Reciprocity

Principles
By Salinah Dullah
Universiti Malaysia Sabah
 Reciprocity Principles
Applies to any stable elastic structure (a beam,
truss, or frame, for example) on unyielding
supports and at constant temperature, states:

deflection of point A in direction 1 due to unit

load at point B in direction 2 is equal in the
magnitude to the deflection of point B in
direction 2 produced by a unit load applied at A
in direction 1
Reciprocity Principles

Figure 1
 Reciprocity Principles
The Figure 1 explains the Maxwell-Bettis Law
of reciprocal displacements in which, the
displacement AB is equal to the displacement
BA .

Fig. 1 Illustration of Maxwell Bettis Law

(directions 1 & 2 shown by circle)
Reciprocity Principles

Figure 2
 Reciprocity Principles
1. Let a vertical force FB at point B produces a
vertical deflection AB at point A and BB at point
B as shown in Figure 2(a).

2. Similarly, in Figure 2(b) the application of a

vertical force FA at point A produces a vertical
deflections AA and BA at points A and B ,
respectively.
3. Let us evaluate the total work done by the two
forces FA and FB when they are applied in
different order to the zero to their final value.
 Reciprocity Principles
Case 1: FB applied and followed by FA

(a) Work done when FB is gradually applied

(b) Work done when FA is gradually applied

with FB in place
 Reciprocity Principles
Total work done by the two forces for case 1 is
 Reciprocity Principles
Case 2: FA applied and followed by FB

(a) Work done when FA is gradually applied

(a) Work done when FB is gradually applied

with FA in place
 Reciprocity Principles
Total work done by the two forces for case 2 is
 Reciprocity Principles
Since the final deflected position of the beam
produced by the two cases of loads is the
same regardless of the order in which the
loads are applied.
The total work done by the forces is also the
same regardless of the order in which the
loads are applied.
Thus, equating the total work of Cases 1 and 2
give
Reciprocity Principles
 Reciprocity Principles
If , the equation ( )
depicts the statement of the Maxwell-Betti
law i.e.

The Maxwell-Betti theorem also holds for

rotations as well as rotation and linear
displacement in beams and frames.
 Example 1
Verify Maxwell-Betti law of reciprocal
displacement for the direction 1 and 2 of the
pin-jointed structure

Figure 3
 Apply the forces P1 and P2 in the direction 1
and 2, respectively. The calculation of total
strain energy in the system is given in Table 1.
Figure 4
Table 1
 Example 2
Verify Maxwell-Betti law of reciprocal
displacement for the cantilever beam.

Figure 5
 Apply the forces P1 and P2 in the directions 1
and 2, respectively.
 Example 3
Verify Maxwell-Betti law of reciprocal
displacement for the rigid-jointed plane frame
with reference to marked direction in figure 6 .

EI is same for both members.

Figure 6
 Apply the forces and in the directions 1 and 2,
respectively

Figure 7