3DTruss

ProblemStatement:
Considerthetrussbelowwherethesupportsthatlieintheyzplanearefixed.Thetrussmembersare
madeofaluminumwithacrosssectionalareaof1in2andanelasticmodulusof11(10)6psiandofsteel
withacrosssectionalareaof0.5in2andanelasticmodulusof29(10)6psi.Fortheloadingshown,
determinethe
a.
b.
c.
d.

Deflectionsateachnode
Axialforcesineachmember
Axialstressesineachmember
Reactionsatsupports

ANSYSProcedure:
1. Preprocessor>Elementtype>Add/Edit/Delete>(Add)>(Link)>(3Dspar8)>OK
2. Preprocessor>Realconstants>Add/Edit/Delete>(Add)>Type1>OK
(Area=1,Initialstrain=0)>OK
Add/Edit/Delete>(Add)>Type1>OK

(Area=0.5,Initialstrain=0)>OK
3. Preprocessor > Material properties > Material models > Structural > Linear > Elastic > Isotropic
EnterEX=10 6PRXY=0.3(Poissionsratioisnotreallyusedforthiselement)

4. FromMaterialmodelwindowmenu:Selectnewmodel>Definematerialid2>OK
Materialproperties>Materialmodels>Structural>Linear>Elastic>Isotropic
EnterEX=29 6 andPRXY=0.3

5. Preprocessor>Modeling>Create>Nodes>InactiveCS

Node
xcoordinate
ycoordinate
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
0
60
4
96
30

6. UtilityMenu:Plotctrls>Numbering>(turnNODE=on)
7. UtilityMenu:List>Nodes
8. UtilityMenu:Plotctrls>Pan,Zoom,Rotate,ClickISO

zcoordinate
24
24
0
0

9. Preprocessor>Modeling>Create>
Elements>Elementattributes(Makesure
Material1andRealconstantset1are
active)forcreatingaluminumtruss
members
Preprocessor>Modeling>Create>
Elements>Autonumbered>Thrunodes
Element Node
Node

1
1
3
Apply
2
3
2
Apply
3
2
1
Apply
4
1
4
Apply
5
2
4
Apply

10. Preprocessor>Modeling>Create>
Elements>Elementattributes(Makesure
Material2andRealconstantset2are
active)forcreatingthesteelmember

Preprocessor>Modeling>Create>
Elements>Autonumbered>Thrunodes
Element Node
Node

6
3
4
Apply

Applyingloads:

11. Solution>Defineloads>Apply>Structural
>Displacement>Onnodes
Selectnodes1,2and3>OK>SelectAll
DOF>Constantvalue>Displacementvalue
=0>OK
12. Solution>Defineloads>Apply>Structural
>Force/Moment>Onnodes
(Picknode4>OK>FY>Constantvalue>
1500>OK

13. Solution>Solve>CurrentLS>OK

Postprocessing:
14. GeneralPostproc>Plotresults>Deformed
Shape>(Def+Undefedge)>OK
(noticethatthemaximumdeflectionis
0.0637inches)

15. GeneralPostproc>Listresults>Nodal
solutions>Nodalsolution>DOFsolution>
Displacementvectorsum>OK

16. GeneralPostproc>Elementtable>Definetable>Add
(AVPRIN=1,lab=axialforce>Bysequencenum>SMISC(enter,1)>OK)

17. GeneralPostproc>Elementtable>Definetable>Add
(AVPRIN=1,lab=axstress>Bysequencenum>LS(enter,1)>OK)

18. GeneralPostproc>Elementtable>Listelementtable(Selectthetableyouwanttolist)>OK

19.GeneralPostproc>Elementtable>Plotelementtable>Choosetheitemtoplot>OK

20. UtilityMenu:List>Elements>Nodes>+Attributes+Realconstants

21. General Postproc > List results > Reaction

solution>OK(forsupportreactions)

Summaryofresults

1. Deflectionateachnode
Uy(in)
NODE
Ux(in)
1
0.0000
0.0000
2
0.0000
0.0000
3
0.0000
0.0000
4
0.67046e2
0.63333e1

2.

Uz(in)
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000

Usum (in)
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0.63687e1

Axialforcesandstressesineachmember

Element
Axialforce(lbs) Axialstress(psi)
1
0.0000
0.0000
2
0.0000
0.0000
3
0.0000
0.0000
4
1292.5
1292.5
5
1292.5
1292.5
6
2514.5
5028.9

3.

Reactionsatsupports

Node
Fx(lbs)
1
1200
2
1200
3
2400

FY(lbs)
375
375
750

FZ(lbs)
300
300
0

ThistutorialwasdevelopedbySaiRaviKanthTummalaandDavidHall2008