Stability and Strength of Rigid and Semirigid Plane Frameworks

Abstract

A computational technique for incorporating stability and strength into the analysis of plane frameworks is presented. The procedure for computing critical and/or collapse loads and for identifying the corresponding failure mode is outlined. The analysis is based on nonlinear kinematic relations and linearly elastic material behavior except at the plastic hinges—concentrated plasticity. The connections can be treated either as rigid or as flexible. The supports, in general, contain rotational restraints. The developed solution methodology is applicable to all multistory‐multibay orthogonal frames. The examples analyzed in the paper include: (1) A single‐story‐two‐bay frame with rigid joint connections; (2) a single‐story‐three‐bay frame with flexible joint connections; (3) a two‐story‐single‐bay frame with both rigid and flexible joint connections; and (4) a three‐story‐two‐bay frame with rigid joint connections. In all cases the loading consists of a symmetric distribution of concentrated loads on the beams, applied at the midspan positions and at or near the beam‐to‐column joints. The effect of several geometric and structural parameters is assessed.