What came after moment distribution method?

[PedroArvy]

According to

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_distribution:

From the 1930s until computers began to be widely used in the design and analysis of structures, the moment distribution method was the most widely practiced method.

What is the best method to use to analyze two dimensional frames with computers?
I need to program a method from scratch that analyses beams that are similar to the one in the Wikipedia article above.

 

[JAE]

The stiffness matrix analysis method is what most computer programs use to analyze structures.

 

[IDS]

You might be interested in the series of posts following from the one linked below:

http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/2009/01/31/frame-analysis-with-excel-1-single-beam/

You should find the next post in the series as a pingback in the comments, or just search the blog for "frame analysis".

Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services

http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/

 

[rscassar]

Sounds like a college essay question but finite element all the way.

 

[rb1957]

Finite Elements ?

multi-span beams can also be solved as a redundant beam, whihc would point you towards unit load method, etc

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Buy a program - say from Archonengineering.com. Costs like $40 or $50. Not worth an hour of your time to program it!!

 

[rb1957]

i'd agree, if you're so backed up with work (or looking for work) that you haven't got some hours to spare.

working it out for yourself teaches you something (possibly to buy a canned program next time !?) but it makes you really understand the theory.

 

[PedroArvy]

I actually need the theory for a program I am writing. Yes I know, this will be about a months work to code!

 

[mcclain]

You could program the direct stiffness method as described in Dawson, T.H., Offshore Structural Engineering, Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1983.

 

[msquared48]

I think the Cantilever and Portal Methods of Building analysis came after MD,or about the same time.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[rb1957]

i'd research methods for solving redundant structures, i like unit load method myself. three moment equation is another that lends itself easily to a beam on many supports (that's typically where we'd use MD), but in structural maybe you use it more for frames ??

 

[csd72]

Does it need to be a second order analysis? or is first order sufficient?

 

[IDS]

The University of Colorado has detailed course notes on line for their Introduction to Finite Element Analysis course, which seems to cover the topic requested in the OP in great detail:

http://www.colorado.edu/engineering/CAS/courses.d/IFEM.d/

Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services

http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/