Trusses

A truss is a structure made of linear members connected

at their ends with hinges. When a truss is loaded at the
joints, its members carry axial loads only.
y Tension or compression, but no bending!
Trusses are typically used to support bridges and roofs.

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.1/33

 Although we assume pinned connections, actual hinges are
rarely used. If the members’ axial stiffness is much greater
than the bending restraint at the connection, the
assumption is still valid.

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.2/33

 In the following we will see two different methods of how to
calculate the force going through each member of a
statically determinate truss.

y Necessary for deciding how much strength is needed

for each member, i.e. what cross-section to use!

➊ Method of joints
y Systematically calculate the forces through all
members.
➋ Method of sections
y
Appropriate for calculating the forces through
selected members.

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.3/33

 Method of joints
➊ Consider the free body diagram of the truss and solve
for the reactions at the supports.
➋ Consider the free body diagram of each joint in turn
and solve for the unknown member forces acting on it.

Example:
Calculate the forces through all members of the
truss shown below.

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.4/33

 Some members will go into compression (struts) and some
into tension (ties). It is useful to have a feeling how each
member will behave, so that we can check our results later.
We can get a rough idea by imagining how the structure
deforms.

y All bottom members are ties (i.e. go into tension).

y All top members are struts (i.e. are compressed).
y Inclined members can be either.
A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.5/33
 The free body diagram of the truss is shown below.

ΣFx = 0 −→ HA = 0
ΣFy = 0 −→ RA + RI = 300kN
ΣMAy = 0 −→ 100 · 5 + 100 · 10 + 100 · 15 − RI · 20 = 0kN
RI = 150kN RA = 150kN
−→ −→

Alternatively we could have used symmetry:

RA + RI = 300kN and RA = RI .
Then directly RA = RI = 150kN .
A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.6/33
 Consider the free body diagram of each joint in turn.
Isolating joint A we expose the
forces that act on it. These are:

y The (unknown) internal forces F and F .

w Drawn in the positive direction, i.e. as if putting the
AB AC

member in tension.
y The (known) reaction from the support, R = 150kN .
A

Under these forces the joint is in equilibrium.

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.7/33

 We now write the equations of equilibrium for joint A:
ΣFx = FAB cos 600 + FAC = 0
ΣFy = FAB sin 600 + 150 = 0 −→
−→ FAB = −173.2kN
Then FAC = −(−173.2) cos 600 = 86.6kN

Results:
The force through AB is FAB = 173.2kN compressive.
The force through AC is FAC = 86.6kN tensile.

Considering the equilibrium of more truss joints we can

calculate more of the unknown forces, till the forces through
all members are known.

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.8/33

 Joint B :

ΣFy = FBA sin 600 + FBC sin 600 = 0 −→

−→ FBC = −FBA = 173.2kN (tension)

ΣFx = FBD + FBC cos 600 − FBA cos 600 = 0 −→

−→ FBD = −(FBC − FBA ) cos 600 −→
−→ FBD = −173.2kN (compression)

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.9/33

 Joint C :

ΣFy = FCB sin 600 + FCD sin 600 − 100 = 0 −→

−→ FCD sin 600 = 100 − 173.2 sin 600 −→
−→ FCD = −57.73kN (compression)

ΣFx = FCE + FCD cos 600 − FCA − FCB cos 600 = 0 −→

−→ FCE = −FCD cos 600 + FCA + FCB cos 600 −→
−→ FCE = 57.73 cos 600 + 86.6 + 173.2 cos 600 −→
−→ FCE = 202.1kN (tension)

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.10/33

 Joint D:

ΣFy = FDC sin 600 + FDE sin 600 = 0 −→

−→ FDE = −FDC = 57.73kN (tension)

ΣFx = FDF + FDE cos 600 − FDC cos 600 − FDB = 0 −→

−→ FDF = FDB + FDC cos 600 − FDE cos 600 −→
−→ FDF = −173.2 − 57.73 cos 600 − 57.73 cos 600 −→
−→ FDF = −231.0kN (compression)

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.11/33

 Joint E :

Using symmetry for joint D:

FEF = FED = 57.73kN (tension)
FEG = FEC = 202.1kN (tension)

Using symmetry for the rest of the truss:

FF G = FCD , FF H = FBD , FGH = FBC
FHI = FAB , FGI = FAC

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.12/33

 Recap: the procedure for using the method of joints is:
y Draw the free body diagram of the truss and calculate
the reactions at the supports.
y Draw the free body diagram of each joint in turn and
solve the equations of equilibrium for the unknown
member forces.
w Draw unknown member forces as tensile.
w A positive member force means tension.
w A negative member force means compression.
w Make use of symmetry, if possible, to minimise effort.

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.13/33

 Possible “complications”:
It may be easier to consider
equilibrium along axes different
than x and y . E.g. on the left,
it is obvious that F1 = F2 and F3 = 0
without resolving along x and y .

Some times we need to

treat the equations of equilibrium
as a system. E.g. on the left,
you can show that they become:
F1 + F2 = −120
F1 − F2 = −40
so F1 = −80kN , F2 = −40kN .

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.14/33

 Method of sections
➊ Consider the free body diagram of the truss and solve
for the reactions at the supports.
➋ Consider the free body diagram of a part of the truss
and solve for the unknown member forces acting on it.
y Convenient when only a few members are of interest.
Example
: Calculate the force through member DF .

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.15/33

 From the way that the truss will deform, FDF is expected to
be compressive.

The free body diagram of the truss is shown below.

ΣFx = 0 −→ HA = 0
ΣFy = 0 −→ RA + RI = 300kN
RA = RI due to symmetry, so RA = RI = 150kN .

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.16/33

 We now introduce a cut through the truss and consider the
free body diagram of the left part. It must be in equilibrium.

Three unknown member forces appear, which can be

determined using the three equations of equilibrium.
However, we only need FDF .
If we take moments about E , FDF is the only unknown.
y This is why the particular cut (section) was chosen.
A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.17/33
 The moments about E of FEF , FEG and the second 100kN
load are zero. The moment equation then becomes:
ΣMEy = 150 · 10 − 100 · 5 + FDF · 5 · sin 600 = 0
−→ FDF = (−1500 + 500)/4.33 = −231.0kN (compressive).

You can check that this is the same result that the method
of joints gave.

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.18/33

 The point about which we take moments does not have to
be part of the free body diagram!

We now cut through members DE and CE . They share

joint E , so the moment of FDE and FCE about E is zero.
The moment equation is the same as before:
ΣMEy = 150 · 10 − 100 · 5 + FDF · 5 · sin 600 = 0
−→ FDF = (−1500 + 500)/4.33 = −231.0kN (compressive).
A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.19/33
 Recap: the procedure for using the method of sections is:
y Draw the free body diagram of the truss and calculate
the reactions at the supports.
y Cut the truss in two, using a section that passes
through the member of interest, and draw the free body
diagram of one part of the truss.
w Some of the forces the section exposes will not be of
interest. Choose the section so that the moments of
these forces about a specific point vanish.
w Take moments about that point to calculate the
unknown force through the member of interest.
w Draw unknown member forces as tensile.
w A positive member force means tension.
w A negative member force means compression.
A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.20/33
 Two more examples
Calculate the force F through the member shown.

Consider the section shown on the right. It goes through

the member of interest, but exposes two unwanted
unknown forces. However, they both pass through point X .
y We draw the free body diagram of the left part and take
moments about X . The moment of the unwanted forces
is zero.

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.21/33

 Imagining how the truss will deform, we expect F tensile.

Taking moments about X :

ΣMX y = F cos θ · 1.5 + F sin θ · 2.0 − 45 · 5.5 = 0

But tan θ = 1.5/2.0 −→ θ = 36.90

Then ΣMX
y = 2.4 · F − 45 · 5.5 = 0 −→ F = 103.1kN (tension)

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.22/33

 Calculate the force through all members of the truss shown.
(Which members do you expect to be in tension and which
in compression?)

We use the method of joints. We first consider the free body

diagram shown on the right and calculate the reactions.
ΣFy = VA − 5 − 5 = 0 −→ VA = 10kN
ΣMAx = HC · 2 − 5 · 2 − 5 · 4 = 0 −→ HC = 15kN

ΣFx = HA + HC = 0 −→ HA = −15kN
A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.23/33
 Joint E :

ΣFy = FEB sin 450 = 5 −→ FEB = 7.071kN (tension)

ΣFx = FED + FEB cos 450 = 0 −→ FED = −5kN (compr.)

Joint B :
ΣFy = FBD + FBE cos 450 = 0
−→ FBD = −5kN (compr.)
ΣFx = FBA − FBE sin 450 = 0
−→ FBA = 5kN (tension)
A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.24/33
 Joint D:

ΣFy = FDB + FDA sin 450 − 5 = 0 → FDA = 14.14kN (tension)

ΣFx = FDC + FDA cos 450 − FDE = 0 → FDC = −15kN (cmp.)

Show, as a check that the calculations are correct, that

nodes A and C are also in equilibrium.

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.25/33

 Statical (in)determinacy revisited
y Statically determinate structure.
w The equations of equilibrium suffice to calculate the
unknown actions.
y Statically indeterminate structure.
w Too many constraints for equilibrium to suffice.
y Mechanism.
w Too few constraints! The structure cannot reach
equilibrium and is unstable.

We differentiate external from internal determinacy:

External:
refers to the reactions of a structure.
Internal:
refers to the actions through its members.
A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.26/33
 y
This truss is externally statically indeterminate.
There are 4>3 reactions. Not all can be calculated.
y If these were known, all members could be solved for.

y
This truss is internally statically indeterminate.
There are 3 reactions, so all can be calculated.
y Some members cannot be solved for.
A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.27/33
 What are the implications of statical (in)determinacy?

y Statically determinate structures are more tolerant:

small changes of their configuration do not introduce
additional loads.
w Temperature variations.
w Small mismatches at member connections.
w Small differential settlement of the foundations.
(“Small” changes means that it is still valid to consider
equilibrium of the undeformed structure)

y In a statically indeterminate structure, any of the above

introduces additional loads.

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.28/33

 How do we decide on statical determinacy?

y We count how many unknowns we have (U ).

y We count how many equations we can write (E).
w U > E: Statically indeterminate.
w U = E: Statically determinate.
w U < E: Mechanism!
However, the above procedure should not be used as a
substitute for common sense. We should also make sure
that parts of the structure do not form mechanisms, leading
to overall instability.
y Are all members placed where they are needed?
A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.29/33
 Example: The truss shown is statically determinate.

Unknowns: 10 (6 member forces

and 4 reactions).
Equations: 10 (2 for each
of the 5 nodes).

Removal of any single member leads to a mechanism:

(i.e. “there are no redundancies”)

A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.30/33

 11 unknowns, 10 equations:
−→ 1 redundancy.
One of the diagonal bars
on the left could be removed.

11 unknowns, 10 equations:
−→ 1 redundancy.
The lowest bar could be removed.

14 unknowns, 10 equations:
−→ 4 redundancies.
Both supports
on the right and a diagonal
bar on the left could be removed.
A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.31/33
 A word of caution

20 unknowns (4 reactions and 16 members).

20 equations (2 for each one of 10 nodes).
But:
The structure is a mechanism, due to
a missing diagonal member in the third bay!
The second bay has one redundant member.

y Examine whether the parts of a structure

are also connected in a stable way.
y Use your intuition before doing the maths.
A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.32/33
 As an exercise, determine whether the following trusses are
statically determinate or not, the number of redundancies,
and whether they are external or internal.

(a) (b)

(c) (d)
A. Zervos, 2006 3. Trusses CENV1019 Mechanics – p.33/33