Hardy Cross method 1.

Introduction Hardy Cross method, also known as the moment distribution method, is a modification of the stiffness method used to solve statically indeterminate structures. It allows to reduce the number of unknowns only to independent linear displacements. The method uses the concept of beam stiffness, node stiffness, distribution coefficients and carryover coefficients. The beam stiffness is defined using the relation between a nodal moment and a unit nodal rotation at this node, given by the slope-deflection formulae. Thus, the stiffness for a clamped-clamped beam is
sik = M ik = and for a clamped-hinged beam sik = 3EI (i ) = 3EI l l
Si = s in
n

2EI (2i ) = 4EI l l

The sum of stiffness values for all n-beams adjacent to a given node i defines the node stiffness

The distribution coefficients for the beams adjacent to this node are defined as
d ik = s ik Si

and from these definitions it follows, that for every node i

d in = 1
n

The carry-over coefficients are related to clamped-clamped beams only. They also follow from the slope-deflection formulae and define the influence of unit nodal rotation on the moment at the opposite end of the given beam. This moment has the value equal to the half of the one at the node which undergoes rotation. Thus
cik =

1 2

2. Examples For the beginning let us consider a frame for which one unknown nodal rotation in the stiffness method exists. 5 kN/m 5 kNm 0 2EI 1
EI

3 2

4 The values of beam stiffness are:

[m]

s10 = s12

3 2EI = 1.5EI 4 4EI = = 0.8EI 5

The stiffness for the node 1 is

S1 = s10 + s12 = 2.3EI and the distribution coefficients:

d10 = d12 =

s10 15 = = 0.652 S1 23 s12 8 = = 0.348 S1 23

The carry-over coefficients for the beam 12 are c12 = c 21 = 0.5 The loading is applied to the modified system for the stiffness method, i.e. each beam is treated separately. One has to find nodal moments due to span loading. From possible nodal loading types only concentrated moments are taken into account, clockwise moments are taken to the node as negative ones, anticlockwise as positive. In the considered example the uniformly distributed loading on the beam 01 gives:
M10 = + ql 2 5 4 2 = = 10 kNm 8 8 M1 = 5 kNm These two values enter the calculation table. Node number dik cik 01 1 5 a) 5 c) 5 d) 0 10 0.652 10 b) 3.26 e) 6.74 12 0.348 0.5 21 0.5

The concentrated moment at the node is clockwise, i.e. it is taken as negative

Mik [kNm] h)

1.74 f) 1.74

0.87 g) 0.87

a) the value of the nodal moment M1 b) the value of the nodal moment M10 due to the span loading on the beam 01 c) the out-of-balance moment at the node 1 taken as the sum from the columns 1, 10 and 12 d) the moment added to the node 1 to restore equilibrium the thick underline denotes the restored equilibrium e) the part of the added moment distributed to the beam 10: 50.652=3.26 f) the part of the added moment distributed to the beam 12: 50.348=1.74 g) the half of the moment 1.74 carried over to the opposite end of the beam 12 h) the final values of the nodal moments are obtained by the summation of the values in the respective columns The solution of this example, including just one unknown rotation in the sense of the stiffness method, is already obtained after one distribution of the out-of-balance moment in the node 1.

The signs at the values of moments are interpreted as in the stiffness method positive means the clockwise nodal moment with respect to the beam.
5 kN/m 5 kNm 0 2EI 1 6.74 1.74

EI
2 4 4

M [kNm]
[m] 0.87

As the second example we will consider a structure with two unknown rotations in the sense of the stiffness method. Let us analyse the following frame 6 kN/m 20 kN 2 1 EI EI EI 2 0 3
4 [m]

The values of beam stiffness are:

3EI 2 4EI s12 = 4 4EI s21 = 4 4EI s23 = 2 s10 = The values of node stiffness are S1 = s10 + s12 = 2.5EI S2 = s21 + s23 = 3EI and the distribution coefficients d10 = d12 = d 21 = d 23 = s10 1.5 = = 0. 6 S1 2.5 s12 1 = = 0. 4 S1 2.5 s21 1 = = 0.333 S2 3 s23 2 = = 0.667 S2 3 = 1.5EI = EI = EI = 2EI

The carry-over coefficients for the beams 12 and 23 are

c12 = c 21 = c 23 = c 32 = 0.5 The moments due to the span loading on the beam 12 are:

M12 =

6 42 ql 2 = = 8 kNm 12 12 ql 2 6 4 2 M 21 = + = = 8 kNm 12 12
12 0.4 0.5 8 b) 3.2 g) 1.6 0.64 0.0533 0.0213 0.0018 0.00072 5.793 2 9.6 e) 9.6 0.32 0.32 0.0107 0.0107 0.000
d)

Node No. dik cik

01

Mik [kNm]

1 a) 8 b) 8 1.6 1.6 0.0533 0.0533 0.0018 0.0018 0.000

10 0.6 4.8
b)

0.96 0.032 0.00108 5.793

21 0.333 0.5 8 c) 1.6 e) 3.2 0.32 0.1067 0.0107 0.0036 0.00036 6.621

23 0.667 0.5

32 0.5

6.4

e)

3.2

f)

-0.2133 0.0071 6.621

0.1067 0.0036 3.310

a) starting with the node 1, the out-of-balance moment b) the moment added to the node 1 to restore the equilibrium and distributed in 10 and 12 the thick underline denotes the restored equilibrium c) the half of the moment 3.2 carried over to the opposite end of the beam 12 d) the out-of-balance moment at the node 2 taken as the sum from the columns 2, 21 and 23 e) the moment added to the node 2 to restore the equilibrium and distributed in 21 and 23 the thick underline denotes the restored equilibrium f) the half of the moment 6.4 carried over to the opposite end of the beam 23 g) the half of the moment 3.2 carried over to the opposite end of the beam 12 From this point the restoring of equilibrium at the nodes 1 and 2 continues, one after another, until the out-of-balance moments are smaller than the assumed accuracy here 0.0005 kNm. The final values of the nodal moments are again obtained as sums of the values in the respective columns. It is worth to note that in the considered example the force 20kN does not influence the bending moment distribution. 6 kN/m 20 kN 1 2 5.79 6.62

EI EI EI
3 4 [m] 2 3.31

M [kNm]

In the last example we will consider a frame which has both types of unknowns in the sense of the stiffness method nodal rotations and linear displacement. As was seen in the previous examples frames without linear displacements are solved by the Cross method without solving any canonical equations. On the other hand, every linear displacements adds one equation to the system. In the

presented example one linear displacement is present and the analysis will require one equation to be solved.
6 kN/m 20 kN 1

EI EI EI
3

0 4

[m]

In such a case the modified system of the Cross method is adopted in which additional supports are added to restrain all the linear displacements. In the presented example a support is added to restrain the horizontal displacement at the node 2 .
6 kN/m 20 kN 1 2

R
2

EI EI EI
3 4 [m]

The identity of the modified system with the original one requires the reaction in the added support to be 0. This reaction is represented using the superposition rule as:
R = R(P ) + R ( = 1) = 0 The modified system with the constrained linear displacement can be solved using the Cross method as was shown earlier. Here two cases must be considered. The first case with the external loading has just been solved as the previous example. From this existing solution we only have to extract the value of the reaction at the additional support. Having found the nodal moments, the easiest way to do it is to use the principle of the virtual work. The real state includes the loading, the nodal moments and the unknown reaction treated as external forces applied to the further modified system with hinges introduced at the places of all the nodal moments.
20 5.793 1 5.793 0 3.310 4 6 2 6.621

R(P)
6.621 2 3 [m, kN, kN/m, kNm]

The virtual displacement state is applied to the same system, which in fact represents a kinematic mechanism, and features a unit value displacement = 1 . The resulting virtual displacements corresponding (work-conjugate) to all the real forces must be in general found from the equations of this mechanism. However, in the analysed case they can be easily determined by inspection of the deformed mechanism.

=1 2 [m]

u1 vA

2 =1

0 4

01
0

23
3

The necessary virtual displacements have the following values

01 = 23 = 12 = 0
u1 = 1 vA = 0 Hence, the principle of virtual work can be written as

1 2

R(P ) 1 + 20 u1 + 6 4 v A + M10 01 + (M12 + M 21 ) 12 + (M 23 + M 32 ) 23 = 0 R(P ) 1 + 20 1 + 6 4 0 + 5.793 and the reaction

R(P ) = 17.93 kN The second case of loading in the modified system is the linear displacement = 1.
2 1 =1 2 3 4 [m]

1 1 + ( 5.793 + 6.621) 0 + ( 6.621 3.310 ) = 0 2 2

EI EI EI

This displacements leads to the following values of the beam rotations

01 = 23 = 12 = 0

1 2

as was seen in the analysis of the kinematic mechanism subjected to the analogous virtual displacement. These angles are substituted to the slope-deflection formulae to find the nodal moments

M10 = M12

3EI ( 01 ) = 0.75EI l =0 2EI ( 3 01 ) = 1.5EI l

M 23 = M 32 =

which are used to start the Cross iterative solution of the modified system subjected to the linear displacement = 1. The equilibrating of the out-of-balance moments is best started at the node with the largest violation of equilibrium, i.e. the node 2 in this case.

Node No. dik cik

01

1 5 5 0.167 0.167 0.0056 0.0056

10 0.6 7.5 3 0.1 0.0033 4.397

12 0.4 0.5 2.5 2 0.167 0.067 0.0056 0.0022 0.0002 4.397

[0.1EI]

Mik [0.1EI]

2 15 15 1 1 0.033 0.033 0.0011 0.0011 0

21 0.333 0.5 5 1 0.333 0.033 0.011 0.0011 0.00037 5.690

23 0.667 0.5 15 10 0.667 0.022 0.00073 5.690

32 0.5 15 5 0.333 0.011 0.0004 10.344

The reaction R( = 1) is found following the same pattern as with R(P)

R( = 1) 1 + M10 01 + (M12 + M 21 ) 12 + (M 23 + M32 ) 23 = 0 R( = 1) 1 0.4397EI giving
R( = 1) = 1.022EI With the reactions found the linear displacement follows from the canonical equation
R(P ) + R ( = 1) = 0 17.93 + 1.022EI = 0 17.54 = EI The final values of the nodal bending moments can be found using the superposition rule
M ik = M ik (P ) + M ik ( = 1) what leads to 17.54 ( 0.4397EI ) = 1.919 kNm EI 17.54 M12 = 5.793 + (0.4397EI ) = 1.919 kNm EI 17.54 M 21 = 6.621 + (0.5690EI ) = 16.601kNm EI 17.54 M 21 = 6.621 + ( 0.5690EI ) = 16.601kNm EI 17.54 M 23 = 3.310 + ( 1.0344EI ) = 21.453 kN EI M10 = 5.793 + 6 kN/m 20 kN 1 EI 0 4 EI EI 3 [m] 2 21.45 M [kNm] 2 1.92 16.60

1 1 + (0.4397EI + 0.5690EI ) 0 + ( 0.5690EI 1.0344EI ) = 0 2 2