Structural Environments (Assignment 1) Pui Teng Yap (627200)

(1)
The brige incorporates a Pratt truss esign! "here it consists o# upper an lo"er chors that
are connecte b$ vertical an iagonal members% The upper chor is t$picall$ uner
compression! an the lo"er chor uner tension% &oa #orces are e'erte to the each
iniviual panel (oints! "hereas reaction #orces are onl$ e'erte at the en supports o# the
lo"er chor o# the truss% The iagonal members "ithstan shear #orces bet"een the chors
throughout the truss span! thus preventing the centre o# the truss #rom sin)ing uner heav$
loa #orces% *n the mile section! there are t"o iagonals members that intersect at each
irection! "here onl$ one iagonal member is uner tension #orce an the other "ill be in
+ero #orce% This is ue to the #act that moving loa #orces are not uni#orml$ istribute across
the span! thus resulting in tension at onl$ one set o# iagonal members as the loa moves% The
shorter vertical members are commonl$ uner compression! "here the$ ai in bracing the
chors to ensure stabilit$ o# the truss% ,verall! the Pratt truss esign enable #or greater span
strength "ith less material re-uirement! "hich conse-uentl$ allo"e #or a more economical
esign #or briges% Since it is a rail"a$ unerbrige spanning over a river! it "oul re-uire
materials su##icient to "ithstan heavier loas regularl$% .ence! it can be surmise that
structural steel "as utilise in constructing the brige! ue to its high tensile an compressive
strength capacit$ as "ell as better economic value%
As #or the imensions o# the truss brige! it is estimate that the brige is /6m in length span
an 0m in height over the supports! "hereas the istance bet"een the crests o# the triangles is
an estimate to be 0m apart as sho"n in the #igure above%
(2)
Image 1: Bridge at Bunbury Street, Footscray.
(1elbourne 2niversit$! 2013)
Figure 1: Forces acting upon the truss bridge
(4alvert! 2000)
0m
0m
/6m
Figure 2: Dimensions of the truss bridge
Structural Environments (Assignment 1) Pui Teng Yap (627200)
Thus, w
(3) S)etch o# the truss5
(4)
Structural Environments (Assignment 1) Pui Teng Yap (627200)
(5)
6 0
!
(6) 1etho o# section5
(
Structural Environments (Assignment 1) Pui Teng Yap (627200)
To etermine i# the truss s$stem is eterminate! the e-uation is use! "here m 6
no% o# members! 6 no% o# (oints! r 6 no% o# support reactions%
Thus! the truss s$stem is ineterminate%
*n orer to turn the truss s$stem into a eterminate s$stem! "e have to arbitraril$ reconsier
one member to have +ero #orce ("hich conse-uentl$ means removing it #rom the truss
s$stem)% As such! hence resulting in #orces "ithin the section as sho"n belo"%

(7) 1etho o# (oints5

7oint A
0m
0m
Structural Environments (Assignment 1) Pui Teng Yap (627200)
7oint 8
7oint 9
7oint 1
7oint 4
Structural Environments (Assignment 1) Pui Teng Yap (627200)
7oint &
7oint :