J
- %
I
)/L
IJ
and (%
J
- %
K
)/L
JK
respectively.
We get
M
I
f
i
12
+ M
J (
f
j
11
+ f
i
22
) + M
K
f
j
21
= (#
JI
- (%
J
- %
I
)/L
IJ
) +
(#
JK
- (%
J
- %
K
)/L
JK
)
Fixed end (zero rotation)
A fixed end, A in the figure above, does not rotate. The rotation #
AB
must
therefore be balanced by the reactant rotations. We have
M
A
f
a
11
+ M
B
f
a
21
= #
AB
- (%
A
- %
B
)/L
AB

R
BC
R
AB
R
BA
B
A
M
B
M
A
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A
B
C
3m 3m
10kN/m
Worked examples
Example 1.
Calculate the reactions at the supports of the beam shown in Fig.1. The
flexural rigidity EI is the same for both spans.
Fig.1
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A
B
C
10kN/m
Step 1
Remove prop
%
B
&
B
1
Step 2
Apply unit
load
%
B
= 5 x 10 x 6
4
/(384EI) = 168.75/EI
&
B
= 1 x 6
3
/(48EI) = 4.5/EI
Let R
B
denote the reaction at the support B in Fig. 1 then
R
B
&
B
= %
B
which yields
R
B
= 37.5kN
Resolving vertically we get for the beam in Fig. 1,
R
A
+ R
B
+ R
C
= 60
Also R
A
= R
C
by symmetry
Therefore R
A
= 11.25kN
A
B
L
Worked examples
Example 2.
Calculate the rotations at the supports of the beam shown in Fig.2. The flexural
rigidity is EI.
Fig.2
A
B
BM diagram
Apply EI d
2
y/dx
2
= -M
= x/L
Integrating EI dy/dx = x
2
/(2L) + C , C is a constant
[1]
Integrating again EI y = x
3
/(6L) + Cx + D
[2]
Applying b.cs :
At x = 0 , y = 0 D = 0 from Eq.[2]
At x = L, y = 0 C = -L/6
Substituting in Eq.{1] EI#
A
= C = -L/6 or #
A
= -L/(6EI)
EI#
B
= L/2 + C or #
B
= L/(3EI)
Note: The difference in signs of the rotations is due to the direction of the
rotation. A positive sign denotes an clockwise rotation whilst the negative
sign denotes an anti-clockwise rotation.
1
1
x
x/L
Deflection
diagram
#
A
#
B
Worked examples
Example 3.
Draw the BM diagram for the beam shown in Fig. 3 below. The flexural rigidity EI
is the same for both spans.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A
B
C
3m 2m
5kN/m
Fig.3
2m
200kN
We note that M
A
= 0 and M
C
= 0 , simple supports. Applying the three-moment
theorem at B we get
2 3
+ M
B
= #
BA
+ #
BC
3EI 3EI
= 815/(9EI)
(
)
= 54.33kN-m
54.3
133.3
2.5
18.1
115.2
27.2
24.7
Reactant BM
(kN-m)
Free BM
(kN-m)
Final BM
(kN-m)
Worked examples
Example 4.
Calculate the bending moments at the supports of the beam in Fig.4. The flexural
rigidity EI is the same for all spans.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A
B
C
3m 2m
5kN/m
Fig.4
2m
200kN
We note that M
A
= 0 and M
D
= 0 , simple supports. Applying the three-moment we
get:
Joint B Taking EI = 1, [2/3 + 3/3] M
B
+ 3/6 M
C
= 5/3 + 800/9
10 (
)
+ 3 M
C
= 543.3 [1]
Joint C 3/6 M
B
+ [3/3 + 2/3] M
C
= 1000/9 + 100
3 M
B
+ 10 M
C
= 1266.7 [2]
Solving Eqs.[1] and [2] we get
M
B
= 18.0kN-m M
C
= 121.3kN-m
D
2m
400kN
= =
Worked examples
Example 5.
Rework the problem of example 3 taking the support A as being fixed.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A
B
C
3m 2m
5kN/m
Fig.3
2m
200kN
We note that M
C
= 0 , simple support. Applying the three-moment theorem at B we
get:
Joint A Taking EI = 1, 2/3 M
A
+ 2/6 M
B
= 5/3
4 M
A
+ 2 M
B
= 10 [1]
Joint B 2/6 M
A
+ [2/3 + 3/3] M
B
= 815/9
4 M
A
+ 20 M
B
= 1086.7 [2]
Eqs.[1] and [2] M
A
= -27.4kN-m M
B
= 59.8kN-m
59.8
133.3
2.5
19.9
113.4
27.4
Reactant BM
(kN-m)
Free BM
(kN-m)
Final BM
(kN-m)
27.4