Plastic Analysis

EG6101 - Structural Analysis of Structures.

By
AAHA
Plastic Analysis
• The Plastic Moment of Resistance (Mp) of individual
member sections depends on its sizes.

• The value of Mp is the maximum value of moment

which can be applied to a cross-section before a plastic
hinge develops.

• Consider structural collapse in which either individual

members may fail or the entire structure may fail as a
whole due to the development of plastic hinges.
Plastic Cross-Section Properties
When using elastic theory in design

• The acceptance criterion are based on “permissible” or “working” stresses.

Permissible Stress = “yield stress” py / Material FoS

• The loads adopted to evaluate an actual working stress are “working loads”.

• In a structure fabricated from linearly elastic material, the Factor of Safety (FoS.) can also
be expressed in terms of the load required to produce yield stress and the working load.

This is known as the Load Factor (λ).

• The plastic analysis and design of structures is based on collapse loads.

• A typical stress-strain curve for a ductile material having the characteristic of providing a
large increase in strain beyond the yield point without any increase in stress, (e.g. steel) is
given in Figure
• If a beam manufactured from material with a characteristic stress/strain curve as shown in
Figure has a rectangular cross section and is subjected to an increasing bending moment
only, then the progression from elastic stress/strain distributions to plastic stress/strain
distributions are as indicated in Figure b
Initially at low values of applied moment

• (a) the maximum stress and strain values are less

than the permissible working values

(i.e. between points A and B in Figure).

• As the applied moment increases, then the stress

and strain values increase until at stage (b), both
attain the yield values εy and py. This corresponds
to point C in Figure.
• A further increase in the applied moment
induces yield in some of the inner fibres
of the material. Whilst the extreme fibre
strains must now exceed εy, the stress
must obviously remain at py. This
corresponds to point D in Figure (c)

• As the applied moment increases still

further, so the whole section eventually
reaches the yield stress. (As indicated in
(d) there is a very small region around
the neutral axis which has not reached
yield, but this can be ignored without any
appreciable error).
• When the whole section has
attained yield stress then the
section cannot provide any
further moment resistance and
a plastic hinge is formed
allowing the beam to rotate at
the location of the beam.

• The value of the applied

moment at which this occurs is
known as the Plastic Moment of
Resistance (Mp).
Evaluation of Plastic Moment of Resistance (Mp) & Plastic Section
Modulus
• According to the theory of plasticity, a structure is deemed to have reached the limit of its
load carrying capacity when it forms sufficient hinges to convert it into a mechanism with
consequent collapse.

• This is normally one hinge more than the number of degrees of-indeterminacy (ID) in the
structure
Partial Collapse
• It is possible for part of a structure to collapse whilst the rest remains stable.

• In this instance full collapse does not occur and the number of hinges required to cause
partial collapse is less than the (ID+1.0).

• This is illustrated in the multi-span beam shown.

Ignoring horizontal forces ID=[(2m+r)−2n]=[(2×4)+5−(2×5)]=3

• For any given design load applied to a redundant structure, more than one collapse
mechanism may be possible. The correct mechanism is the one which requires the least
amount of ‘work done’ for it's inception
Conditions for Full Collapse
• There are three conditions which must be satisfied to ensure full collapse of a structure and
the identification of the true collapse load, they are:

• The mechanism condition in which there must be sufficient plastic hinges to develop a
mechanism, (i.e. number of plastic hinges ≥[ID+1])

• The equilibrium condition in which the bending moments for any collapse mechanism
must be in equilibrium with the applied collapse loads,

• The yield condition in which the magnitude of the bending moment anywhere on the
structure cannot exceed the plastic moment of resistance of the member in which it
occurs.

Provided that these three conditions can be satisfied then the true collapse load can be
identified.
• If only the mechanism and equilibrium conditions are satisfied then an upper-bound (unsafe)
solution is obtained in which the collapse load determined is either greater than or equal to the
true value.

• If only the yield and equilibrium conditions are satisfied then a lower-bound (safe) solution is
obtained in which the collapse load determined is either less than or equal to the true value.

• Since the bending moment cannot exceed the Mp value for a given cross-section it is evident
that when hinges develop they will occur at the positions of maximum bending moment,

i.e. at fixed supports, rigid-joints, under point loads and within the region of distributed loads.
The analysis of beams and frames involves determining:

(i) the collapse loads,

(ii) the number of hinges required to induce collapse,

(iii) the possible hinge positions,

(iv) the independent collapse mechanisms and their associated Mp values,

(v) the possible combinations of independent mechanisms to obtain the highest

required Mp value,

(vi) checking the validity of the calculated value with respect to mechanism,
equilibrium and yield conditions
There are two methods of analysis which are frequently used to determine the values of
plastic moment of resistance for sections required for a structure to collapse at specified
factored loads; they are the

• Static Method

• Kinematic Method.
Kinematic Method for Continuous Beams
• In this method, a displacement is imposed upon each possible collapse mechanism and
an equation between external work done and internal work absorbed in forming the
hinges is developed. The collapse mechanism involving the greatest plastic moment, Mp,
is the critical one

• A virtual work equation can be developed by equating the external work done by the
applied loads to the internal work done by the formation of the hinges

• where:

Internal work done during the formation of a hinge=(moment x rotation)

External work done by a load during displacement=(load x displacement)

(In the case of distributed loads the average displacement is used).

• The sign convention adopted
is: Tension on the Bottom of
the beam induces a ‘positive’
rotation (i.e. +ve bending)
Tension on the Top of the
beam induces a ‘negative’
rotation (i.e. −ve bending)

• Note: the development of both

−ve and +ve hinges involves
+ve internal work
• propped cantilever with a single point load. The hinge positions were identified as
occurring at support A, and under the point load at B. Assuming rigid links between the
hinges, the collapse mechanism of the beam when the hinges develop can be drawn as
shown in Figure
Example.
Rigid-Jointed Frames
• In the case of beams identification of the critical spans (i.e. in terms of Mp or λ) can
usually be solved quite readily by using either the static or the kinematic method and
considering simple beam mechanisms.

• In the case of frames other types of mechanisms, such as sway, joint and gable
mechanisms are also considered. Whilst both techniques can be used the static method
often proves laborious when applied to rigid frames, particularly for complex load
conditions. It can be easier than the kinematic method in the case of determinate or singly
redundant frames. Both methods are illustrated in this section and in the solutions to the
given problems.
• Each of these collapse mechanisms can occur independently of each other. It is also
possible for a critical collapse mechanism to develop which is a combination of the
independent ones such as indicated in Figure
• It is necessary to consider all possible combinations to identify the critical collapse mode.
The Mp value is determined for each independent mechanism and then combined
mechanisms are evaluated to establish a maximum value of Mp (i.e. minimum λ).

• The purpose of combining mechanisms is to eliminate sufficient hinges which exist in the
independent mechanisms, leaving only the minimum number required in the resulting
combination to induce collapse.

• It is necessary when carrying out a kinematic solution, to draw the bending moment
diagram to ensure that at no point the Mp value determined, is exceeded.
Example
An asymmetric uniform, frame is pinned at supports A and G and is subjected to a system of
factored loads as shown in Figure. Assuming the λvertical.load=1.7 and λhorizontal loads=1.4
determine the required plastic moment of resistance Mp of the section.
Kinematic Method: Consider each independent mechanism separately.
• It is evident from inspection of the collapse mechanisms that the hinges located at C and E
can be eliminated since in some cases the rotation is negative whilst in others it is positive.

• The minimum number of hinges to induce total collapse is one more than the number of
redundancies, i.e. (ID+1)=2 and therefore the independent mechanisms should be combined
to try and achieve this and at the same time maximize the associated Mp value.

• It is unlikely that mechanism (i) will be included in the failure mechanism since its associated
Mp value is relatively small compared to the others.

• It is necessary to investigate several possibilities and confirm the resulting solution by

checking that the bending moments do not exceed the plastic moment of resistance at any
section.
Example.
Example.
 Practice.
The portal frame shown in Figure is fully restrained at
one support and hinged at the other. Each member
has a uniform plastic moment of resistance of 50 kNm.

(a) State the number of possible collapse mechanisms

(b) Identify all the possible collapse mechanisms and

obtain the corresponding load factor l for each
collapse mechanism.

(c) State which of the mechanisms analysed in (b) is

the one that should be considered for the plastic
design of the portal frame.