The Treatment of Continuous Beams by the Moment Distribution Method

THE method which is to be outlined is not a new way of approaching continuous beam problems, it was first introduced in America by Professor Hardy Cross, and appears to be little known in this country. It is felt that the method is much easier to handle than the normal approach to such problems by the Theorem of Three Moments. Engineers dealing with structural design will find it particularly useful, as a very good approximation to the bending moments at the supports can be obtained during the early stages of the work. The method will be helpful to the engineering student, in removing any doubts he may have in determining the directions of bending moments at the supports.