Analysis of Building Frames

Abstract

The term building frame as defined in this paper, refers to a general flat‐plate structural system, comprising thin Kirchoff plates (the floor slabs), which are interconnected by one‐dimensional flexural elements (the columns and column walls) of various shapes and layout. The building‐frame material is assumed to be linear elastic. A stiffness method for analyzing this structure addresses the full three‐dimensional frame and is practical for use either as a design tool or for research. The direct boundary element method (DBEM) is used to generate the stiffness properties of the slab thin‐plate element and to calculate the internal actions. Potential applications include stress analysis, and in addition, these numerical procedures permit a more rational basis for studying dynamic behavior, and other types of analysis in which a full building frame structural stiffness model is desirable. The paper is oriented toward a general structural engineering readership.