A Beginners Guide to Structural Analysis & Mechanics last modified: 1 August 2008

Example CB.1 by: TBQ

Given: A continuous beam over three spans with integral column supports as shown.

Loads:
Length Ix w P a
(ft) (in4) (klf) (k) (ft)
Span1 15.00 510.00 2.00 15.00 5.00
Span2 15.00 480.00 1.40 20.00 7.00
Span3 30.00 754.00 1.60 5.00 12.00

Length I
(ft) (in4)
Col. 1 10 200
Col. 2 10 200
Col. 3 10 200
Col. 4 10 200

Wanted: Develop the shear and moment diagrams for the beam using moment distribution using an electronic
spreadsheet..
Solution:

Moment Distribution

Col. 1 Span AB Col. 2 Span BC Col. 3 Span CD Col. 4 Units

Length 10 15.00 10 15.00 10 30.00 10 ft
I 200 510.00 200 480.00 200 754.00 200
I/L 1.67 2.83 1.67 2.67 1.67 2.09 1.67
Load, w 2.00 1.40 1.60 k/ft
Load, P @ a 15.00 5.00 20.00 7.00 5.00 12.00 0.00
Joint A A B B B C C C D D
DF 0.370 0.630 0.395 0.233 0.372 0.415 0.259 0.326 0.557 0.443
FEM: w 37.50 -37.50 26.25 -26.25 120.00 -120.00
FEM: P 33.33 -16.67 39.82 -34.84 21.60 -14.40
FEM: Start 0 70.833 -54.167 0 66.072 -61.094 0 141.600 -134.400 0 ft-k
Balance -26.235 -44.599 -4.707 -2.769 -4.430 -33.399 -20.874 -26.232 74.843 59.557 ft-k
CO -2.353 -22.299 -16.700 -2.215 37.422 -13.116 ft-k
Sum -26.235 23.881 -81.173 -2.769 44.943 -96.708 -20.874 152.789 -72.673 59.557 ft-k
Balance 0.872 1.482 15.418 9.070 14.511 -14.606 -9.129 -11.472 7.304 5.812 ft-k
CO 7.709 0.741 -7.303 7.256 3.652 -5.736 ft-k
Sum -25.363 33.072 -65.014 6.301 52.151 -104.059 -30.003 144.970 -71.105 65.369 ft-k
Balance -2.855 -4.854 2.594 1.526 2.442 -4.525 -2.828 -3.554 3.194 2.542 ft-k
CO 1.297 -2.427 -2.263 1.221 1.597 -1.777 ft-k
Sum -28.218 29.515 -64.846 7.827 52.330 -107.363 -32.831 143.012 -69.688 67.911 ft-k
Balance -0.480 -0.817 1.854 1.091 1.745 -1.169 -0.731 -0.918 0.990 0.787 ft-k
CO 0.927 -0.408 -0.585 0.872 0.495 -0.459 ft-k
Sum -28.699 29.626 -63.401 8.917 53.490 -107.660 -33.562 142.589 -69.157 68.698 ft-k
Balance -0.343 -0.584 0.393 0.231 0.369 -0.567 -0.355 -0.446 0.256 0.203 ft-k
CO 0.196 -0.292 -0.284 0.185 0.128 -0.223 ft-k
Sum -29.042 29.238 -63.300 9.148 53.576 -108.042 -33.917 142.271 -69.124 68.902 ft-k
Balance -0.073 -0.124 0.228 0.134 0.214 -0.130 -0.081 -0.102 0.124 0.099 ft-k
CO 0.114 -0.062 -0.065 0.107 0.062 -0.051 ft-k
Sum -29.115 29.228 -63.134 9.282 53.726 -108.065 -33.998 142.232 -69.051 69.000 ft-k
Balance -0.042 -0.072 0.050 0.029 0.047 -0.070 -0.044 -0.055 0.028 0.023 ft-k
CO 0.025 -0.036 -0.035 0.024 0.014 -0.028 ft-k
Sum -29.157 29.182 -63.120 9.312 53.738 -108.111 -34.041 142.191 -69.051 69.023 ft-k
Balance -0.009 -0.016 0.028 0.016 0.026 -0.016 -0.010 -0.012 0.015 0.012 ft-k
CO 0.014 -0.008 -0.008 0.013 0.008 -0.006 ft-k
Sum -29.166 29.180 -63.100 9.328 53.756 -108.114 -34.051 142.186 -69.041 69.035 ft-k
Balance -0.005 -0.009 0.006 0.004 0.006 -0.009 -0.005 -0.007 0.003 0.003 ft-k
CO 0.003 -0.004 -0.004 0.003 0.002 -0.003 ft-k
Final -29.171 29.174 -63.098 9.332 53.758 -108.120 -34.057 142.181 -69.041 69.038 ft-k
Shears 22.738 22.262 17.543 23.457 29.438 23.562 k
Local Global Shear Moment
x x
(ft) (ft) (k) (ft-k) Shear Diagram
0.0 0.0 22.74 -29.17
40.00
1.5 1.5 19.74 2.68
3.0 3.0 16.74 30.04 30.00
4.5 4.5 13.74 52.90
6.0 6.0 -4.26 56.26 20.00
7.5 7.5 -7.26 47.61

Shear, (k)
10.00
9.0 9.0 -10.26 34.47
10.5 10.5 -13.26 16.83 0.00
12.0 12.0 -16.26 -5.31 0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0
-10.00
13.5 13.5 -19.26 -31.96
15.0 15.0 -22.26 -63.10 -20.00
0.0 15.0 17.54 -53.76
1.5 16.5 15.44 -29.02 -30.00
Location "x", (ft)
3.0 18.0 13.34 -7.43
4.5 19.5 11.24 11.01
6.0 21.0 9.14 26.30
7.5
9.0
22.5
24.0
-12.96
-15.06
28.44
7.43
Moment Diagram
10.5 25.5 -17.16 -16.74 150.00
12.0 27.0 -19.26 -44.05
13.5 28.5 -21.36 -74.51 100.00
15.0 30.0 -23.46 -108.12 50.00
0.0 30.0 29.44 -142.18 Moment, (ft-k)
3.0 33.0 24.64 -61.07 0.00
6.0 36.0 19.84 5.65 0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0
-50.00
9.0 39.0 15.04 57.96
12.0 42.0 5.24 95.87 -100.00
15.0 45.0 0.44 104.39
18.0 48.0 -4.36 98.50 -150.00
21.0 51.0 -9.16 78.22 -200.00
24.0 54.0 -13.96 43.53 Location "x", (ft)
27.0 57.0 -18.76 -5.56
30.0 60.0 -23.56 -69.04