CVG2149 – LEC2

Civil Engineering Mechanics

• Analysis of Structures
• TRUSSES
• CABLES

Trusses and Frames

• For the equilibrium of structures made of several
connected parts, the internal forces as well the external
forces are considered.

• In the interaction between connected parts, Newton’s 3rd

Law states that the forces of action and reaction
between bodies in contact have the same magnitude,
same line of action, and opposite sense.

• Three categories of engineering structures are considered:

a) Frames: contain at least one multi-force member,
i.e., member acted upon by 3 or more forces.
b) Trusses: formed from two-force members, i.e.,
straight members with end point connections
c) Machines: structures containing moving parts
designed to transmit and modify forces.

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 TRUSSES:

• Simple trusses are composed of two force members joined at their ends and
able of supporting tension or compression .

• Each internal force is always in the direction of the line joining the end
points of a member (along the structural member) .
•Simple truss is formed by adding basic rigid (triangle or tetrahedron) trusses.

•The joints of simple trusses are assumed to be pin connections (plane

trusses) or ball-and-socket connection for space trusses.
• The joints can transmit forces but not moments .
• External loads are assumed to be applied only at the joints.

Analysis of Trusses: 1. Method of Joints

• Dismember the truss and create a free body
diagram for each member and pin.

• The two forces exerted on each member are

equal, have the same line of action, and
opposite sense.

• Forces exerted by a member on the pins or

joints at its ends are directed along the member
and equal and opposite.

• Conditions of equilibrium on the pins provide

2n equations for 2n unknowns. For a simple
truss, 2n = m + 3. May solve for m member
F y 0 n pins
forces and 3 reaction forces at the supports.
F x 0 2n equations
2n unknowns • Conditions for equilibrium for the entire truss
provide 3 additional equations which are not
independent of the pin equations.

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 Joints Under Special Loading Conditions
• Forces in opposite members intersecting in
two straight lines at a joint are equal.
• The forces in two opposite members are
equal when a load is aligned with a third
member. The third member force is equal
to the load (including zero load).
• The forces in two members connected at a
joint are equal if the members are
aligned and zero otherwise.

If P =0, then
FAC=0 – redundant element

Pin A in equilibrium Pin A unstable

Solving Trusses: 2. Method of Sections

• When the force in only one member or the

forces in a very few members are desired, the
method of sections works well.

• To determine the force in member BD, pass a

section through the truss as shown and create
a free body diagram for the left side.

• With only three members cut by the section,

the equations for static equilibrium may be
applied to determine the unknown member
forces, including FBD.

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 METHOD of SECTIONS

•1. Section the truss by cutting no more than three elements.

•2. Select entire section as a free body diagram and analyze the equilibrium
under the action of non-concurrent forces.

[in the method of joints the forces were concurrent in one point-joint ] .

3. Assume tension or compression internal forces for the elements cut.

4. The isolated section is considered as a single body and equilibrium .

COMMENTS regarding the Method of Sections :

Equilibrium of moments can be applied for the respective section

[considered as a single body].

Easier then the method of joints when only forces in a certain

location are required .

For very complicated trusses the two methods can be combined.

Forces acting on a section which cuts more than three unknown

members of a plane truss cannot be solved - on the three
independent equations of equilibrium

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 Determine the forces in members EG and GI in the truss shown
below.

125 kN 125 kN
1. Free body diagram
72 kN
125 kN 125 kN
3.0 m

72 kN

2.4 m 2.4 m 2.4 m 2.4 m 2.4 m

125 kN 125 kN
2. Section the truss by cutting
72 kN
elements: EG, EF, DF and GI,
HI, HJ.

72 kN
102.5 kN 147.5 kN

3. Assume internal forces of tension or compression in

sectioned elements
125 kN

72 kN
3.0 m

72 kN
2.4 m 147.5 kN
102.5 kN

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 4. Solve the truss by determining the equilibrium in the
sectioned points
125 kN

72 kN
102.5 kN

72 kN

147.5 kN

Types of structures:

• Other structures:

– Cables: flexible members capable of withstanding

only tension and designed to support either
concentrated or distributed loads

– Beams: longer straight prismatic members designed

to support loads applied at various points along the
member.

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 Cables supporting loads
Concentrated load Parabolic cable
(Uniformly distributed on the horizontal )

PARABOLA

Distributed load Catenary cable

(uniformly distributed along the cable)

Cables With Concentrated Loads

• Cables are applied as structural elements
in suspension bridges, transmission lines,
aerial tramways, guy wires for high
towers, etc.
• For analysis, assume:
a) concentrated vertical loads on given
vertical lines,
b) weight of cable is negligible,
c) cable is flexible, i.e., resistance to
Assumptions for concentrated load : bending is small,
• The portion of cable between two points is d) portions of cable between successive
assumed as 2-force member (truss). loads may be treated as two force
• Internal forces will be tensions along the cable members
• Determine the shape of cable, i.e.,
We have four unknowns Ay, Ax, By, Bx
and only three equilibrium equations. vertical distance from support A to each
We need information about shape load point.
(position of points )

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 • Consider entire cable as free-body. Slopes of
cable at A and B are not known - two
reaction components required at each
support. Internal forces will be tensions along
the cable.
• Four unknowns are involved and three
equations of equilibrium are not sufficient
to determine the reactions. We need
information about shape (position of points )

• Additional equation is obtained by

considering equilibrium of portion of cable
AD and assuming that coordinates of point D
on the cable are known. The additional
equation is  M D  0.
• For other points on cable,
 M C2  0 yields y2
 Fx  0,  Fy  0 yield Tx , T y
• Tx  T cos  Ax  constant

Consider portion AD as a rigid body and

determine the free body diagram

From equilibrium of moments in D, obtain

reactions in A: Ax, Ay. Distance y can be found

(Is possible only if we have information about point

D – position )
Therefore we need to know the shape of the
deformed cable

Consider AC2 as a rigid body ->

Equilibrium of moments we obtain y2
Equilibrium of forces on x and y we obtain
tension : T cos   A x

Horizontal tension is the same at any point of

the cable

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 APPLICATION
SOLUTION:
• Determine reaction force components at
A from solution of two equations formed
from taking entire cable as free-body
and summing moments about E, and
from taking cable portion ABC as a free-
body and summing moments about C.

• Calculate elevation of B by considering

The cable AE supports three vertical
AB as a free-body and summing
loads from the points indicated. If
moments B. Similarly, calculate
point C is 1.5 m below the left
elevation of D using ABCD as a free-
support, determine (a) the elevation
body.
of points B and D, and (b) the
maximum slope and maximum • Evaluate maximum slope and
tension in the cable. maximum tension which occur in DE.

Determine the elevation at points B. and D.

Determine the maximum slope and

maximum tension in the cable

1. Free-body diagram for entire cable

2. Free-body diagram for ABC

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• Calculate elevation of B by considering AB
as a free-body and summing moments B.

Equilibrium of moments at B.

Similarly, calculate elevation of D using

ABCD as a free-body.

Equilibrium of moments at D.

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• Evaluate the maximum tension and the
max slope for the segment DE.

4.25m   43.4
tan  
4.5m

81 Tmax  111 .6kN

Tmax 
cos

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 Cables With Distributed Loads
• For cable carrying a distributed load:
a) cable hangs in shape of a curve
b) internal force is a tension force directed along
tangent to curve.
• Consider free-body for portion of cable extending
from lowest point C to given point D. Forces are
horizontal force T0 at C and tangential force T at D.
• From force triangle:
T cos   T0 T sin   W
W
T  T02  W 2 tan  
T0
• Horizontal component of T is uniform over cable.
• Vertical component of T is equal to magnitude of W
measured from lowest point.
• Tension is minimum at lowest point and maximum
at A and B.

1. Parabolic Cable
• Consider a cable supporting a uniform, horizontally
distributed load, e.g., support cables for a
suspension bridge.

• With loading on cable from lowest point C to a

Assume origin in the lowest
point D given by W  wx , internal tension force
point of cable magnitude and direction are
wx
From law of triangle: T  T 2  w 2 x 2
0 tan  
T0

• Summing moments about D,

x
MD  0: wx  T0 y  0
2
or
wx 2
Solving for y: y 
2T0
The cable forms a parabolic curve.

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Ex1: A steam pipe weighting 50N/m passes between two buildings 18 m apart and is
supported by a system of cables as shown. Assuming that the weight of the cable is
equivalent to a uniformly distributed loading of 7.5 N/m, determine:
(a) the location of the lowest point C of the cable,
(b) the maximum tension in the cable.

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2. Catenary
• Consider a cable uniformly loaded along the cable
itself, e.g., cables hanging under their own weight.

• With loading on the cable from lowest point C to a

point D given by W  ws , the internal tension force
magnitude is
T
T  T02  w 2 s 2  w c 2  s 2 c 0
w
• To relate horizontal distance x to cable length s,
T0 ds
dx  ds cos  ds 
T 1 s2 c2
s
ds s x
x  c sinh 1 and s  c sinh
0 1 s c 2 2 c c

Catenary
• To relate x and y cable coordinates,
W s x
dy  dx tan   dx  dx  sinh dx
T0 c c
x
x x
y  c   sinh dx  c cosh  c
0 c c
x
y  c cosh
c
which is the equation of a catenary.

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