Last WEEK Summary

 Forces, moments and reactions

 Procedure to draw FBDs
 What are the equilibrium conditions of a 2D
free body?
 How to calculate reaction forces by using
the equilibrium conditions?
This Lecture
 How to calculate forces with each member
of a truss?
 The method of joint
 Strength and Materials

2.

All the lecture notes can be downloaded from Moodle

Pin-joint Frames
(Truss)

The joints are flexible, so allow rotation of

the members

All these trusses are classified as statically

determinate
• All reaction forces
• internal member forces
Can be computed by ONLY considering
equilibrium
2.1 Member forces in trusses
Assumptions:
• Frictionless joints
• Slender members
• External forces applied at the joints
• lightweight

Only axial forces in a truss

member, either tensile or
compressive

If a structure is in equilibrium, any member of it

must maintain in equilibrium
 The Method of Joints
• Satisfying the equilibrium eqns for all the forces on
the pin at each joint of the truss
• Always assume the unknown member forces acting
on a joint to be in tension
• Applications of eqns yields 2 algebraic eqns that can
be solved for the 2 unknowns
y

(i) F x 0

(ii)
F y 0
 The Method of Joints
• Solution of the equilibrium eqns will yield positive
scalars for members in tension & negative for those in
compression
• A +ve answer indicates that the assumed direction is
correct, whereas a –ve answer indicates that the actual
direction must be reversed
• The correct sense of direction of an unknown member
force can in many cases be determined by inspection
compression

tension
 Example
Determine the force in each member of the roof truss as shown. State
whether the members are in tension or compression.

Only the forces in half the members have to be determined as

the truss is symmetric wrt both loading & geometry,
 CE=3cos60=1.5m
Step 1: Calculate the support reactions
1.5m
30o
0.75m 3m

=1.5cos60=0.75m

Fx  0 : Ax  0 : (or simply by inspection!!!!)

Fy  0 : Ay  D y 3kN  3kN  2kN  0 :
M A  0 : 9 D y  3(6  0.75)  2( 4.5)  3(3  0.75)  0 :
D y  4kN : Ay  4kN :
Step 2: Calculate member forces by METHOD OF JOINTS

Consider only the equilibrium of joints A, B, and G,

 Joint A,
(For a pin joint, only two equilibrium equations of forces are
y
used since
a pin does not resist any moment.

Fy  0 : 4  F AGcos 60  0 FAG

30o x
F AG  8kN (c) A
FAB

Fx  0 : FAB  FAG cos 30  0 4kN

FAB   FAG cos 30

 (8) cos 30  6.93kN (T )
Calculate member forces by method
of joints
 Joint G
Fy  0 : FAG=-8kN

 3  FAG cos 60  FGB cos 30  FGF cos 60  0

(I) FGF  3FGB  2  0
Fx  0 :
 FAG cos 30  FGB cos 60  FGF cos
y
30  0
(II) FGB  3FGF  8 3  0 3kN
Solve (i) and (II) : FGF

FGB  2.6kN ( c ) G
30o x

FGF  6.5kN ( c ) FGA =FAG=-8kN

FGB
Calculate member forces by method of joints
 Joint B

Fy  0 : FGB=-2.6kN
FBG cos 30  FBF cos 30  0
FBF   FBG  2.6kN (T )
FAB=6.93kN
(I)

Fx  0 :
 FAB  FBC  FBF cos 60  FBG cos 60  0
y
(II) FBC  0.5FBF  5.63  0
Solve (I) and (II) : FBG=FGB
FBF

FBF  2.6kN (T ) 60o 60o x

B
FBC  4.3kN (T )
FBA= FAB FBC
 Final Solutions FAB=6.93kN
FGB=-2.6kN
FGF=-6.5kN
FAG=-8kN
FBC=4.3kN
FBF=2.68kN

6.93kN (T) 4.3kN (T) 6.93kN (T)

 Summary
The method of joints can only be applied for pin-joint
frames (truss)
The method of joints is normally used for statically
determinate structure.

Tips of using the method of Joints

 Calculate support reaction first; then

 Always start with a joint with only one or two unknown
member forces
 Assuming that all the member forces are tensile
(pointing away from a joint) is recommended.