ABSTRACT
SUMMARY
The ultimate limit state design of plane multi-storeyed sway frames involves consideration of nonlinear effects induced by changes of geometry and the influence of member axial forces. In recent years, nonlinear matrix methods of analysis have been developed and it is now possible to analyse the complete loading history of such frames up to collapse. This chapter deals with the elastic linear, nonlinear and instability analysis of frames using matrix methods. Rigorous formulations of the problem are presented first so that the approximations frequently incorporated in such analyses can be identified. Approximate methods for determining elastic critical loads and the magnitude of the nonlinear effects are then presented.
