Slope Deflection Method

1. Relationship between end moments and joint rotations and displacements

The moment diagram of a beam with distinct but, equal sign moments at its ends, and no loads
along its span is depicted in figure 1 :
d
MAB
A

e
MBA

c
Figure 1: Moment Diagram, of a beam subjected to Moments at its edge.

According to first Moment -Area moment method, difference between slopes (and consequently,
rotations) at the ends is given by the net area of the Moment diagram, divided by EI, which can
be calculated by superimposition of triangles dAc and ABc.
B A

AABc AdAC
1 M BA L M AB L
L
M BA M AB

EI
EI 2
2 2 EI

(1)

According to the second Moment-Area theorem, moment of area of whole M/EI diagram along
point B, is equal to the distance between a tangent at point A and point B. As the tangent at point
A has a slope equal to a, the following expression can be proposed:
AB L A

L 3 AABc 2 L 3 AdAC
1

EI
EI

2
L M BA L 2L M AB L L
M BA 2M AB

3 2
3
2 6EI

(2)

If Equation 2 is algebraically manipulated, moment at end B can be expressed in terms of

moment at end A:
2 EI
B A M AB M BA
L

(3)

After replacing this expression in Equation 2, the following is obtained

AB L A

2
L2 2EI
B A M AB 2M AB L EI B A M AB

6EI L
2
3EI L

Equation 4 explicitly relates end moments, their rotations and their relative displacements.

(4)

3EI
AB L A EI B A M AB
L2
L
2
3EI
3EI
EI
EI
3EI AB 2EI
EI
M AB
AB
A B A

A B
L2
L
L
L
L L
L
L
2

(5)

Finally, arranging similar terms, Moment at end A is given by:

2 EI
2 A B 3R M AB
L

(6)

Where R is called chord rotation, and is equal to the ratio of deflection and element length. After
replacing Equation 6 into Equation 3, moment at end B can be expressed in terms of nodal
deflections and slopes:
2EI
B A 2EI 2 A B 3R 2EI B A 2 A B 3R M BA
L
L
L

(7)

Finally, Moment at the other end becomes:

2 EI
2 B A 3R M BA
L

(8)

2. Example, slope deflection method:

A

3I

2I

16

2I

6klbf

B
IV

II
V

2I

4I

16

3I

VI

3klbf

D
III
F

12
Problem statement

Element Orientation

A 3I/12=I/4 B
I/8

2I/16=I/8

I/4

D
2I/8=I/4

4I/16=I/4

E
EI/L

Figure 2: Problem definition (on top left), Element orientation (Top, Right) and Ratio between relative flexural
inertia and element length (Bottom Right).

Taking into account the problem outlined, the following expressions for moment equilibrium at
the joints can be proposed
Joint C:
M BA M AB M AB 0
I

II

(1)

Joint D
M BA M BA M AB 0
V

III

IV

(2)

Joint A
M BA M AB 0
II

VI

(3)

Joint B
M BA M BA 0
IV

VI

(4)

Taking into account the orientations defined in Figure 1, (Arrows are at end B on each element)
following expressions can be proposed for each joint equilibrium equation. In particular, for
node A, this is observed:
2EI
E 2C 3R1 2EI 2C A 3R2 2EI 2C D 0
4
8
8

(5)

It must be stressed that rotation and joint E is zero, because it is a support. Consequently
Equation 4 can be written in the following manner:
EI
22C 3R1 2C A 3R2 22C 2 D 0
4

6R1 2C A 3R2 4C 2 D 0

(6)

Collecting similar terms, Equation 5 becomes

A 10C 2 D 6R1 3R2 0

(7)

For joint D, the following is observed:

2 EI
C 2 D 2EI
4
4

R1 2 EI
2 D B 3R2 0
F 2 D 3
1
2
8

(8)

If the EI term is factored,

EI
4

R2

2 C 2 D 2 F 2 D 3 2 D B 3R2 0
1
2

(9)

Recalling that rotation at end F is zero, because it is a fixed support:

2C 2 D 22 D 6R1 2 D B 3R2 0
2C 4 D 4 D 12R1 2 D B 3R2 0

(10)

Finally, after arranging and collecting similar terms, Equation 9 becomes:

B 2C 10 D 12R1 3R2 0

(11)

For joint A, the following moment-rotation-displacement relationships can be proposed:

2 EI
C 2 A 3R2 2EI 2 A B 0
8
4

After collecting all flexural stiffness terms, Equation 11 can be reformulated into:

(12)

EI
C 2 A 3R2 22 A B 0
4

(13)

Consequently, the following is required to hold:

C 2 A 3R2 4 A 2 B 0

(14)

Then, if similar terms are collected and arranged, Equation 13 turns into:
6 A 2 B C 3R2 0

(15)

For the last joint, B, Equation 3 implies the following:

2 EI
a 2 B 2EI D 2 B 3R2 0
4
8

(16)

After collecting all flexural stiffness terms, Equation 15 can be alternatively expressed in the
following manner:
EI
D 2 B 3R2 2 a 2 B 0
4

(17)

D 2 B 3R2 2a 4 B 0

Then, arranging similar terms, Equation 15 can be written in this fashion:

2 A 6 B D 3R2 0

(18)

This way 4 equations involving 6 variables have been defined, clearly 2 more expressions are
required in order to find node rotations and displacements. This additional constrains can be
obtained by taking into account floor shear.
By simple equilibrium, Floor shear must be equal to the sum of the shear values of the columns,
consequently, for the second floor, the following expression is found:
V f 2 VII VIV 3

(19)

According to figure 2, Moment equilibrium of each second floor column requires the following:

VII

VIV

MAC

VII

MCA

VIV

MBD

Column II

MDB

Column IV
Figure 3: Shear in second floor columns

V f 2 VII VIV

M CA M AC M BD M DB

3
16
16

(20)

Then, taking into account slope deflection equations, for elements II and IV, Equation 17
becomes:
2EI
2C A 3R2 C 2 A 3R 2EI 2 B D 3R2 B 2 D 3R 48
8
8
3 A 3 B 3C 3 D 12R4

192
EI

(21)

Finally equation 18 becomes:

A B C D 4R4

48
EI

(22)

Likewise, for the first floor, shear equilibrium requires the following:
V f 2 VII VIV

M EC M CE M FD M DF M EC M CE
M M DF

2 FD
(3 6) 9
16
8
16
16

(23)

If slope-deflection equations are recalled, Equation 17 turns into:

2 EI
2 E C 3R1 E 2C 3R1 2EI
4
4

R
R
2 2 F D 3 1 F 2 D 3 1 144
1 2
1 2

(24)

However, rotations at E and F are zero, as both are fixed supports. Therefore Equation 20 can be
simplified into the following expression:

3R1 2C 3R1 2 D 12R1 4 D 12R1

288
EI

(25)

After rearranging and collecting similar terms, Equation 21 can be expressed alternatively as:

3 C 6 D 30 R1

288
EI

(26)

Dividing Equation 22 by 3, yields:

C 2 D 10 R1

96
EI

(27)

Equations 7, 11, 15, 18, 22 and 27 constitute a system, which involves 6 variables. It can be
expressed in the following manner:
AU E

(28)

Where U is a vector containing unknown displacements, E is the nodal load vector and A is the
matrix which contains the coefficient of the system defined by Equations 7, 11, 15, 18, 22 and
27. Such system can be solved by direct matrix inversion, cramers rule, gauss elimination,
Cholesky decomposition among other methods. Solution for the system formulated in the
example is presented in the appendix.
3. Analysis when element loads are present.
When loads are applied within an element, slope-deflection equations become:
MfixAB

2EI
2 A B 3R M AB
L

(1)

MfixBA

2EI
A 2 B 3R M BA
L

(2)

MfixAB is the moment at extreme A in a doubly fixed beam caused by the load pattern being
imposed, While, MfixBA is the moment arising at extreme A in a doubly fixed beam caused by
the load being imposed, as shown in figure 4:
MfixAB

w(x)
A

MfixBA
B

Figure 4: Fixed End Moments

Clearly, superposition of the load system depicted in figure 4 and the base case which defines the
framework of slope-deflection method is valid, as no additional end rotations and displacements
are introduced.
4. Rotation unconstrained end:
Sometimes, rotation is unconstrained at one end of the elements of a frame; however, slopedeflection equations have been developed by analyzing a beam with both ends subjected to
moments. Fortunately, deriving supplementary expressions for such cases is quite simple.

Suppose that end B of a beam is unconstrained, even further, moment has to be zero at such
location. According to the second Slope-deflection relationship, the following has to hold:
2EI
2 B A 3R M BA 0
L

(8)

After solving for the unconstrained rotation, b , following expression can be proposed:
3R A
B
2

(9)

Equation 9 can be replaced in the first slope-deflection relationship, turning it into:

2 EI
2 A B 3R 2EI
L
L

3R A

2 EI
4 A 3R A 6R M AB
3R
2 A
2

2L

(8)

This way, a direct relationship involving only rotations and displacements defined from the
constrained end, A, can be proposed:
3EI
A R M AB
L

(9)

Equation 9 is valid only if there are no loads within the element. If that is not the case, Equation
10 shall be considered:
MfixAB

MfixBA 3EI
A R M AB

2
L

(10)