Lecture 18 Trusses

A truss is an assemblage of members making triangles.

Lecture 18 - Page 1 of 14

Lecture 18 - Page 2 of 14

A triangle is a very stable (i.e., resistant to deflection) shape, much more stable than a rectangular shape as shown below.

Load

Load

Not stable

Stable

The simplest truss imaginable would look like the following:

Load 1 triangle 1

This truss can be further split into additional triangles, with members added to resist applied loads:

Load Load 1 2

Load

Load

Load 2 triangles

Load 4 triangles

Lecture 18 - Page 3 of 14

A truss can be shaped to fit almost any profile as shown below:

Original profile

Load

Load

Load Top chord members

Diagonal members

Trussed profile (8 triangles)

Load

Load

Load

Bottom chord members

Load

Load

Original profile

Trussed profile (8 triangles)

Lecture 18 - Page 4 of 14

Advantages of trusses: Disadvantages of trusses: Can span very long distances (i.e., stadium roof frames are always trusses) Can pass utilities thr u the members Light weight Can use small individual members Labor intensive to build Can feel bouncy (i.e., susceptible to vibration) Needs lateral bracing Difficult to modify Difficult to fireproof

Idealized Truss Assumptions: An idealized truss has the following characteristics: 1) All joints are pinned. A joint is the intersection of the centroid of the members. 2) All truss members act in either compression or tension ONLY. 3) All loads are applied as point loads to the joints.

Stability and Determinacy of Trusses: a) External Determinacy and Stability: Similar to beams, the number and types of supports are used to determine if the truss is statically determinate, statically indeterminate or stable. Some examples are shown below:

Determinate & stable

Indeterminate (horiz)

Unstable (horiz)

Indeterminate (vert. & horiz)

Lecture 18 - Page 5 of 14

b) Internal Determinacy and Stability: The determination of a trusss interior stability and determinacy (which means whether it is statically determinate or statically indeterminate) is based o n: IF: b-2j+3 = 0 truss is statically determinate IF: b-2j+3 < 0 truss is unstable IF: b-2j+3 > 0 truss is statically indeterminate where: b = number bars (members) j = number of joints

Some examples are shown below:

b = 17 j = 10

17-2(10)+3 = 0 Statically Determinate

b = 15 j = 10

15-2(10)+3 = -2 Unstable

b = 14 14-2(8)+3 = 1 j = 8 Statically Indeterminate

Lecture 18 - Page 6 of 14

Truss Analysis Method of Joints This method of truss analysis involves determining the forces entering and leaving the joint. The forces acting at a joint are considered to be resisting forces, i.e., forces that must resist the externally applied forces. Method of Joints Rules: 1. Solve for support reactions first, ignoring the interior truss configuration. 2. The sum of all forces at a joint = 0 F = 0 3. Equal & opposite forces at other end of member 4. Resisting forces conventions within the member: = Compression = Tension 5. Horizontal members can only resist horizontal loads 6. Vertical members can only resist vertical loads 7. Diagonal members can resist horiz. & vert. loads

Example 1 GIVEN: The simple truss shown below. REQUIRED: Determine the forces in ALL of the members, and indicate if the forces are tension or compression.

5-0 A D 12-0 12-0 C

20 kips

Lecture 18 - Page 7 of 14

Step 1 Solve for reactions: B

5-0 A 0 kips 12-0 D 12-0 10 kips 20 kips C

10 kips

By symmetry, the vertical reactions at Joints A and C are each the total = (20 kips) = 10 kips Only the pinned support at Joint A can carry any horizontal loads. Summing forces in the horizontal direction, the horizontal resisting force at Joint A is zero since there are no external horizontal loads. Step 2 Solve Joint A: Make a F.B.D. of Joint A:
13 5 12

Unit triangle

10 kips

Lecture 18 - Page 8 of 14

Remembering that F = 0, sum the vertical forces at the joint:

B
13 5 12

ABv = 10 kips

10 kips

Fv = 0 10 kips up into the joint = 10 kips down into the joint ABv = the vertical force component of member AB = 10 kips Sum the horizontal forces at the joint:
ABh =

B
13 5 12

Similar Triangles 13 12 5

12 (10kips ) 5

= 24 kips

ABv = 10 kips ADh = 24 kips

Diag. force Horz. force

10 k

10 kips

Notice that the arrow for ABv is pointing TOWARD joint A. The arrow for ABh must also point TOWARD joint A. Since there is a force of 24 kips acting from right-to-left, there must also be 24 kips acting from left-to-right. So. the horizontal force ADh = 24 kips. Since member AD is horizontal, it can ONLY carry horizontal loads. Therefore, the force in member AD = 24 kips.

Lecture 18 - Page 9 of 14

Determine the force in member AB:

ABv = 10 kips AB 13 ABh = 24 kips 5 12 ABv = 10 kips

B
ABh = 24 kips

AB

D
AD = 24 kips

10 kips

AB =

13 (10kips) by similar triangles 5 = 26 kips

Summary at Joint A: AD = 24 kips Tension AB = 26 kips Compression

Lecture 18 - Page 10 of 14

Step 3 Solve Joint D: Draw a F.B.D. of Joint D: B

D 20 kips

Remembering that F = 0, sum the vertical forces at the joint: B

BD = 20 kips

D 20 kips

Since the only member that can carry any vertical load at this joint is BD, the force in member BD is 20 kips.

Lecture 18 - Page 11 of 14

Sum the horizontal forces at joint D:

BD = 20 kips

A
AD = 24 kips

C D 20 kips Fh = 0 24 kips from right-to-left = DC DC = 24 kips

DC = 24 kips

Summary at Joint D: BD = 20 kips Tension DC = 24 kips Tension

Lecture 18 - Page 12 of 14

Step 4 Solve Joint B: Make a F.B.D of Joint B:

ABv = 10 kips AB ABh = 24 kips BD = 20 kips

B
BC

BCv = 10 kips

BCh = 24 kips

Check Fv = 0 20 kips down = 10 kips up + BCv BCv = 10 kips up Check Fh = 0 24 kips left = BCh BCh = 24 kips right BC = 26 kips Compression

Lecture 18 - Page 13 of 14

Step 5 Summary Sketch:

B 26 kips (C) 20 kips (T) A 0 kips 24 kips (T) 12-0 D 24 kips (T) 12-0 10 kips 20 kips 26 kips (C) 5-0 C

10 kips

Lecture 18 - Page 14 of 14