STEN2005/STEN5000-Structural Analysis

of Determinate Structures (Week 2)

 CHAPTER 3:
ANALYSIS OF STATICALLY DETERMINATE TRUSSES

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 Chapter Outline

3.1 Common Types of Trusses

3.2 Classification of Coplanar Trusses
3.3 The Method of Joints
3.4 Zero-Force Members
3.5 The Method of Sections

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 3.1
COMMON TYPES OF TRUSSES

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Truss photos
 Common Types of Trusses

 A truss is a structure composed of slender members joined together at their

end points

 The joint connections are usually formed by bolting or welding the ends of
the members to a common plate called a gusset plate

 Planar trusses lie in a single plane and is often used to support roofs and
bridges

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 Common Types of Trusses

 Roof Trusses
- They are often used as part of an industrial building frame

- Roof load is transmitted to the truss at the joints by means of a series of

purlins

- To keep the frame rigid & thereby

capable of resisting horizontal wind
forces, knee braces are sometimes
used at the supporting column

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 Common Types of Trusses

 Roof Trusses

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 Common Types of Trusses

 Bridge Trusses
- The load on the deck is first transmitted to stringers -> floor beams ->
joints of supporting side truss

- The top & bottom cords of these side trusses are connected by top &
bottom lateral bracing which resists lateral forces

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 Common Types of Trusses

 Bridge Trusses
- Additional stability is provided by the portal
& sway bracing

- In the case of a long

span truss, a roller
is provided at one
end for thermal
expansion

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 Common Types of Trusses
 Assumptions for Design
- The members are joined together by smooth pins
- All loadings are applied at the joints

 Due to the 2 assumptions, each truss member acts as an axial force

member, and therefore the forces acting at the ends of the member must be
directed along the axis of the member

Tensile force Compressive force

Prove by yourself Consider the following scenario

Equivalent to

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 3.2
CLASSIFICATION OF COPLANAR TRUSSES

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 Classification of Coplanar Trusses
Simple, Compound or Complex Truss
 Simple Truss
- To prevent collapse, the framework of a truss
must be rigid
- The simplest framework that is rigid or stable is
a triangle

- A simple truss is constructed by starting with a

basic “stable” triangle element ABC, and
connecting two members (AD and CD) to form
an additional element, …
- The remainder of the joints D, E & F are
established in alphabetical sequence
- Simple trusses do not have to consist entirely
of triangles

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Classification of Coplanar Trusses
 Compound Truss
- It is formed by connecting 2 or more simple trusses together
- Often, this type of truss is used to support loads acting over a larger span
as it is cheaper to construct a lighter compound truss than a heavier
simple truss Type 3: The trusses may be
joined where bars of a large
Type 1: The trusses Type 2: The trusses may simple truss, called the main
may be connected by be joined by 3 bars truss, have been substituted
a common joint & by simple truss, called
bar secondary trusses

Simple truss

Compound
truss

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 Classification of Coplanar Trusses

 Complex Truss
- A complex truss is one that cannot be classified as being either simple or
compound

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Classification of Coplanar Trusses

 Determinacy
Total unknowns: (b+r)
b-number of bars of the truss
r-number of external support reactions

Equations of equilibrium
Force system at each joint is coplanar & concurrent, rotational or
moment equilibrium is automatically satisfied

 Fx  0 and  Fy  0
By comparing the total unknowns with the total no. of available
equilibrium equations, we have:

b  r  2 j statically determinate
b  r  2 j statically indeterminate
where j=number of joints

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 Classification of Coplanar Trusses

 Stability
- If b + r < 2j => unstable and will collapse
- A truss can be unstable if it is statically determinate or statically
indeterminate
- Stability will have to be determined either through inspection or by force
analysis

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 Classification of Coplanar Trusses

 Stability
- External Stability
 A structure is externally unstable if all of its reactions are concurrent or
parallel
 These trusses are externally unstable since the support reactions have
lines of action that are either concurrent or parallel

Unstable concurrent reactions

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 Classification of Coplanar Trusses

 Stability
- Internal Stability
 The internal stability can be checked by careful inspection of the
arrangement of truss members
 If it can be determined that each joint is held fixed so that it cannot
move in a “rigid body” sense with respect to the other joints, then the
truss will be stable
 A simple truss will always be internally stable
 If a truss is constructed so that it does not hold its joints in a fixed
position, it will be unstable or have a “critical form”

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 Classification of Coplanar Trusses

 Stability
- Internal Stability
 To determine the internal stability of a compound truss, it is necessary
to identify the way in which the simple truss are connected together
 The truss shown left is unstable since the inner simple truss ABC is
connected to DEF using 3 bars which are concurrent at point O
 Thus an external load can be applied at A, B or C & cause the truss ABC
to rotate slightly

Unstable Stable

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 Classification of Coplanar Trusses

 Stability
- Internal Stability
 For complex truss, it may not be possible to tell by inspection if it is
stable
 The instability of any form of truss may also be noticed by using a
computer to solve the 2j simultaneous eqns for the joints of the truss
 If inconsistent results are obtained, the truss is unstable or have a critical
form

Summary

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 Classification of Coplanar Trusses

Example 3.1
Classify each of the trusses as stable, unstable, statically determinate, or
statically indeterminate. The trusses are subjected to arbitrary external
loadings that are assumed to be known and can act anywhere on the trusses.

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 3.3
THE METHOD OF JOINTS

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 The Method of Joints

 Satisfying the equilibrium eqns for the forces exerted on the pin at each
joint of the truss
 Applications of eqns yields 2 algebraic eqns that can be solved for the 2
unknowns
 The joint analysis should start at a joint having at least one known force
and at most two unknown forces

 Fx  0 and  Fy  0

Sequence of analyses: B-C-A

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Determine the correct sense of an unknown member
force

Method 1

 Always assume the unknown member forces acting on the joint’s free body
diagram to be in tension
 Numerical solution of the equilibrium eqns will yield positive scalars for
members in tension & negative for those in compression
 Once an unknown member force is found, use its correct magnitude and
sense (T or C) on subsequent joint free-body diagrams

Method 2
 The sense of an unknown force can be assumed
 A +ve answer indicates that the assumed sense is correct, whereas a –ve
answer indicates that the sense shown on the free-body diagram must be
reversed

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 Example
Determine the force in each member of the truss and indicate whether the
members are in tension or compression.

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Preferred notation for solutions you do

Solution
• Magnitude
• Units
• T or C

500 N (T)
500N 500 N (T)

500N 500N

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 The Method of Joints

Example 3.2
Determine the force in each member of the roof truss shown in the
photo. The dimensions and loadings are shown. State whether the members
are in tension or compression.

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 3.4
ZERO-FORCE MEMBERS

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 Zero-Force Members

 Truss analysis using method of joints is greatly simplified if one is able to

first determine those members that support no loading
 These zero-force members may be necessary for the stability of the truss
during construction & to provide support if the applied loading is changed
 The zero-force members of a truss can generally be determined by
inspection of the joints.

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 Zero-Force Members
Zero-force members occur in 2 cases

 Case 1
- The 2 members at joint C are connected together at a right angle & there
is no external load on the joint
- The free-body diagram of joint C indicates that the force in each member
must be zero in order to maintain equilibrium

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 Zero-Force Members
 Case 2
- Zero-force members also occur at
joints having a geometry as joint D

- No external load acts on the joint, so a force summation in the y-

direction which is perpendicular to the 2 collinear members requires
that FDF = 0
- Using this result, FC is also a zero-force member, as indicated by the
force analysis of joint F

B joint is not a zero-force

member due to external force

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 Zero-Force Members

Example 3.4
Using the method of joints, indicate all the members of the truss shown that
have zero force.

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 Zero-Force Members

Example 3.4 (Solution)

We have

Joint D,
   Fy  0; FDC sin   0
FDC  0
  Fx  0; FDE  0  0
FDE  0

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 Zero-Force Members

Example 3.4 (Solution)

Joint E,
  Fx  0; FEF  0

Joint H,
   Fy  0; FHB  0

Joint G,
   Fy  0; FGA  0
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 3.5
THE METHOD OF SECTIONS

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 The Method of Sections

 If the forces in only a few members of a truss are to be found, the method
of sections generally provide the most direct means of obtaining these forces
 This method consists of passing an imaginary section through the truss,
thus cutting it into 2 parts
 Provided the entire truss is in equilibrium, each of the 2 parts must also be in
equilibrium

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 The Method of Sections

Determine the force in

members BC,GC and GF

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 The Method of Sections

 The 3 eqns of equilibrium may be applied to either one of these 2 parts to

determine the member forces at the “cut section”
 A decision must be made as to how to “cut” the truss
 In general, the section should pass through not more than 3 members in
which the forces are unknown
 If the force in GC is to be determined, section aa will be appropriate
 Also, the member forces acting on one part of the truss are equal but
opposite
 The 3 unknown member forces, FBC, FGC & FGF can be obtained by applying
the 3 equilibrium eqns
 When applying the equilibrium eqns, consider ways of writing the eqns to
yield a direct solution for each of the unknowns, rather than to solve
simultaneous eqns

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 The Method of Sections

Example 3.5
Determine the force in members GJ and CO of the roof truss shown
in the photo. The dimensions and loadings are shown. State whether the
members are in tension or compression. The reactions at the supports have
been calculated.

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 The Method of Sections

Example 3.5 (Solution)

The free-body diagram of member GJ can be obtained by considering the

section aa,

A direct solution for FGJ can be obtained by applying  M I  0

Applying principal of transmissibility,
FGJ is slided to point G for simplicity.
With anti - clockwise moments as  ve,  M I  0
 FGJ sin 30o (2)  1200(1.155)  0
FGJ  1386 N(C)

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 The Method of Sections

Example 3.5 (Solution)

The free-body diagram of member CO can be obtained by considering the

section bb,

Moments will be summed about point A in order to eliminate the

unknowns FOP and FCD .
With anti - clockwise moments as  ve,  M A  0
 1200(1.155)  FCO (2)  0
FGC  693 N(T)

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 The Method of Sections

Example 3.6
Determine the force in members GF and GD of the truss shown. State whether
the members are in tension or compression.
The reactions at the supports have been calculated.

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 The Method of Sections

Example 3.6 (Solution)

The distance EO can be determined by proportional triangles or realizing

that member GF drops vertically 4.5 – 3 = 1.5 m in 3 m. Hence, to drop 4.5 m
from G the distance from C to O must be 9 m

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 The Method of Sections

Example 3.6 (Solution)

The angles FGD and FGF make with the horizontal are
tan-1(4.5/3) = 56.3o
tan-1(4.5/9) = 26.6o

The force in GF can be determined directly by applying

MD  0
FGF is slided to point O.
With anti - clockwise moments as  ve,  M D  0
 FGF sin 26.6o (6)  7(3)  0
FGF  7.83 kN(C)

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 The Method of Sections

Example 3.6 (Solution)

The force in GD can be determined directly by applying

 MO  0
FGD is slided to point D.
With anti - clockwise moments as  ve,  M O  0
 7(3)  2(6)  FGD sin 56.3o (6)  0
FGD  1.80 kN(C)

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Summary
Determinate?
b  r  2 j statically determinat e
b  r  2 j statically indetermin ate
Stable?
Externally unstable:
•partially constraint(b+r<2j);
•concurrent;
•parallel
Internally unstable: Form collapsible mechanism?

Zero-force member
Joint method (for 2 unknown):  Fx  0 and  Fy  0
Method 1: force in tension; Method 2: assumed

Section method: Imaginary section cut