204
Engineering Mechanics
Department of Marine Engineering
Indian Maritime University – Mumbai Port Campus
Reference: R S Khurmi, Engineering Mechanics
Lecture-2
204 – Engineering Mechanics Dept. of Marine Engineering, IMU – MPC
204 – Engineering Mechanics Dept. of Marine Engineering, IMU – MPC
TRUSS
A truss is an assembly of members such as beams, connected by nodes, that creates a
rigid structure.
In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the
members are organized so that the assemblage as a whole behaves as a single object".
TRUSS
TRUSS IN SHIPS
Types of Truss
Simple Trusses
• A rigid truss will not collapse under the
application of a load.
• A simple truss is constructed by
successively adding two members and one
connection to the basic triangular truss.
n=2j-3
• In a simple truss, m = 2n - 3 where m
is the total number of members and n
is the number of joints.
• Plane Truss: A truss with all the members and applied loads in
the plane
• The basic element of a truss is the triangle as this constitutes a
rigid, non-collapsible frame.
• Simple Truss: A truss that can be built from the basic triangular
element is called a simple truss.
• Structure: a device that is made up of several connected
parts and whose function is to support load
– Ideally structures are designed to be in equilibrium at
rest
• External forces: Forces applied to a structure
– These external forces have to be transmitted, through
the different members that make up the structure, to
the supports
• Internal Forces: process of transmitting the external
forces within the members.
– may be viewed as actions and reactions between the
molecules of the structural members (Newton's Third
Law)
• When a structure is in equilibrium, every part of the
structure is also in equilibrium.
• When a free body diagram of the entire structure is
drawn, only the external forces (applied forces and
support reactions) will act on the structure.
• If a free body diagram of a part of the structure is
drawn, the external forces acting on that part and the
internal forces, which represent the effect of the
removed part on the part being drawn, will be shown
on the free body diagram.
• Note that the internal force is in effect an external
force on the free body diagram since it is exposed.
Analysis of Trusses
• Trusses: structures that consist of straight pin-jointed
members and are designed to support loads over large
spans
• No member is continuous over a joint and all the loads are
assumed to be applied only at the joints
• Individual members of a truss are typically slender and
incapable of supporting a lot of load on their own, hence
the requirement that the load must be applied to the
joints. Application of loads only to the pinned joints
reduces every member of a truss to a two-force body and
each member is either in tension or compression.
• Truss analysis involves the determination of the magnitude
of the forces in the members and whether the member is
in tension or compression.
• A truss is said to be statically determinate if all the
unknown forces and reactions can be determined from
equilibrium considerations.
• Otherwise the truss is statically indeterminate (contains
additional members or supports that are not necessary to
maintain equilibrium) or unstable (contains fewer number
of members or support than are required to maintain
equilibrium).
Analysis of Trusses by the Method of Joints
• Dismember the truss and create a freebody diagram
for each member and pin.
• The two forces exerted on each member are equal,
have the same line of action, and opposite sense.
• Forces exerted by a member on the pins or joints at
its ends are directed along the member and equal
and opposite.
• Conditions of equilibrium on the pins provide 2n
equations for 2n unknowns. For a simple truss, 2n =
m + 3. May solve for m member forces and 3
reaction forces at the supports.
• Conditions for equilibrium for the entire truss
provide 3 additional equations which are not
independent of the pin equations.
Method of Joints
Note:
• that while statically determinate simple trusses can be
easily analyzed using the method of joints,
• compound trusses will require the solutions of large
numbers of simultaneous equations before the forces in the
members can be determined using the method of joints.
Compound trusses should be analyzed using a combination
of methods of joints and methods of sections.
Joints Under Special Loading
Conditions
• Forces in opposite members intersecting in two
straight lines at a joint are equal.
• The forces in two opposite members are
equal when a load is aligned with a third
member. The third member force is equal to
the load (including zero load).
• The forces in two members connected at a
joint are equal if the members are aligned and
zero otherwise.
• Recognition of joints under special loading
conditions simplifies a truss analysis.
Procedure for Solving Problems by
Method of Sections
1. Replace the Support with corresponding Reactions
2. Resolve all the Loads acting on the Structure into
Horizontal and Vertical Components
3. Apply Equilibrium for the entire structure and obtain
all the reactions for the whole structure
4. Section the Truss in such a way that the Section Line
will pass through a maximum of three members
5. Apply the Equilibrium Equations again to find the
unknown forces
Equillibrium Equations are
Space Trusses
• An elementary space truss consists of 6 members
connected at 4 joints to form a tetrahedron.
• A simple space truss is formed and can be extended
when 3 new members and 1 joint are added at the
same time.
• In a simple space truss, m = 3n - 6 where m is the
number of members and n is the number of joints.
• Conditions of equilibrium for the joints provide 3n
equations. For a simple truss, 3n = m + 6 and the
equations can be solved for m member forces and 6
support reactions.
• Equilibrium for the entire truss provides 6 additional
equations which are not independent of the joint
equations.
Truss Vs Frames
Truss Frame
Joints will be pin type Joints will be rigid / welded.
Truss member can rotate Frame member, unlike truss,
about the pin joint freely. cannot rotate.
They don’t transfer of They do transfer moments.
moments.
They are designed to bear They can withstand axial
tensile or compressive loads loads as well as bending
only. moments.
Only nodal forces can be Point load, uniformly
allowed and no moments. distributed or uniformly
varying load and even
moments can be applied at
nodes or anywhere along the
length.
204 – Engineering Mechanics Dept. of Marine Engineering, IMU – MPC
204 – Engineering Mechanics Dept. of Marine Engineering, IMU – MPC
204 – Engineering Mechanics Dept. of Marine Engineering, IMU – MPC
204 – Engineering Mechanics Dept. of Marine Engineering, IMU – MPC
204 – Engineering Mechanics Dept. of Marine Engineering, IMU – MPC
204 – Engineering Mechanics Dept. of Marine Engineering, IMU – MPC
204 – Engineering Mechanics Dept. of Marine Engineering, IMU – MPC
204 – Engineering Mechanics Dept. of Marine Engineering, IMU – MPC
204 – Engineering Mechanics Dept. of Marine Engineering, IMU – MPC
204 – Engineering Mechanics Dept. of Marine Engineering, IMU – MPC
204 – Engineering Mechanics Dept. of Marine Engineering, IMU – MPC
204 – Engineering Mechanics Dept. of Marine Engineering, IMU – MPC
