DJJ 3053 - ENGINEERING MECHANICS

(STATICS)

CHAPTER 4
STRUCTURES

Prepared by:
SYIFA’ BINTI ABDULLAH
Mechanical Engineering Department
Politeknik Merlimau
 OBJECTIVES

• To understand basic concept of trusses.

• To show how to determine the forces in the

members of a truss using the method of
joints and the method of sections.

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 CONTENTS
• Simple trusses
• The method of joints
• The method of sections

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 Simple trusses
• Trusses
 A structure composed of slender members
joined together at their end points.
 The members commonly used in construction
consists of wooden struts or metal bars.
 The truss usually lie in a single plane and are
often used to support roofs and bridges and the
load is transmitted to the truss at the joints.
 The analysis of the forces developed in the truss
members will be two-dimensional.

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  When a bridge / roof trusses extend over large
distances, a rocker / roller is commonly used for
supporting one end which allows freedom for
expansion or contraction of the members.

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• Simple truss
 A truss constructed by expanding the basic
triangular truss using two more members and
connecting it to a new joint.
 Basic triangular truss: Three members
connected at their ends by pin and form a rigid
triangular truss.

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• Assumptions for design
 All loadings are applied at the joints. The weight
of the members is neglected because the force
supported by each member is usually much
larger than its weight.
 The members are joined together
by smooth pins.
 The force acting at each end of the
member will be directed along the
axis of the member.
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• Support reactions
Support / connection Reaction

Roller / rocker
Force with known line
of action

Smooth pin /
hinge

Two unknowns force: Fx and Fy

Fixed pin
Two force components
and couple moment

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 Method of Joints
• To determine the force in each of its members.
• This method is based on the fact that if the entire
truss is in equilibrium, then each of its joints is also
in equilibrium.
• The free-body diagram of each joint is drawn and
the force equilibrium equations are used to obtain
the member forces acting on each joint.
• Example: consider the pin at joint B of the truss.
Three forces act on the pin; 500N, member BA and
member BC.

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• The free-body diagram at joint B

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• Procedure for analysis
 Draw the free-body diagram of a joint having at least one known
force and at most two unknown forces. (if this joint is at one of the
supports, then it may be necessary first to calculate the external
reactions at the support.)
 Establish the sense of an unknown force using inspection or assume
to be in tension.
 Orient the x and y axes such that the forces on the free-body
diagram can be easily resolved into their x and y components and
then apply the two force equilibrium equations ΣF𝑥=0 and ΣF𝑦=0.
Solve for the two unknown member forces and verify their correct
sense.
 Using the calculated results, continue to analyze each of the other
joints.

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• Example 1: Determine the force in each member of
the truss shown in figure below and indicate
whether the members are in tension or
compression.

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• Example 2: Determine the force in each member of
the truss shown in figure below and indicate
whether the members are in tension or
compression.

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 ZERO-FORCE MEMBER
• If only two members form a truss joint and no
external load or support reaction is applied to the
joint, the two members must be zero-force
members.

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• If three members form a truss joint for which two
of the members are collinear, the third member is a
zero-force member provided no external force or
support reaction is applied to the joint.

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• Example:

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 METHOD OF SECTIONS
• To find the force in only a few members of a truss.
• It is based on the fact that if the entire truss is in
equilibrium, then any segment of the truss is also in
equilibrium.
• Used to “cut” or section the members of an entire
truss. Then the equations of equilibrium are
applied to determine the member forces at the
“cut” section.
• The member forces acting on one part of the truss
are equal but opposite to those acting on the other
part.
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• Example: three unknown forces FBC, FGC and FGF can
be obtained by applying the three equilibrium
equations. (ΣF𝑥=0, ΣF𝑦=0, ΣMo=0).

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• Procedure for analysis
 Determine the truss’s support reactions.
 Make a decision on how to “cut” or section the truss through the
members where forces are to be determined.
 Draw the free-body diagram of that segment of the sectioned truss
which has the least number of forces acting on it.
 Apply the equations of equilibrium to that part to determine the
member forces at the “cut section”. Σ 𝐹𝑥=0 ; Σ 𝐹𝑦=0 ; Σ 𝑀𝑜=0.
 If possible, sum forces in a direction that is perpendicular to two of
the three unknown forces. This will yield a direct solution for the
third force.
 Sum moments about the point where the lines of action of two of
the three unknown forces intersect, so that the third unknown
force can be determined.

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• Example 3: determine the force in members GE, GC
and BC of the truss shown in figure below. Indicate
whether the members are in tension or
compression.

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