Module 5

DIRECT STIFFNESS METHOD

FOR FRAME STRUCTURES
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:
• Write the global stiffness equation of a frame structure.
• Solve the unknown functions in the frame like the displacements and rotations at
the nodes; nodal reactions; shears and bending moments, and draw
corresponding shear ad moment diagrams.

OVERVIEW / COURSE MATERIALS

The concept presented in truss will be extended here and applied to the analysis of
frames. Once the member stiffness matrix, transformation matrix and global stiffness
equation have been developed, the procedure for application is exactly the same as that
for plane trusses.

1.0 Global and Member Coordinates

Figure (a) shows a planar frame referred about the global coordinate system.

(a) Planar frame (b) Frame element

Consider any frame element, Figure (b), with its local axis. For a member frame,
transformation matrix is needed between the coordinate system.

The transformation matrix

[Ʌ𝑝 ] [0] [0] [0]

[0] [1] [0] [0]
[Ʌ] = [ [0] [0] [Ʌ𝑝 ] [0] ]
[0] [0] [0] [1]
where
[Ʌ𝑝 ] = [−cos ∅ sin ∅
sin ∅ cos ∅
]
2.0 Degree of Freedom

Once the elements and nodes have been identified, and the global coordinate system
has been established, the degrees of freedom can be determined. If we consider the
effects of axial, bending and shear, then “each node” on the frame can have three
degrees of freedom, namely, a horizontal displacement, a vertical displacement and a
rotation.

3.0 Beam-Member Stiffness Matrix

The stiffness matrix for a frame-member is referred from the local axis 𝑥1 , 𝑥2 and 𝑥3
coordinate system. The origin of the coordinate is placed at the “𝑗” node, and the
positive 𝑥1 axis extends toward the “𝑘” node. There are three reactions at each end of
an element consisting of the axial force 𝐹, shear force 𝑉 and the bending moment 𝑀.

𝐹𝑗 and 𝐹 𝑘 = axial forces at the 𝑗 and 𝑘 nodes respectively

𝑉 𝑗 and 𝑉 𝑘 = shear forces at the 𝑗 and 𝑘 nodes respectively
𝑀 𝑗 and 𝑀 𝑘 = bending moments at the 𝑗 and 𝑘 nodes respectively

These loading acts in all positive coordinate directions. In particular, the 𝑀𝑗 and 𝑀𝑘 are
positive counterclockwise.

3.1 Displacement Along the Horizontal Axis 𝒙𝟏 : ∆𝟏

If a member undergoes a displacement ∆𝟏 , axial forces shown in Figure A and Figure

B are developed at the 𝑗 and 𝑘 nodes of the member.
3.2 Displacement Along the Vertical Axis 𝒙𝟐 , 𝜟𝟐 :

When the positive displacement is imposed while other possible displacements are
prevented, the resulting shear force and bending moment are created as shown in
Figure C, and Figure D for each of the 𝑗 and 𝑘 node.

3.3 Rotation Along the Axis 𝒙𝟑 , 𝜟𝟑 :

If a positive rotation 𝛥3 is imposed while all other possible displacements are prevented,
the required shear force and bending moment for the deformation are shown in Figure
E, and Figure F for each of the 𝑗 and 𝑘 node.

From the load-displacement equation:

{𝐴 } = [𝐾 ] {𝐷 }
By superposition from figures A to F, if the preceding results for the displacement are
added, the resulting four displacement relations for the member can be expressed in the
matrix form as

𝐴𝐸 −𝐴𝐸
0 0 0 0
𝑗 𝐿 𝐿 𝑗
𝐹1 12𝐸𝐼 6𝐸𝐼 −12𝐸𝐼 6𝐸𝐼 ∆1
𝑗 0 0 𝑗
𝑉2 𝐿3 𝐿2 𝐿3 𝐿2 ∆2
6𝐸𝐼 4𝐸𝐼 −6𝐸𝐼 2𝐸𝐼
𝑗
𝑀3 0 0 𝑗
∆3
𝐿2 𝐿 𝐿2 𝐿
= −𝐴𝐸 𝐴𝐸
𝐹𝑘
1 0 0 0 0 ∆𝑘
1
𝐿 𝐿
𝑉𝑘
2 −12𝐸𝐼 −6𝐸𝐼 12𝐸𝐼 −6𝐸𝐼 ∆𝑘
2
𝑀𝑘 0 0 ∆𝑘
{ } 3 𝐿3
6𝐸𝐼
𝐿2
2𝐸𝐼
𝐿3
−6𝐸𝐼
𝐿2
4𝐸𝐼
{ }
3

[ 0 𝐿2 𝐿
0 𝐿2 𝐿 ]
Where the member stiffness is given by

𝐴𝐸 −𝐴𝐸
0 0 0 0
𝐿 𝐿
12𝐸𝐼 6𝐸𝐼 −12𝐸𝐼 6𝐸𝐼
0 0
𝐿3 𝐿2 𝐿3 𝐿2
6𝐸𝐼 4𝐸𝐼 −6𝐸𝐼 2𝐸𝐼
0 0
𝐿2 𝐿 𝐿2 𝐿
[𝑘 ] = −𝐴𝐸 𝐴𝐸
0 0 0 0
𝐿 𝐿
−12𝐸𝐼 −6𝐸𝐼 12𝐸𝐼 −6𝐸𝐼
0 0
𝐿3 𝐿2 𝐿3 𝐿2
6𝐸𝐼 2𝐸𝐼 −6𝐸𝐼 4𝐸𝐼
[ 0 𝐿2 𝐿
0 𝐿2 𝐿 ]

𝐸 = modulus of elasticity of the material

𝐼 = moment of inertia of the section with respect to 𝑥3 ( 𝐼 = 𝐼3 )
𝐿 = length on the element

4.0 Stiffness Matrix for the Frame Structure

We assemble the stiffness matrix of the frame structure from the global stiffness
matrices of its elements. In order to accomplish this, we choose the indices of the
stiffness coefficient for each element of the frame so as to correspond to those of the
components of displacements of the nodes of the frame to which the element is
connected.

Say, for the given frame shown

,
The global stiffness relation for the element of the beam is given by the equation

{𝐴̅} = [𝐾
̅ ] {𝐷
̅}

Hence, for element 1 and 2 from the given frame

̅11
𝐾 1 ̅12
𝐾 1 ̅13
𝐾 1 ̅14
𝐾 1 ̅15
𝐾 1 ̅16
𝐾 1
∆1
̅21
𝐾 1 ̅22
𝐾 1 ̅23
𝐾 1 ̅24
𝐾 1 ̅25
𝐾 1 ̅ 1
𝐾26 ∆2
̅31
𝐾 1 ̅32
𝐾 1 ̅33
𝐾 1 ̅34
𝐾 1 ̅35
𝐾 1 ̅36
𝐾 1
∆3
[𝐴̅ ] = 1
1
̅41
𝐾 ̅42
𝐾 1 ̅43
𝐾 1 ̅44
𝐾 1 ̅45
𝐾 1 ̅46
𝐾 1 ∆4
̅51
𝐾 1 ̅52
𝐾 1 ̅53
𝐾 1 ̅54
𝐾 1 ̅55
𝐾 1 ̅56
𝐾 1 ∆5
̅61
1 ̅62
1 ̅63
1 ̅64
1 ̅65
1 ̅66
1 {∆6 }
[𝐾 𝐾 𝐾 𝐾 𝐾 𝐾 ]

̅44
𝐾 2 ̅45
𝐾 2 ̅46
𝐾 2 ̅47
𝐾 2 ̅48
𝐾 2 ̅49
𝐾 2
∆4
̅54
𝐾 2 ̅55
𝐾 2 ̅56
𝐾 2 ̅57
𝐾 2 ̅58
𝐾 2 ̅59
𝐾 2
∆5
̅64
𝐾 2 ̅65
𝐾 2 ̅66
𝐾 2 ̅67
𝐾 2 ̅68
𝐾 2 ̅69
𝐾 2
∆6
[𝐴̅ ] =
2
̅74
𝐾 2 ̅75
𝐾 2 ̅76
𝐾 2 ̅77
𝐾 2 ̅78
𝐾 2 ̅79
𝐾 2 ∆7
̅84
𝐾 2 ̅85
𝐾 2 ̅86
𝐾 2 ̅87
𝐾 2 ̅88
𝐾 2 ̅89
𝐾 2 ∆8
̅94
2 ̅95
2 ̅96
2 ̅97
2 ̅98
2 2 { ∆9 }
[𝐾 𝐾 𝐾 𝐾 𝐾 𝐾99 ]
The stiffness coefficient 𝑆𝑖𝑗 for a frame is equal to the sum of the global stiffness
coefficients having the same indices,

𝑆𝑖𝑗 = 𝐾𝑖𝑗

Thus, the stiffness coefficient 𝑆𝑖𝑗 for the frame structure shown is obtained from the
stiffness coefficients 𝐾𝑖𝑗 for the element on the basis of the preceding relation. Thus,
the frame structure matrix is

𝑆11 𝑆12 𝑆13 𝑆14 𝑆15 𝑆16 𝑆17 𝑆18 𝑆19

𝑆21 𝑆22 𝑆23 𝑆24 𝑆25 𝑆26 𝑆27 𝑆28 𝑆29
𝑆31 𝑆32 𝑆33 𝑆34 𝑆35 𝑆36 𝑆37 𝑆38 𝑆39
𝑆41 𝑆42 𝑆43 𝑆44 𝑆45 𝑆46 𝑆47 𝑆48 𝑆49
[𝑆 ̅ ] = 𝑆51 𝑆52 𝑆53 𝑆54 𝑆55 𝑆56 𝑆57 𝑆58 𝑆59
𝑆61 𝑆62 𝑆63 𝑆64 𝑆65 𝑆66 𝑆67 𝑆68 𝑆69
𝑆71 𝑆72 𝑆73 𝑆74 𝑆75 𝑆76 𝑆77 𝑆78 𝑆79
𝑆81 𝑆82 𝑆83 𝑆84 𝑆85 𝑆86 𝑆87 𝑆88 𝑆89
[𝑆91 𝑆92 𝑆93 𝑆94 𝑆95 𝑆96 𝑆97 𝑆98 𝑆99 ]

5.0 For Loads Applied Along the Members Length

When a member is subjected to a load along its length, convert the load into equivalent
nodal forces before the formulation of the load matrix. This is to be done to follow the
concept of truss analysis for the load-displacement method where the loads are applied
at the nodes.
The column matrix of the equivalent nodal forces is given by the equation:

̅̅̅̅}
{𝑃̅ 𝐸 } = {𝑃̅𝐺 } – {𝑅𝐴
where:
{𝑃̅𝐺 } = column matrix of the global components of the applied loads acting at
the nodes of the beam including those directly absorbed by the
supports.
̅̅̅̅
{𝑅𝐴} = column matrix of the restraining global forces (loads) which are placed
at the fixed end of the member node.
{𝑃̅ } = column matrix of the equivalent global nodal forces (loads) which are
𝐸
placed at the nodes of the member.

̅̅̅̅} :
For the global restraining force {𝑅𝐴

The transformation matrix is

[Ʌ𝑝 ] [0] [0] [0]

[0] [1] [0] [0]
[Ʌ] =
[0] [0] [Ʌ𝑝 ] [0]
[[0] [0] [1] [0]]

where
[Ʌ𝑝 ] = [−cos ∅ sin ∅
sin ∅ cos ∅
] (Ʌ𝑝 , for an element of a planar frame)

Hence
𝑐𝑜𝑠∅ 𝑠𝑖𝑛∅ 0 0 0 0
−𝑠𝑖𝑛∅ 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅ 0 0 0 0
[Ʌ] = 0 0 1 0 0 0
0 0 0 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅ 𝑠𝑖𝑛∅ 0
0 0 0 −𝑠𝑖𝑛∅ 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅ 0
[0 0 0 0 0 1]
That is
𝑅𝐴1 = ̅̅̅̅ ̅̅̅̅2 sin ∅ + 0
𝑅𝐴1 cos ∅ + 𝑅𝐴
𝑅𝐴2 = - ̅̅̅̅
𝑅𝐴1 𝑠𝑖𝑛∅ + ̅̅̅̅
𝑅𝐴2 cos ∅ + 0
𝑅𝐴3 = 0 + 0 + ̅̅̅̅
𝑅𝐴3

𝑅𝐴1 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅ 𝑠𝑖𝑛∅ 0 ̅̅̅̅

𝑅𝐴1
̅̅̅̅2 }
{𝑅𝐴2 } = [−𝑠𝑖𝑛∅ 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅ 0] {𝑅𝐴
𝑅𝐴3 0 0 1 ̅̅̅̅
𝑅𝐴3
 ̅̅̅̅}
{𝑅𝐴} = [Ʌ𝑝 ] {𝑅𝐴

̅̅̅̅} = [Ʌ𝑝 ]𝑇 {𝑅𝐴}

{𝑅𝐴

Therefore, for the whole frame

̅̅̅̅} = [Ʌ]𝑇 {𝑅𝐴}

{𝑅𝐴

where: {𝑅𝐴} is for local restraining force