The Analysis of Rigid Frames by Electronic Computer

Abstract

Rigid frames as well as gable frames have been widely used for structures serving various functions such as highway bridges and industrial plants. However because of their high indeterminacy, exact analysis by some conventional methods such as slope deflection and moment distribution would involve too much work for practical design. For this reason, many structural engineers would turn to some short-cuts and base their design on some approximate analysis this of course would reduce the accuracy or reduce the reliability of the structure. One of the purposes of this paper is to introduce a simple approach for the analysis of some typical fixed and rigid frames by using the IBM-1620 electronic computer. The main purpose of this paper is to establish some programs for the computer in such a way that they may be general applicable for the analysis of any frame in the form mentioned in the previous paragraphs. Y repeated execution of the programs with input data which involve only the depth and the coordinates at the ends of the members of the frame and the external loads which are applied to the frame, a final result for the redundants of the frame will be typed out through the console typewriter of the computer. This paper is intended to give a systematic and simple method that anyone who knows but little about indeterminate structures as well as computers may effectively analyze a somewhat complicated frame within minutes by following the operational instruction given in Appendix II of this paper