526 N o v e m bEenr g i n eSe trr, u c t u r a l The 1945

INFLUENCE LINES FOR CONTINUOUS

BEAMS
A DIRECT METHOD
%y J. W. H*King, MSc., Assuc.M.Inst.C.E., A.M.1.Struct.E.
ABSTRACT
Thepaper presents a directmethod of obtainingordinates for
plotting the Influence Lines for a Support Reaction, or Bending Moment
or Shear Force a t a point, using any of the current methods of analysis
of Continuous Beams, but 'avoiding on the one hand the necessity of
calculating such ordinates from numerous solutions with the unit point
load disposed a t different pointsonthebeam, and on the other the
inaccuracy inherent in the laboratory method using splines or the like,
unless considerable care is taken, and accurate methods of measurement
are used.
I n brief, the method is to calculate the Moment effect of unit dis-
placement, or unit rotation at a support, or at two supports, and thence
to calculate the end rotations of the various spans, and so the deflection
curve,which will betheInfluenceLinerequired. I n the examples
given, Moment Distribution is used to obtain the Moment effect of the
unit movements, from which the end rotations are then derived.
As an alternative,agraphicalmethod of solution, using Charac-
teristic Points, is given, wherein the end rotations are obtained directly
without reference to the end moments in the spans.
Examples are given forcases of Influence Lines for Moment at a
support, or within a span, Reaction at a support, or Shear Force within
a span.
The Paper is accompanied by 8 diagrams, appertaining to the
solutions for a particular Continuous Bcam of four sparis, having spans
of difkrent lengths and stiffncsses, and one end built in.

PAPER
The presentcurrentmethods of determiningInfluence Lines for
Bending Moment, Shear Force, Support Reactions, etc., for Continuous
Beams of more than two simply supportedspans, involve either
laborious plotting from numerousdiagrams drawn for a number of
dispositions of theunit pointload,or a laboratorymethod, which
whilst simple in theory, is not easy to carry out accurately in practice,
at short notice, except in a laboratory.
The methodheresubmitted needs oneshortcalculation to get
the whole Influence Line for a support reaction or a support moment.
The Influence Line for moment or shear force at a point in a span is
determined from notmore than two support moments, or reactions
Influence Lines f o r Continuous Beam8 527

at all supports to oneside of the point in question, the former in general

being the more convenient.
In generalprinciple,themethod embodies the idea used inthe
laboratory method, wherein unitrotation applied to the two ends
of a beam broken a t a point will give the influence line for moment at
that point, aqd unitvertical movement of a support will give the
influence line for reaction at that support, but replaces experiment by
calculation.
The application of the above unitmotions at a support,has a moment
effect which can be calculated for the whole span, very simply, by any
of thestandard methods, MomentDistribution, or Characteristic
Points being the most convenient as a rule, according toone's preference
for arithmetical or graphical methods. The former method has been
widely published of late, and proof of the latter very simple method, as
used later in the text, has been given by the author elsewhere.l From
these moments, the deflection curve for the beam is simply obtained, this
being the required influence line. The method of obtaining the deflection
,curve from end moments is via the end rotations. These are connected
by the well known formulae, which give for an unloadedspan AB,
having +ve (hogging) moments at the ends of Ma and Mb, and no
relative settlement of the ends,

8 is +ve downwards from left to right.Wherethere is no relative

deflection of or applied moment at a support, Ob followsfrom 8a as
+ +
b ( 2 M a M b ) = - 8a (2Mb Ma). This can then be used to find &,
8d, etc., in the same way. This is particularly usefulfor the Moment
Influence Lines. The deflection curve for any span follows simply from
the known fact that if unit rotation is applied to one end of a built-in
beam, the resulting curve is the influence line for moment at that point,
whence it follows that the deflection of any point K in a span AB where
AK = a, KB = b, and AB = L, will be & X b2a/L due to slope a t A,
and & X - a2b/L due to slope at B. If the span L is divided into say six
equal parts, the deflections due to 8a at points 1/6, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, and 5/6 L
from A will thus be L . Ba (25, 32, 27, 16, and 5)/216. The resulting curve
is as Fig. 1. Since the above figures are standard and apply for all spans,
they can be worked out once for all a t whatever intervals are deemed
convenient. Where a support has been deflected, this effect must be
added to give the complete deflection curve, as, is done in the example
below on a support reaction (Example 1). In such cases a discontinuity
will be noticed in the slopes on either side of a support, as worked out
from the moments alone.
After this preamble, themethodcan be mosteasily explained by
carrying out the working of several examples, on a given beam. The
7. W . H. King, " Bending Moments in Continuous Beams," Conmete and Constluctwnai
Enginckring, vol. 34, p . 265 (MY,1939).
528 The Structural Engineer, November 1945

chosen beam ABCDE, is freely supported at A, B, C, and D, and built

in at E. Details of the spans are as follows :
Span AB Length L, Stiffness K,
Span BC Length L, = 3L, Stiffness K, = 2K,/3
Span CD Length L, = 3L, Stiffness K, = 2K,/3
Span DE Length L, = 2L, Stiffness K, = 3K,/4

Moment Distribution willbeusedfor kxamples tofind Reactions at

A and B ( R a and Rb), and Moments a t B and C (Mb and MC),and
these results will be used to obtain the influence lines for shear force at
a point P in span AB and a point Q in span BC, and also the influence
iine for moment a t Q. The Characteristic Points method will then be
used for R b and Mb, the construction being given in detail.

Examble I . To Find the Influence Line for R h .

For convenience, as is usual with the Moment Distribution Method, the
moment convention will be altered to one calling all clockwise moments
-he. Using this convention we then get ea = (2M - Mb)/6K,
and Ob = (2Mb - Ma)/6K1, etc., instead of those quotedearlier.
The end moments induced in spans AB and BC, due to unit upward
movement of B, rotation being prevented a t B and C, are, at A = 0,
at B = 3K,/L, and - 6K,/L,, and at C - 6K,/L,. The two last are
equal to - 4K1/3L,. The work then proceeds as follows :
Influence U n e e f o r Continuous Beams 329
A

'T
8 IC1 9

0.000 3.000 --le333 -1.333 0.000 0.0; 0-000 0 ~ 0 0 0

-0.883 -0.784 - -392
431 863 862 431
- 228 -- 203 - 101 - 101 - 203 - 228 - 114
051 101 101 051
- 027 - 024 - 012 - 012 - 024 - 017 --- 014
~-
006 012 012 006
~~

- 003 - 003 - 001 - 001 - 003 - 003 -- 001

001 001

0-000 1 869 -1.859 - -862

-862
-258 xK,
L,
e- 0620
-*310 - a714 -034 ~ 3 6 7-so86 + L,

The various values of 8 are worked out from the moments as follows :
- 1 -859K1- - 310 2 X 1.859 - - ,620.
Span AB. 8a = -- : 8b =
6K1. I;, L1 CiL, L1
Span BC, Ob =
(- 2 x 1 4 5 9 462j K 2.856
x L=--.--*
+ -714.
6 X 2K1/3 Ll 4L1 L,
ec = - 1.724 +
1 '859 - 0.135 - '034 .
-- - - . etc.,the full
.4Ll 4L1 L1
list of values being given in the above table.
If theordinates of the deflection curve are nowworked out for
intervals of one-sixth of each span, using the coefficients given above,
and referring to the slope values as th at the left hand end of each span,
and Or a t the right hand end, we get the following table.

Defln. at AB/6

From81
----p___

-036
___
AB/3
so46
2AB/3 5AB/6
AB/2
-039 a023 -007
I BC/6 BC/3
-248 e317
BC/2 2BC/3 5BC/6
- --
-268 S 159 -049
-p-

From& -014 -046 -077 -092 -072 -007 -002

-013 -015 -012
~ _ _ ---_
Due to Ab 167 ~ 3 3 3 -500 -667 -833 .S33 -667 -333 -500
U167
Total -217
-425
-616
-782
-912
1.083
-991

DE/32DE/3 5DE/6
- _ L _ ~ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
~- _ _

a022 -013 004

~~

-000 -000 000

~~~~~ ~~

-022
-013 044
530 The Struct1tra.l E n g h e e r , November 1945

The deflections at supports A, C, D, and E are 0, and a t B, 1.000.

These deflections are plotted in ’Fig. 2, and give a t once the Influence
Line for Reaction at B. I t will be noticed that the curve is continuous
when plotted, the effect of the deflection at B having wiped outthe
discontinuity evident at B and C from a study of the 8 values alone.
Example 2. To Find the Influence Line for Mb
What is required eventually for this influence line is the introduction
of unit rotation between the ends of spans AB and BC a t B. If this is
introduced before theMoment Distribution is carried out, the result
eventually is to alter its value, so that it is not convenient to carry out
the work in this way. The method adopted is to introduce unit moment
clockwise at B, the portion allocated to each span being proportional
to the distribution factor for that span, i.e., as $Kl to K, with the neces-
sary carry over moment to C. This last is balanced out, and the result,
as seen in the tablebelow is to give the effect on thebeam of unit moment
at B. If the beam is now broken at B and equal moments applied to
the two portions, of such a value as to cause unit relative rotation of
their ends at B, it is clear that these rotations will be inversely as the
newly calculated moments a t B. Hence since the two moments sum
to unity, we can say at once that the required value of & in span AB is
the Mb moment in span BC, and the value of & in span BC is minus
the Mb moment i m p a n AB. All other values of 8 are derived from these
two, since the deflected curve will be continuous over all supports save B.
The working out is then as follows :
,c,

i i
,B, 8%

0.000 0.529 0.471 0-235 0.000’ O*OOO 0.000 0.000

_.__--

- -059 .- *l17 -*l18 --a069

--- ____
-028 a014 -014 e016

l
031 a028 *031
- -*
__ .. ---
- *007 - -014 -e014 -.007
--
i ~
* 004
__
- 003- -002 002 -003
-004
--- 002 1
l -
-
~
so02
_
-* 002
_ _
1
!
l

0-000 0.564 0.436 0 - 1 1 8 -0.118 4.035

0.036 0.017 1
6 = -0.218 0.436 -0.564
___
0.150 0.150 -0-036-0.036 0.000 I
!
 Influence Linea f o r Continuoue Beam8 531

I t will be seen that the values of 8 a t B are the moments reversed,

with a minus sign given to the one in span BC. The other values of 8
are then derived as for the following case of &.

. l l S . ) - e436 * 200
ec = (2 X X ( 4 5 6 4 ) = - X ,564 = ,150, and
(2 X -436) - 118 a 754
so on.
The deflection table is thenas follows, all values requiring to be
multiplied by L,, the length of the first span.

Defln a t I AB/6 I AB/3 AB12 2AB/3 5AB/6

~-
1 BC16 1 BC/3 1 BC12 ]2BC/3 lSBC/O
-027 -016
-055 -065
--
-082 -081

I
Defln. a t CD/6 CD13 CD/2 2CD/3 5CD/6 DE/6 DE/3 DE12 2DE/3 5DE/6
-___-_______

Due to 81 --.052--.067--.056--.033--.010
- - - ~ --- *C05 a002 .oo8 .oil -009
-
Due to - - - -- - - _ - _ _ - _
er --.003--.008--.014--.016--.013 I .

- ~ - ~ - _ _
Total --.055--.076--.070--.049--.023 .008 -011 -009 1 -005 I *002

The curve is plotted in Fig. 3.

Example 3. T o Find Inflluence Lihe for MC

This example contains no new principle, but its solution is necessary
for finding shear force and moment influence lines when required for
a point Q within BC.
532 T h e StructuTaE Engineer, November 1945

Resulting deflections, which need to be multiplied by L,, as before,

are tabulated below, the working not being shown.

Defln. at hB/6AB/3 AB/2 2AB/3 5AB/6 BC/6

Total 1 - . 0 1 ~ - . 0 1 8 ~ - . 0 2 ~ - . 0 ~ ~ ~ - . 0 1 ~-~0 7 6 1 1 1 I
BC/3 BC/2 2BC/3 5BC/6
-163 -232 -248 -182

These deflections are plotted in Fig. 4, which is the Influence Line

for Moment at C.
Example 4. To-findtheInfluence Line for R a
This may be found directly as for Rb, but for the case where A is a
free support, and Mb has already been found, it is evident that R a is
= [l-z/LJ - Mb/L,, where z is the distance of the unit load from A,
and the terms inthesquare bracket are ignored afterthe first span.
The Mb Influence Line can therefore be modified as in Fig. 3, by taking
FBE as the baseline.
Example 5 . T o f i n d the Influence Line for SF at P. a point in span AB
Since this is equal to 1 - R a when the load is to the left of P, and
-Ra when the load is to the right of P, Fig. 3 can again be modified b,-
taking as baseline AGHBE.

A E
ltcjluence Linea for Continuoue Beams 533

Example 6. Tof i n d the Influence Line f o r SF at Q , a point in span BC

This can be found from the reactions Ra and Rb,as 1 - (Ra Rb), +
for loads to the left of Q, and - (Ra + Rb) for loads to the right of Q.
In general, for interior spans, it is more convenient to derive it from the
end moments and the free span SF influence line. For this case it will be
the sum of (MC - Mb)/L,, and the free influence line. If this last is added
graphically, by reversing it and treating it as the baseline,we get a
diagram as inFig. 5, which clearly needs very little modification to serve
fbr any. other point in span BC. The ordinates of the moment part of
the curve, obtained by taking one-third of the ordinate difference MC -
-Mh, since L2=3L,, are as follows, for the same points as have been taken
previously, it being unnecessary to multiply by L, in this case.

Example 7 . Tof i n d the InfZuence'Linef o r Moment at Q

For a point Q in span BC, dividing it into portions of length " a "
and " b ", the moment is given by (a/L, X MC) +
(b/L, X Mb), the+
moment a t Q considering BC as a simply supported span, and the influ-
ence line for Mg will clearly be derived from those for Mb, MC,and Mg
on a free span. The case plotted in Fig. 6 is for a point such that " a "
= 2/3.L,, and the free influence line has again been added graphically,
although the only advantage in so doing in this case is a slight saving in
addition. The ordinates for the support moment part of the curve will
be found to be L, X the following figures for the same points as before :

whilst the free influence line is a triangle, having its apex above point Q
at a height of 2/9.L, = 2/3.L,, when it has been inverted so as to serve
the baseline in span BC.
We will now turn our attention to the graphical method of finding
the values of 8, which is done directly, without first finding the support
moments.
534 The Structural Engineer, November 1945

Graphical Solution f o r 6 by Characteristic Points

This method is rapid, accurate enough for most purposes, and has
the advantage that the values of 8 can be derived directly from the
diagram, since the slope a t a support is given by the interval between
the adjacent Characteristic Point, and the Restraining Moment Diagram
(such as plrl, p2r2,etc., in Figs. 7 and S) multiplied by 1/2K for the
particular span. Since the slope required is not the true one, but the
value of 8 relative to the deflected support line in some cases, the value
is found by using the distance “ pm ” (with various suffixes, etc.), instead
of the usual ‘‘ pc.” I t is necessary-to multiply these values by -1 a t the
left hand end of a span in order to obtain the right sign for 6. Two
examples only will be given, for Mb and Rb.

Construction for 6 values f o r Mb. (See Fig.7.)

First draw a line ABCDE, marked off so that AB represents l / K l ,
BC 1/K2, etc. Trisect each bay in points m, m,’ m2 m2’, etc. At m,’
and m2set off perpendiculars m,’ rl’ and m2r2= -2K1K2/ (K, +
K,) ;
rl‘ and r, are the Characteristic Points for support B, the “ m ” points
being all others.
Starting from a known point on the Restraining Moment Diagram,
which will be the final baseline, viz., point A, join to rl’, and produce
to cut the perpendicular at B in Q. Join Qr2. Join r,‘ r2, cutting BQ
in k. Mark off on this line a distance r,i = rl’k. *JoinAi, and produce
Influence Lines f o r Continuous Beams 535

to cut Qrz in S,, which will sthen be a known point on the baseline in
span BC. Proceed from this point to obtain a known point in span CD,
viz., Ss, and thence to S,, in span DE. There will now be two known
points in span DE, viz., S, and m,', which willdefine the complete
baseline de for this span. d andS3 define dc, and so on to A. For rotations
at supports further in than the second, or where the intersection for the
S points is bad, the construction should be modified as follows, where a
start has been made fromthe,known point m4' in span ED. The charac-
teristic points at D are m, and me', h being the point corresponding
to i. Draw any line m,' R cutting the perpendicularat m, in t, and that
at D in R. Join t,h and produce to cut the perpendicular a t ms' in t3'.
*JoinRts'. S,' the required known point in span CD is where this inter-
sectsm,'h. The Characteristic Point heights are set as-2K1K,/(K, +
K,), originally, since by so doing the initial set rotations at B are, for
spans AB and BC respectively; &/(K, + K,) and -KJ(K, + KZ),
summing unity, and being inversely as the span stiffnesses. The subse-
quent construction maintains this discontinuity of unity, so that the final
values of pm/2K with the sign adjusted for values at the left hand end of
the span, will be those required for 8. For the case of a built-in end sup-
port, such as E, the value given to the end characteristic point height
originally is -2 X K for that span. A check on Fig. 7 will indicate that
the values of 8 derived from the pm heights are sensibly the same as
those obtained in Example 2.

Construction for 8 values for Rb. (See Fig. 8 )

In this case, unit upward displacement of B will give characteristic
point heights at m, m,' m, and m,' as follows :
m,r, = -ml'rl = 2KJL, :m2r2= -m2'r2' = -2KdL, = -2K1/9L1'
The construction then follows the lines of that for Mb, and a check on
the values of pm/K will indicate that they arematerially the same as the
8 values found in Example1.
I n conclusion, the author would emphasize that any currentmethods
of analysis may be used to find the 8 values, and that the advantages
claimed for themethod just enumerated are simplicity and rapidity,
using only knowledge which is fundamental to anyone who has made
much study of Theory of Structures, and requiring no rigging up of
models, however simple. It is hoped that readers may find it useful.
7