CE 432/532, Spring 2008

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Analysis of Indeterminate Truss Using Consistent Deformations

The following example illustrates the method of consistent deformations to analyze an

indeterminate truss.
Given: A = 2.0 in2 and E = 29,000ksi for all members
20k

3
M6

M5

10

10

Problem Setup:
The truss above has one too many members to be analyzed using statics alone. The truss is
said to have one redundant member (or one redundant bar force).
We can calculate the truss bar forces by setting the loaded truss above equal to the sum of
two cases (using superposition), as shown below.
20k

20k

6Loads

f6
f6

6f6
ActualStructure

CaseI:Loadsapplied,
nobarforceinmember6

CaseII:Noloadapplied,
barforceinmember6

The relative axial deformation of the cut ends of member 6 is labeled 6. This deformation in
the actual structure equals the deformation from Case I (deformation of member 6 due to
loads) plus the deformation from Case II (deformation of member 6 due to bar force 6),
(consistent deformations):
6 = 6Loads + 6f 6
0 = 6Loads + 6f 6

(1)

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Analysis of Indeterminate Truss Using Consistent Deformations

The deformations 6Loads , 6f 6 are calculated using the Method of Virtual Work. To
calculated the relative axial deformation of the cut ends, we apply a pair of unit loads to the
cut ends, as shown below.
Case I: Calculate 6Loads using Virtual Work:
The structure is a five-member truss. We wish to calculate the deformation Member 6
would undergo (6) if it were attached to the truss, which it is not for this case. This member
has no load and therefore undergoes no deformation itself; the cut in Member 6 opens as the
joints it is attached to move further apart.
We first calculate the bar force for each of the five members due to the loads (fi).
20k

-28.28k

-20k

-20k

We then calculate the axial deformation of each of the five members due the loads (iLoads)
using the equation for axial deformation: =

PL
AE

. These calculations are summarized in the

table below.

Member

A
in2

E
ksi

L
ft

f
k

Loads
in

1
2
3
4
5

2
2
2
2
2

29,000
29,000
29,000
29,000
29,000

10
10
10
10
14.142

20
20
0
0
-28.284

0.04138
0.04138
0.00000
0.00000
-0.08276

The next part is the tricky part. We break the problem into three parts, one part for each of
the truss members that deform (Members 3 and 4 have no load and therefore no
deformation). For each part, we calculate 6 due to the deformation of one member only (the
other four members merely "go along for the ride").

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Analysis of Indeterminate Truss Using Consistent Deformations

20k

=
6 1 + 2 + 3
All 3 Members
Deform

+
1

+
6 2

6 5

1
Only Member 1
deforms

Only Member 2
deforms

Only Member 5
deforms

In equation form:
6Loads = 61 + 2 + 5 = 61 + 6 2 + 6 5

Or, in general, for a truss with "n" members, the deformation of Member "x" due to the loads
on the truss is:
xLoads =

(2)

i =1

So how do we calculate 61 from 1 ?

It turns out that the ratio of
to". Therefore, 61 = 1

f1 f6
f6

61
f f6
is equal to the ratio of 1 . The superscripts denote "due
1
f6

. We let f 6 = 1 and denote f1 f6 as U 1 , where U1 is called the bar

force in Member 1 due to a unit load in Member 6. Equation (2) becomes

xLoads =

Loads
Ui
i

i =1

where Ui is the bar force in Member "i" due to a unit load in Member "x".

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Analysis of Indeterminate Truss Using Consistent Deformations

The bar forces (Ui) due to a unit axial force applied to Member 6 are shown below:
-.707
1.0
-.707

-.707

1.0
1.0

-.707
1.0

These forces are added in the 6th column of the table as shown below:

E
ksi

L
ft

fLoads
k

Loads
in

U f_6 = 1

Member

A
in2

1
2
3
4
5

2
2
2
2
2

29,000
29,000
29,000
29,000
29,000

10
10
10
10
14.142

20
20
0
0
-28.284

0.04138
0.04138
0.00000
0.00000
-0.08276

-.707
-.707
-.707
-.707
1.0

6 i

in
-0.02926
-0.02926
0
0
-0.08276
-.14127

Therefore 6Loads = -0.1413". The negative indicates that the direction of the relative
deformation is opposite to that shown in the figure at the top of this page (i.e. overlapping or
closing). Therefore
6Loads = - 0.1413" (opening)

Case II: Calculate 6f 6 using Virtual Work:

We follow a similar procedure to calculate 6f 6 as we followed to calculate 6Loads. One
complication is that f6 is unknown. We therefore apply a unit load in Member 6 and multiply
all results by f6.

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Analysis of Indeterminate Truss Using Consistent Deformations

The bar forces due to the "load" f6 are shown below
-.707 f6

-.707 f6

1.0 f6

-.707 f6

1.0 f6

1.0 f6
-.707 f6

And the bar forces due to a unit load in Member 6 are shown below
-.707
1.0
-.707

-.707

1.0
1.0

-.707
1.0

E
ksi

L
ft

f f_6
k

f_6
in

U f_6 = 1

Member

A
in2

1
2
3
4
5
6

2
2
2
2
2
2

29,000
29,000
29,000
29,000
29,000
29,000

10
10
10
10
14.142
14.142

-.707 f6
-.707 f6
-.707 f6
-.707 f6
1.0 f6

0.001463f6
0.001463f6
0.001463f6
0.001463f6
0.002926f6
0.002926f6

-.707
-.707
-.707
-.707
1.0

1.0 f6

6 i

in

1.0

0.001034f6
0.001034f6
0.001034f6
0.001034f6
0.002926f6
0.002926f6
0.009989f6

6f_6 = 0.009989in/k f6 (closing)

Therefore

If we call opening +'ve and closing 've, then Equation 1 becomes

0 = 6Loads + 6f 6
0 = 0.1413" + 0.009980 in / k f 6

Solving for f6, we have

f6 = 14.14k

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Analysis of Indeterminate Truss Using Consistent Deformations

Actual Structure Case: Calculate the bar forces in the indeterminate (6-member) truss:
We calculate the bar forces in the actual (6-member) truss by summing the bar forces from
Case I and Case II (see Problem Setup on pg 1/6)

f i Actual Structure = f i Case I + f i Case II

The bar force in the actual structure for Member 1 is:

f1 Actual Structure = 20 k 0.707 (14.14 k ) = 10.0 k

The bar forces for all of the members are listed below.
Member

f
k

1
2
3
4
5
6

10.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
14.14
14.14