Santiago, Godwin T.

CE132P / B3
2012101303 / CE-3 Homework 1

Determinate and Indeterminate Structures

A structure refers to a system of connected parts used to support a load. Important examples
related to civil engineering include buildings, bridges, and towers; and in other branches of
engineering, ship and aircraft frames, tanks, pressure vessels, mechanical systems, and
electrical supporting structures are important. Before starting the force analysis of a structure,
it is necessary to establish the determinacy and stability of the structure.
The equilibrium equations provide both the necessary and sufficient conditions for equilibrium.
When all the forces in a structure can be determined strictly from these equations, the
structure is referred to as statically determinate while structures having more unknown forces
than available equilibrium equations are called statically indeterminate where the additional
equations needed to solve for the unknown reactions are obtained by relating the applied loads
and reactions to the displacement or slope at different points on the structure. A structure can
be identified as being either statically determinate or statically indeterminate by drawing free-
body diagrams of all its members, or selective parts of its members, and then comparing the
total number of unknown reactive force and moment components with the total number of
available equilibrium equations.

Determinate Structures Indeterminate Structures

1 Equilibrium conditions are fully Conditions of equilibrium are not

adequate to analyse the structure. adequate to fully analyse the structure.

2 Bending moment or shear force at any Bending moment or shear force at any
section is independent of the material section depends upon the material
property of the structure. property.

3 The bending moment or shear force at The bending moment or shear force at
any section is independent of the any section depends upon the cross-
cross-section or moment of inertia. section or moment of inertia.
 4 Temperature variations do not cause Temperature variations cause stresses.
stresses.

5 No stresses are caused due to lack of Stresses are caused due to lack of fit.
fit.

6 Extra conditions like compatibility of Extra conditions like compatibility of

displacements are not required to displacements are required to analyse
analyse the structure. the structure along with the equilibrium
equations.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Indeterminate Structures

The advantages of statically indeterminate structures over determinate structures include the
following.
1. Smaller Stresses
The maximum stresses in statically indeterminate structures are generally lower than
those in comparable determinate structures. Consider, for example, the statically
determinate and indeterminate beams shown in Fig. 11.1(a) and (b), respectively. The
bending moment diagrams for the beams due to a uniformly distributed load, w, are also
shown in the figure. It can be seen from the figure that the maximum bending moment
and consequently the maximum bending stressin the indeterminate beam is
significantly lower than in the determinate beam.
2. Greater Stiffnesses
Statically indeterminate structures generally have higher stiffnesses (i.e., smaller
deformations), than those of comparable determinate structures. From Fig. 11.1, we
observe that the maximum deflection of the indeterminate beam is only one-fifth that of
the determinate beam.
3. Redundancies
Statically indeterminate structures, if properly designed, have the capacity for
redistributing loads when certain structural portions become overstressed or collapse in
cases of overloads due to earthquakes, tornadoes, impact (e.g., gas explosions or
vehicle impacts), and other such events. Indeterminate structures have more members
and/or support reactions than required for static stability, so if a part (or member or
support) of such a structure fails, the entire structure will not necessarily collapse, and
the loads will be redistributed to the adjacent portions of the structure. Consider, for
 example, the statically determinate and indeterminate beams shown in Fig. 11.2(a) and
(b), respectively. Suppose that the beams are supporting bridges over a waterway and
that the middle pier, B, is destroyed when a barge accidentally rams into it. Because the
statically determinate beam is supported by just the sufficient number of reactions
required for static stability, the removal of support B will cause the entire structure to
collapse, as shown in Fig. 11.2(a). However, the indeterminate beam (Fig. 11.2(b)) has
one extra reaction in the vertical direction; thus, the structure will not necessarily
collapse and may remain stable, even after the support B has failed. Assuming that the
beam has been designed to support dead loads only in case of such an accident, the
bridge will be closed to traffic until pier B is repaired and then will be reopened.
The main disadvantages of statically indeterminate structures, over determinate structures, are
the following.
1. Stresses Due to Support Settlements
Support settlements do not cause any stresses in determinate structures; they may,
however, induce significant stresses in indeterminate structures, which should be taken
into account when designing indeterminate structures. Consider the determinate and
indeterminate beams shown in Fig. 11.3. It can be seen from Fig. 11.3(a) that when the
support B of the determinate beam undergoes a small settlement DB, the portions AB
and BC of the beam, which are connected together by an internal hinge at B, move as
rigid bodies without bendingthat is, they remain straight. Thus, no stresses develop in
the determinate beam. However, when the continuous indeterminate beam of Fig.
11.3(b) is subjected to a similar support settlement, it bends, as shown in the figure;
therefore, bending moments develop in the beam.
2. Stresses Due to Temperature Changes and Fabrication Errors
Like support settlements, these effects do not cause stresses in determinate structures
but may induce significant stresses in indeterminate ones. Consider the determinate
and indeterminate beams shown in Fig. 11.4. It can be seen from Fig. 11.4(a) that when
the determinate beam is subjected to a uniform temperature increase DT, it simply
elongates, with the axial deformation. No stresses develop in the determinate beam,
since it is free to elongate. However, when the indeterminate beam of Fig. 11.4(b),
which is restrained.
(Fig. 11.1) (Fig. 11.2)

(Fig 11.3) (Fig. 11.4)

Advantages and Disadvantages of Determinate Structures
Determinate structures are analyzed just by the use of basic equilibrium equations. By this
analysis, the unknown reactions are found for the further determination of stresses.
Most structures turn out to be statically indeterminate because of the way they are constructed.
For example you can design the roof of a structure of a house using statically determinate
trusses, but the walls of a traditional house built from brick or stone are not statically
determinate. Even with a modern steel-framed building, including the diagonal members that
are needed to make a rigid statically determinate frame would be a problem unless you like
triangular windows or beams running diagonally across the rooms, etc.
On the other hand statically determinate structures have one big advantage. The internal
forces and reaction forces only depends on the geometry of the structure and not what it is
made from. So it is easy to design a minimum weight determinate structure: calculate the
internal forces, and then use the least amount of material that will withstand them.

Examples of Indeterminate Structures

Tower cranes used to construct a steel-framed Pre-stressed Portal Frame

Commercial building in central London
(Multi-storey Frames)
LUmbracle Paseo vista de la CiudadDe Las Tyne Bridge. This 531-ft span 2-hinged arch
Artes de Santiago Calatrava Valls bridge was opened in 1930
has 55 fixed archs

Application of Continuous Beam

 Fixed Beam

Examples of Determinate Structures

Busan Cinema Center in Busan, South Korea, with the Single or Double (cantilever) Beams
world's longest cantilever roof.
A cantilever balcony of the Fallingwater house, The beam is actually placed on the top of
by Frank Lloyd Wright. of the column creating a simply supported beams

Twickenham Bridge (Three hinged arches) Three hinged arch

References:
Hibbler, R.C. (2012) Structural Analysis, 8th ed. Macmillan, New York.
Kassimali, A. (2005) Structural Analysis, 3th ed. Australia: Thomson.
http://theconstructor.org/structural-engg/analysis/determinate-and-indeterminate-structures/3483/