Repetitive beam-like structures: Distributed loading and intermediate support

Theory is developed for the elastostatic transfer matrix analysis of a repetitive beam-like structure subject to point-wise distributed loading, with and without an intermediate support; this complements previous work in which loading is applied at one end only and reacted at the other. State-vectors are expressed in terms of participation coefficients of the eigen- and principal vectors, leading to the simplest description of the evolution of nodal displacement and force components as one moves along the structure, in terms of powers of the Jordan canonical form. Inaccuracy due to ill-conditioning is explained in terms of powers of greater than unity eigenvalues.