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Every truss member is identified as a truss element. Each truss element is in direct
tension or compression. In a truss element all the loads and reactions are applied only at
Hence we may define a truss element as a two nodded element having two degrees of
freedom at each node. As shown in fig., for node ‘i’ the d.o.f. no. along the horizontal and
vertical directions are 2i-1 & 2i resp. the corresponding displacements at node i are
Compared to the 1D problems, plane truss may make inclination θ° with X-axis or (90-
θ)° with y axis. We may define local & global co-ordinates for a truss element. The local
co-ordinate system has only one co-ordinate x1 which is located along the truss element
axis. The global co-ordinate system has 2 co-ordinates x & y of cartesian co-ordinate
system.
x11 q4 sin θ
q21
q3cos θ
2
θ q4
2 q3
y q2sin θ
Deformed Element
q1cos θ q11
1
q1 = q1cos θ + q2 sin θ
1 q2 q21 = q3cos θ + q4sin θ
θ
x 1
q1
Fig.2.1 Local coordinates & Global coordinates of truss element
Let q11& q12 be the displacement of nodes 1 & 2, respectively in the local co-ordinate
system. Hence, the element displacement vector in the local co-ordinate system is
denoted by
q11
{q1} = q12
In terms of global co-ordinate system, q1 & q2 are the displacements of node 1 along x &
cosθ sinθ 0 0 q1
1
q1 q2
= 0 0 cosθ
q12 q3
sinθ
q4
It may be noted that the truss element is a 1D structural element when viewed in the local co-
Since we know only global co-ordinates, we would like to express the element stiffness
Consider the strain energy of the element. In terms of local co-ordinates it can be given as
∴ {q1}T = {q}T[l]T
Ue = ½ {q}T[l]T[ke1][l]{q}
=1/2 { q }T [ ke1 ] { q }
T
where [ ke ] = [ L ] [ ke1 ] [ L ] is the element stiffness matrix in terms of the global
coordinates.
l 0
1 -1 l m 0 0
m 0 AE/le
[ke] = -1 1
0 l
0 0 l m
0 m
l2 lm -l2 -lm
lm m2 -lm -m2
∴ [ke] = AE/le
-l2 -lm l2 lm
-lm -m2 lm m2
q11
= [-1 1]/ le
q12
= [-1 1]/ le [ L ] { q }
σ = Ee E
= E/le[-1 1] [ L ] { q }
= E/le {-l -m l m} { q }