Three-Dimensional Beam-Columns

Abstract

This chapter is concerned with the application of the perturbation method to the continuous problem of a three-dimensional beam. The reason for doing so is quite simple. It is now common to use the so-called beam-column equations to generate the element stiffness for plane frames. The question is then what should be done in the case of three-dimensional frames. This chapter suggests that if “beam-columns” are used in plane frames then “three-dimensional beam-columns” should be used in space frames. Just what is to be included in three-dimensional beam-columns is the subject of this chapter. The use of two-dimensional beam-columns has already been discussed above in Chapter 1 and Appendix 1. The derivation of the well-known beam-column equations using the methods of this section is discussed in Appendix 4.