Non-Linear Analysis of Structures

Plastic Methods of Analysis & Design

Collapse
• Elastic collapse
– Occurs due to instability
– No material yield occurs
– Resistance greatly reduced
• Plastic collapse
– Collapse occurs due to material yielding
– Resistance maintained

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 Collapse of Steel Beam (1)

Elastic collapse
– LTB
– Web buckling
Plastic collapse
– Hinge Forms
– Bearing Fails

Collapse of Steel Beam (2)

For hinge to form

– No LTB
– No Web buckling
– No bearing failure

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 Indeterminate Structures
• Redundant elements/supports
– “Failure” of element may not cause failure of
structure
• Plastic behaviour
– Redistribution possible after first yield
– Structure can carry increased load
– More efficient use of material

Example

wL2 wL2
12 12
wL2
12 M p Mp 24
Mp
w=
L2
0.5 Mp

16 M p Mp Mp
w≈ 2
L
Mp

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 Recap
• Elastic collapse undesirable
• Plastic behaviour has “advantages” for
indeterminate beams
• But….
– must avoid elastic failure at lower load
– requires redundancy
– suitable material
– suitable cross section

Material Behaviour of Steel

Stress

Strain Hardening
First yield

Plastic Plateau

Elastic

~0.001 ~0.02 Strain

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 Simplified Models

Stress
Real Behaviour

Rigid-Plastic
Elasto-Plastic

Strain

Stress Distribution
(Rectangular Beam)

Elastic First Yield Fully Plastic

b M My h M p = σ yS
σ= y σy =
I I 2
bh 2
⇒ My = σy
6
= σ yZ

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 Moment Curvature

Mp
Elastic Plastic
(curvature controlled by
My elastic core)

Elastic

Curvature

Plastic Moment
σy

h
σy b
2
h h
2 h
σy b
2
hb h
Mp =σy
b 2 2
h 2b
=σy
4

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 Shape Factor
• Shape factor is ratio of Mp to My
• Represents additional capacity available using
plastic methods
• Depends on shape of cross section
– rectangle = 1.5

Stress Distribution
(Tee Section Beam)

Elastic First Yield Fully Plastic

Neutral axis moves during elastic-plastic behaviour

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 Definitions
• Plastic collapse
• Bending moment diagrams
• Theorems of plastic collapse

Plastic Collapse
• A structure is on the point of collapse when
finite deformation of at least part of the
structure can occur without any change in
load

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 Characteristics of Bending Moment
Distributions
• Equilibrium Condition
• Mechanism Condition
• Yield Condition

Equilibrium Condition
• To satisfy the equilibrium condition -”The
distribution of bending moments must
represent a state of equilibrium between the
structure and the applied load.”

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 Mechanism Condition
• To satisfy the mechanism condition, “The
bending moments must equal the full plastic
moment of the section at a sufficient number
of points for the structure, or part of it, to
become a mechanism.”

Yield Condition
• To satisfy the yield condition,
“The bending moment must nowhere exceed
the full plastic moment of the section.”

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 Theorems of Plastic Collapse
• The Uniqueness Theorem
• The Upper Bound (Unsafe) Theorem
• The Lower Bound (Safe) Theorem

The Uniqueness Theorem

• If the bending moment distribution satisfies
all three collapse conditions
• equilibrium
• mechanism
• yield
• Then we have a unique collapse load.
• Although load is unique, collapse mechanism
& BM distribution are not necessarily unique.

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 The Upper Bound (Unsafe) Theorem
• The load corresponding to any assumed
plastic collapse mechanism must be greater
than or equal to the collapse load
• n.b. the assumed mechanism does not need
to satisfy the equilibrium criteria.

The Lower Bound (Safe) Theorem

• If it is possible to find a bending moment
distribution in equilibrium with the applied
loads and everywhere satisfying the yield
condition, then the load must be less than or
equal to the collapse load.
• n.b. the BM distribution need not be the
actual BM at the load, it must only be in
equilibrium with the loads

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