ENGINEERING MECHANICS STATIC

Trusses

Simple trusses
The basic element of a truss is the triangle, three bars joined by pins at their
ends, fig. a below, constitutes a rigid frame. The term rigid is used to mean
noncollapsible and also to mean that deformation of the members due to induced
internal strains is negligible. On the other hand, four or more bars pin-jointed to
form a polygon of as many sides constitute a nonrigid frame. We can make the
nonrigid frame in fig. b rigid, or stable, by adding a diagonal bar joining A and D
or B and C and thereby forming two triangles. We can extend the structure by
adding additional units of two end-connected bars, such as DE and CE or AF and
DF, fig c, which are pinned to two fixed joints. In this way the entire structure will
remain rigid.

Asst. lecturer Sarmed A. Salih

Page 42

ENGINEERING MECHANICS STATIC

Structures built from a basic triangle in the manner described are known as
simple trusses. To design a truss we must first determine the forces in the various
members and then select appropriate sizes and structural shapes to withstand the
forces. Several assumptions are made in the force analysis of simple trusses. First,
we assume all members to be two-force members. A two-force member is one in
equilibrium under the action of two forces only. Each member of a truss is he two
points of application of force. The two forces are applied at the ends of the member
and are necessarily equal, opposite, and collinear for equilibrium.
The member may be in tension or compression, as shown in fig. below.
When we represent the equilibrium of a portion of a two-force member, the tension
T or compression C acting on the cut section is the same for all sections. We
assume here that the weight of the member is small compared with the force it
supports. If it is not, or if we must account for the small effect of the weight, we
can replace the weight W of the member by two forces, each W/2 if the member is
uniform, with one force acting at each end of the member, these forces, in effect,
are treated as loads externally applied to the pin connections. Accounting for the
weight of a member in this way gives the correct result for the average tension or
compression along the member but will not account for the effect of bending of the
member.

Asst. lecturer Sarmed A. Salih

Page 43

ENGINEERING MECHANICS STATIC

EX 14
Compute the force in each member of the loaded cantilever truss.
Sol
The first step will be to compute the forces at D and E
from the free-body diagram of the truss as a whole. The
equations of equilibrium give.
0E = 0
T5 - 205 - 3010 = 0

T = 80 kN

)X = 0
80 cos 30 - EX = 0

EX = 69.3 kN

)Y = 0
80 sin 30+ EY - 20 - 30 = 0

EY = 10 kN

Equilibrium for Joint A gives.

)Y = 0
AB sin 60 - 30 = 0

AB = 34.6 kN T

)X = 0
AC 34.6 cos 60 = 0

AC = 17.32 kN C

Where T stands for tension and C stands for compression

Equilibrium for Joint B gives.
)Y = 0
BC sin 60 - 43.6 sin 60 = 0

BC = 34.6 kN C

)X = 0
BD 234.6 cos 60 = 0

Asst. lecturer Sarmed A. Salih

BD = 34.6 kN T

Page 44

ENGINEERING MECHANICS STATIC

Equilibrium for Joint C gives.

)Y = 0
CD sin 60 - 34.6 sin 60 - 20 = 0

CD = 57.7 kN T

)X = 0
CE 17.32 - 34.6 cos 60 - 57.7 cos 60 = 0
:. CE = 63.5 kN C
Equilibrium for Joint E gives.
)Y = 0
DE sin 60 - 10 = 0

DE = 11.55 kN C

For check we us the

)X = 0
69.3 - 63.5 - 11.55 cos 60 = 0

EX 15
Determine the force in each member of the loaded truss.
Equilibrium for Joint C gives.
)Y = 0
CD sin 30 - 3 = 0

CD = 6 kN C

)X = 0
6 cos 30 BC = 0

BC = 5.2 kN T

BC

30
CD
3 kN

Asst. lecturer Sarmed A. Salih

Page 45

ENGINEERING MECHANICS STATIC

Equilibrium for Joint D gives.
)X = 0

BD

DE sin 60 6 sin 60 = 0

DE

DE = 6 kN C

60 60 6 kN

)Y = 0
BD - 6 cos 60 - 6 cos 60 = 0

BD = 6 kN T

Equilibrium for Joint B gives.

)Y = 0

AB

AB sin30 6 = 0

AB = 12 kN T

BE 30

5.2 kN

)X = 0
BE + 5.2 - 12 cos 30 = 0

6 kN

BE = 5.2 kN C

Equilibrium for Joint E gives.

AE

)Y = 0
6 sin30 - AE = 0

AE = 3 kN T

30

5.2 kN
5.

6 kN

Asst. lecturer Sarmed A. Salih

Page 46

ENGINEERING MECHANICS STATIC

H.W
1. Determine the force in each member of the simple equilateral truss.
[J. L. Merim (4-1)]

Ans. AB = 736 N T, AC = 368 N T, BC = 736 N C

2. Determine the force in each member of the loaded truss. All triangles are
equilateral. [J. L. Merim (4-9)]

Ans. AB = 15.588 kN C, AE = 8.66 kN T

BC = 5 kN C, BD = 5.2 kN C, BE = 4 kN C
CD = 7.5 kN T, DE = 6.35 kN T
3. A snow load transfers the forces shown to the upper joints of a Pratt roof
truss. Neglect any horizontal reactions at the supports and solve for the
forces in all members. [J. L. Merim (4-17)]

Ans.
AB = DE = BC = CD = 3.35 kN C
AH = EF = 3 kN T, BH = DF = 1 kN C
CF = CH = 1.414 kN T, FG = GH = 2 kN T

Asst. lecturer Sarmed A. Salih

Page 47