CHAPTER FOUR

MOMENT DISTRIBUTION METHODS

Introduction
The moment distribution method od solving statically indeterminate structures was presented by
Prof. Hardy cross in a paper to the America society of Engineers in 1932. It is a method in which
the moments in a member are determined by successive approximations, the calculation involved
being purely arithmetical.
Advantages of the methods
i. No solution of equation is involved.
ii. The process is a purely mechanical one which can be quickly and easily checked.
iii. The accuracy obtained can be of any requisite degree depending upon the number of
balances and distribution carry over.
iv. The method enable the deflected form of the structure to be seen.
Visual conception of the method

A B C D

Figure 4.1
Indicates point is unclamped and beam is free to rotates
Indicates point is clamped and no rotation is possible
Figure 4.1 shows a continuous beam A,B,C D which is firmly fixed against rotation at A
and D. B and C are knife edge supports about which the beam can rotate.B and C can be clamped
to prevent rotation of the beam at B and C.Pointers are attached to the beam at B and C to
indicate on a scale the rotation of the beam at this points.
Stage 1
With B and C clamped a load W is applied to span BC.The pointer will not moved since,
with both point clamped, no rotation is possible at point B and C. The beam will be as shown in
Figure 4.2
 W
A B C D

Figure 4.2

Stage 2
Loosen the clamp at B as shown in Figure 4.3. The rotation of the beam at B is recorded
by the pointer. When point B was clamped previously, a moment was produced at B by the load
on BC (FEM). The unclamping of B has allowed span AB to receive part of the moment
produced by the loading.
The ‘unbalanced’ moment at B has been ‘balanced’ and distributed to span AB and BC in
accordance with their ‘stiffnesses’ or resistance to ‘rotation’.

W
A B C D

Figure 4.3

Stage 3
Clamp B in its new rotated position and release C. The pointer at C will now move,
indicating the rotation at C. The moment at C has now been ‘balanced’ and ‘distributed’ between
spans CB and CD.
 W
A B C D

Figure 4.3
Stage 4
Clamp C and release B again. B will again rotate but not through so great an angle as before. Since
B was in balance when it was released for the first time, this unbalanced moment, now being
released, must have arisen at B as a result of the previous balancing at C.
When an unbalanced moment is balanced and distributed at C between the ends of spans CB and
CD some of the moment is transmitted to B. This is called ‘carry over’ and this term will be
evaluated later. Moment at B and C will also be ‘carried over’ in part to point A and D respectively.
This process can now be continued with B and C being clamped and released alternatively until
the rotation of the beam at B and C, as recorded by the pointers, is imperceptible. The structure is
now in equilibrium under the load and the clamps may now be removed.
This procedure, in which a loaded structure is allowed to take up its natural deflected shape in
controlled stages commencing with all its members considered to be fixed against rotation at their
ends, and in which the each joint between spans is released and fixed again in turn, (so that
‘unbalanced’ moments are ‘balanced’ and ‘distributed’ between adjacent spans) is the basis of the
method of moment distribution.
It will be shown later that the normal procedure is to balance and distribute moments
simultaneously at each joint.
Terms used
Various terms that will be used in this methods are;
a. Fixed End moments
b. Carry over factor
c. Stiffness or resistance to rotation of a member
Stiffness of a member is the moment necessary to cause unit rotation. The stiffness of
𝑀 3𝐸𝐼
a member whose remote end is pinned is 𝜃 =
𝐵 𝐿
𝑀𝐵 4𝐸𝐼
The stiffness of a member whose remote end is fixed is =
𝜃𝐵 𝐿
 When two or more member meet at appoint, it is unlikely that each of them will have
the same value of stiffness or resistance to rotation.
𝐼
𝑘=
𝐿
The unbalanced moment is distributed in accordance with the relative stiffness values
of the two members. The stiffer members will absorbs more of the unbalanced
moments at a joint and the more flexible member will absorb less of the unbalanced
moment at the joint.
Note : Irrespective of how many members meet at a joint, the sum of all the
distributed factors must be equal to 1.0
d. Distribution Factors
Consider a uniform two-span continuous beam, as shown in Figure 4.4.

Figure 4.4
If an external moment M is applied to this structure at support B it will produce a rotation of the
beam at the support; part of this moment is absorbed by each of the two spans BA and BC, as
indicated in Figure 4.5

Applied Moment Rotation of beam at support

(𝑀𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑎𝑑 = 𝑀1 + 𝑀2 )

Figure 4.5
The proportion of each moment induced in each span is directly proportional to the relative
stiffnesses, e.g.
 𝑘
The ratio (𝑘 ) is known as the Distribution Factor for the member at the joint where
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙
the moment is applied.
when a moment (M) is applied to one end of a beam in which the other end is fixed, a carry-over
moment equal to 50% of M is induced at the remote fixed-end and consequently moments equal
to ½ M1 and ½ M2 will develop at supports A and C respectively, as shown in Figure 4.6.

Figure 4.6

Application of the Method

All of the concepts outlined in above are used when analyzing indeterminate structures using the
method of moment distribution. Consider the two separate beam spans indicated in Figure 4.7.

Figure 4.7

Since the beams are not connected at the support B they behave independently as simply
supported beams with separate reactions and bending moment diagrams, as shown in Figure 4.8
Figure 4.8
When the beams are continuous over support B as shown in Figure 4.9(a), a continuity moment
develops for the continuous structure as shown in Figures 4.9(b) and (c).

Figure 4.9
Moment distribution enables the evaluation of the continuity moments. The method is ideally
suited to tabular representation and is illustrated in Example 4.1

Example 4.1: Three-span Continuous Beam

A non-uniform, three span beam ABCD is fixed at support A and pinned at support D, as
illustrated in Figure 4.10. Determine the support reactions and sketch the bending moment
diagram for the applied loading indicated.

Figure 4.10
Solution:
Step 1
The first step is to assume that all supports are fixed against rotation and evaluate the
‘fixed-end moments’.

The values of the fixed-end moments for encastre beams are given in Appendix

Step 2
The second step is to evaluate the member and total stiffness at each internal joint/support and
determine the distribution factors at each support. Note that the applied force system is not
required to do this.
The structure and the distribution factors can be represented in tabular form, as shown in Table
4.1
Table 4.1

The distribution factor for fixed supports is equal to zero since any moment is resisted by an equal and
opposite moment within the support and no balancing is required. In the case of pinned supports the
distribution factor is equal to 1.0 since 100% of any applied moment, e.g. by a cantilever overhang, must
be balanced and a carry-over of ½ × the balancing moment transferred to the remote end at the internal
support.

Step 3
The fixed-end moments are now entered into the table at the appropriate locations, taking
care to ensure that the signs are correct as shown in Table 4.2.
Table 4.2

Step 4
When the structure is restrained against rotation there is normally a resultant moment at a
typical internal support. For example, consider the moments B:

The ‘out-of-balance’ moment is equal to the algebraic difference between the two:

If the imposed fixity at one support (all others remaining fixed), e.g. support B, is released, the
beam will rotate sufficiently to induce a balancing moment such that equilibrium is achieved and
the moments MBA and MBC are equal and opposite. The application of the balancing moment is
distributed between BA and BC in proportion to the distribution factors as calculated previously.

As indicated in Section earlier, when a moment is applied to one end of a beam whilst the remote
end is fixed, a carry-over moment equal to (½ × applied moment) and of the same sign is induced
at the remote end. This is entered into the table as shown.
Step 5
The procedure outline above is then carried out for each restrained support in turn. The reader
should confirm the values given in the table for support C.

It is evident that after one iteration of each support moment the true values are nearer to
23.8 kNm and 69.0 kNm for B and C respectively. The existing out-of-balance moments which
still exist, 0.64 kNm, can be distributed in the same manner as during the first iteration. This
process is carried out until the desired level of accuracy has been achieved, normally after three
or four iterations.
A slight modification to carrying out the distribution process which still results in the same
answers is to carry out the balancing operation for all supports simultaneously and the carry-over
operation likewise. This is quicker and requires less work. The reader should complete a further
three/four iterations to the solution given above and compare the results with those shown in
Figure 4.11

* The final carry-over, to the fixed support only, means that this value is one iteration more
accurate than the internal joints.
Figure 4.11
The continuity moments are shown in Figure 4.12

Figure 4.12
The support reactions and the bending moment diagrams for each span can be calculated
using superposition as before by considering each span separately.
Fixed vertical reactions
The total vertical reaction at each support due to the continuity moments is equal to the algebraic
sum of the contributions from each beam at the support.
The final bending moment diagram is shown in Figure 4.13

Figure 4.13