2/9/2018 Envelopes

A Beginner's Guide to Structural Mechanics/Analysis

Continuous Beam Analysis

(c) 2007, 2008 T. Bartlett Quimby

Overview
Section CB.4
Elastic Analysis
Envelopes
Moment
Last Revised: 08/02/2008
Distribution

It is the responsibility of the structural engineer to ensure that the structures they design have
Finding
Diagrams sufficient strength and stiffness for all possible loading scenarios. This can result in numerous
with End possible load cases for any given structure. For structures with continuity, the problem only
Moment info gets more involved.

Multiple load scenarios result in multiple load effect (shear, moment, deflection) diagrams for
Plastic Analysis any given member in a structure. To ensure adequate safety and serviceability, "envelopes"
of shear, moment, and deflection can be created so as to identify the ranges of possible load
effect at every location along a member.
Envelopes
One common example of multiple loading scenarios occurs when a structure is subjected to
Influential
Superpostion live load. Live loads can be everywhere, nowhere, or strategically placed. Determining the
location of live loads for maximum effect at all possible locations can result in quite a large
number of loading arrangements, all of which need to be analyzed.
Example
Problems Computing envelopes can be one of the most tedious tasks of structural analysis for statically
indeterminate structural elements. The process requires determining the arrangement of live
Homework loads for maximum effects, analyzing the structure for the resulting load arrangements, and
Problems then comparing the results to get the envelope values. The process may lead to errors if the
engineer is not diligent enough to analyze all the appropriate load arrangements. The process
Report Errors or can also lead to an explosion of load arrangements in the interest of thoroughness.
Make
Suggestions Arrangement of Live Load for Maximum Effect
Make Donation
Consider the three span continuous beam shown in Figure CB.4.1. The beam is to subjected
to uniform dead and live load. Using elastic analysis, the moment at any location on the beam
equals the moment due to dead load (a load of known location at all times) plus a moment
due to live load, strategically placed so as to cause maximum effect at that location.

Figure CB.4.1
Three Span Continuous Beam

The moment diagram for the dead load only case is pretty straight forward. In this case it is a
uniform load placed along the entire length of the beam. We can use any of a number of
elastic analysis methods to solve for moment diagram. Figure CB.4.2 show the loading and
associated moment diagram.
http://www.bgstructuralengineering.com/BGSMA/ContBeams/BGSMA_CB_04.htm 1/5
2/9/2018 Envelopes

Figure CB.4.2
Dead Load Only
Load and Moment Diagrams

The dead load moment diagram, in this case, is the basis for the envelope diagram. The live
load will either add or subtract to this diagram at each location. The challenge is to arrange
the live load for maximum positive and maximum negative moment at each location then do
the analysis for each case.

A convenient tool for predicting the appropriate locations to place the live loads is the
influence line. Figure CB.4.3 shows the qualitative influence lines for maximum moment at the
middle of each span.

Figure CB.4.3
Influence Lines for
Maximum Moment at Midspan

From the influence lines we can deduce where to apply the live load for maximum effect. To
get maximum positive moment, load is applied where the influence lines are positive. To get
maximum negative moment, load is applied where the influence lines are negative.
http://www.bgstructuralengineering.com/BGSMA/ContBeams/BGSMA_CB_04.htm 2/5
2/9/2018 Envelopes

Table CB.4.1 identifies the load arrangements needed to find the critical mid-span live load
moments.

Table CB.4.1
Arrangement of Live Load
For Maximum Effect at Mid-span

Span Positive Moment Negative Moment

1 Spans 1 & 3 Span 2
2 Span 2 Spans 1 & 3
3 Spans 1 & 3 Span 2

Note that there are only two unique load cases for maximum mid-span moment. Next, take a
look at the moments at the two interior supports. Figure CB.4.4 shows the influence lines for
these cases.

Figure CB.4.4
Influence Lines for
Maximum Moment at Supports

Table CB.4.2 identifies the load arrangements needed to find the critical support live load
moments.

Table CB.4.2
Arrangement of Live Load
For Maximum Effect at Mid-span

Support Positive Moment Negative Moment

1 Span 3 Spans 1 & 2
2 Span 1 Spans 2 & 3

In this case we end up with an additional four unique load cases. This brings us to six unique
arrangement of live load that need to be considered (i.e. analyzed). Figure CB.4.5 shows the
six cases.

Figure CB.4.5
The Six Critical Live Load Cases

http://www.bgstructuralengineering.com/BGSMA/ContBeams/BGSMA_CB_04.htm 3/5
2/9/2018 Envelopes

Solving each of these cases and combining the results with the dead only cases results in six
different moment diagrams. Figure CB.4.6 is a graph of the resulting moment diagrams for all
six load cases. The dead load only case has been left as a heavier line.

Figure CB.4.6
Moment Diagrams for All Six Cases

Note that no one moment diagram defines the upper or lower bound across the entire three
spans. It has been necessary to do all six analysis. Figure CB.4.7 shows just the upper and
lower bounds for moment along the beam. This is a moment envelope diagram. Note that
the moment on the beam will ALWAYS be between the upper and lower bounds. These are
the critical values needed for design.

Figure CB.4.7
Moment Envelope

http://www.bgstructuralengineering.com/BGSMA/ContBeams/BGSMA_CB_04.htm 4/5
2/9/2018 Envelopes

Similar approaches are taken the develop envelopes for other load effects such as shear or
deflection. The basic steps are the same:

1. Identify the necessary load cases using influence lines

2. Analyze each of the load cases

3. For each location along the member, determine the upper and lower bound values and
graph them.

By some astute observation it is possible to come up with other approaches to the problem.
One such approach is presented in the next section.

http://www.bgstructuralengineering.com/BGSMA/ContBeams/BGSMA_CB_04.htm 5/5