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TR0SS STR0CT0RE EXPERINENT
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&!&4!$1 3',!$ *-),
I: INTR0B0CTI0N ANB 0B}ECTIvES
A tiuss is a stiuctuial element composeu of a stable aiiangement of slenuei inteiconnecteu bais
(see Figuie 1). The pattein of bais, which often subuiviues the tiuss into tiiangulai aieas, is
selecteu to piouuce an efficient, lightweight, loau-beaiing membei. Although joints typically foimeu
by weluing oi bolting tiuss bais to gusset plates, aie iigiu, the uesignei noimally assumes that
membeis aie connecteu at joints by fiictionless pins. Since no moment can be tiansfeiieu thiough a
fiictionless pin joint, tiuss membeis aie assumeu to caiiy only axial foice; eithei tension oi
compiession. Because tiuss membeis act in uiiect stiess, they caiiy loau efficiently anu often have
ielatively small cioss sections.
As shown in Figuie 1, the uppei anu lowei membeis, which aie eithei hoiizontal oi sloping, aie
calleu the top anu bottom choius. The choius aie connecteu by veitical anu uiagonal membeis. The
stiuctuial action of many tiusses is similai to that of a beam. As a mattei of fact, a tiuss can often be
vieweu as a beam in which excess mateiial has been iemoveu to ieuuce weight. The choius of a
tiuss coiiesponu to the flanges of a beam. The foices that uevelop in these membeis make up the
inteinal couple that caiiies the moment piouuceu by the applieu loaus. The piimaiy function of the
veitical anu uiagonal membeis is to tiansfei veitical foice (sheai) to the suppoits at the enus of the
tiuss.
ueneially, on a pei pounu basis it costs moie to fabiicate a tiuss than to ioll a steel beam; howevei,
the tiuss will iequiie less mateiial because the mateiial is useu moie efficiently. In a long-span
stiuctuie, say 2uu ft oi moie, the weight of the stiuctuie can iepiesent the majoi poition (on the
oiuei of 7S to 8S peicent) of the uesign loau to be caiiieu by the stiuctuie. By using a tiuss insteau
of a beam, the engineei can often uesign a lightei, stiffei stiuctuie at a ieuuceu cost. Even when
spans aie shoit, shallow tiusses calleu bai joists aie often useu as substitutes foi beams when loaus
aie ielatively light.
The uiagonals of a tiuss typically slope upwaiu at an angle that ianges fiom 4S to 6u. In a long-
span tiuss the uistance between panel points shoulu not exceeu 1S to 2u ft (S to 7 m) to limit the
unsuppoiteu length of the compiession choius, which must be uesigneu as columns. As the
slenueiness of a compiession choiu incieases, it becomes moie susceptible to buckling. The
slenueiness of tension membeis must be limiteu also to ieuuce vibiations piouuceu by winu anu
live loau.
If a tiuss caiiies equal oi neaily equal loaus at all panel points, the uiiection in which the uiagonals
slope will ueteimine if they caiiy tension oi compiession foices. Figuie 4.S, foi example, shows the
uiffeience in foices set up in the uiagonals of two tiusses that aie iuentical in all iespects (same
span, same loaus, anu so foith) except foi the uiiection in which the uiagonals slope (( iepiesents
tension anu 0 inuicates compiession).
S


Figuie 1: Example tiuss stiuctuie with loau cells mounteu
(not the exact stiuctuie you will builu)
II: BACKuR00NB ANB TBE0RY
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A tiuss is completely analyzeu when the magnituue anu sense (tension oi compiession) of all bai
foices anu ieactions aie ueteimineu. To compute ieactions of a ueteiminate tiuss, we tieat the
entiie stiuctuie as a iigiu bouy anu, as uiscusseu in Section S.6, apply the equations of static
equilibiium togethei with any conuition equations that may exist. The analysis useu to evaluate the
bai foices is baseu on the following thiee assumptions:
%A 4678 679 8:76;<=: 6>? @677A B>CA 6D;6C CB6? (i.e., bai foices aie uiiecteu along the longituuinal axis
of tiuss membeis). This assumption also implies that we have neglecteu the ueauweight of the bai.
If the weight of the bai is significant, we can appioximate its effect by applying one-half of the bai
weight as a concentiateu loau to the joints at each enu of the bai.
BA &9EF978 679 @B>>9@:9? :B GB;>:8 FA H7;@:;B>C988 I;>8. That is, no moments can be tiansfeiieu
between the enu of a bai anu the joint to which it connects. If joints aie iigiu anu membeis stiff, the
stiuctuie shoulu be analyzeu as a iigiu fiame.
$A *B6?8 679 6IIC;9? B>CA 6: GB;>:8. As a sign convention (aftei the sense of a bai foice is establisheu)
we label a :9>8;C9 HB7@9 IB8;:;J9 anu a @BEI7988;B> HB7@9 >9<6:;J9.
Bai foices may be analyzeu by consiueiing the equilibiium of a jointthe E9:=B? BH GB;>:8oi by
consiueiing the equilibiium of a section of a tiussthe E9:=B? BH 89@:;B>8.
The methou of joints is baseu on the conclusion that foi a tiuss to be in equilibiium, each of the
joints must be in equilibiium. This means that at a joint, the sum of the foices in the veitical
uiiection must be equal to zeio anu the sum of the foices in the hoiizontal uiiection must be equal
to zeio. Since the analysis is alieauy baseu on assumption 2, the sum of the moments neeu not be
consiueieu. To solve the tiuss using methous of joints, wiite the equilibiium equations in both
uiiections foi all the joints. Aiiange all the equations in a system of simultaneous equations anu
solve the system foi the foices in each membei.
The methou of sections is anothei methou to ueteimine foices in membeis of a tiuss stiuctuie. In
oiuei to finu unknown foices in using the methou of sections, sections of the tiuss stiuctuie must
be isolateu. The net foice on the entiie isolateu section must be zeio since the isolateu section uoes
not move (if it uiu move it woulun't be a statics pioblem). This methou is often fastei because
4

insteau of moving fiom joint to joint with the methou of joints, the membeis of inteiest can be
immeuiately isolateu.

III: EXPERINENTAL PR0CEB0RE
!K3%#&!'( *%1(L
Pait
Besciiption
Quantity
A. #S Beams 12
B. #4 Beams 6
C. #S Beams S
B. #2 Beams 4
E. #1 Beams 2
F. Biackets 14
u. Sciews Su
Loau Cells S
Weights (2uug) 2


C65*,()-,95; ,8. D(9<;.
Constiuct the M6779> tiuss biiuge as shown in figuie 2 anu table 1.
Note that segments AB, BC, BB, CB anu CE contain loau cells. Foi these membeis, sciews aie
inseiteu thiough the beams into the loau cell in oiuei to join the beams of which saiu membeis
aie compiiseu.
Table 1: Beam coue foi each membei of the Tiuss Biiuge.
Segment Beam
B'B' #S (24cm)
C'B' #4
B'C' #4
C'E' #S
S

E'u', Eu #S
B'F', BF #S
B'E', BE #4
E'F', EF #4
F'u', Fu #S
B'B, #S
C'C #S
B'B #S
E'E #S
F'F #S
u'u #S
BC 2x#2
CB 2x#2
BB 2x#S
CE 2x#S
A'B' 2x#1
AB #S


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a. Bang one 2uug loau at B anu anothei 2uug loau at B'. Loosen all the sciews in the stiuctuie
so the membeis aie iesting on theii pins. This will eliminate any extia moments uue to the
sciews. Recoiu the foices in membeis AB, BC, BB, CB anu CE using Bata Stuuio. Be suie to
hit the Taie button at the beginning of each uata collection to zeio out the weight of the
tiuss anu its components.
b. Repeat this pioceuuie foi loaus hung at C anu C', B anu B' anu F anu F'.

BATA ANALYSIS ANB BISC0SSI0N
1. Compaie iesults obtaineu in steps 2.a anu 2.b in the pioceuuie to theoietical iesults
obtaineu fiom using the methou of joints foi this stiuctuie. Take the length of the beams
with the loau cells to be equal to the #S beams (24cm).
2. Comment on the effect of location of the location of the applieu loau on the state of axial
loauing in membeis AB, BC, BB, CB anu CE.
S. Beteimine a location at which the loau can be applieu in oiuei to geneiate
i. Zeio axial loau in Nembei BC
ii. Zeio axial loau in Nembei BB
4. Baseu on the fact that loaus aie symmetiically applieu (equal loau simultaneously applieu
to B anu B' foi example) guess the axial loau in membeis BB', CC', BB', EE', FF', uu' anu BB'.


REFERENCES
%A 8,,3FII89;8.(.<A4-;(0HJ89::A-64I*9,.*I<:I7(..IKKL$%$BMNKI$OO%PBIC803,.(PA3<7
BA Q0*-6 R5*,()-,965 !05)0: K%BJ%KSNST

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MLM 331 1russ SLrucLures LaboraLory-relab
ueparLmenL of Mechanlcal Lnglneerlng and Mechanlcs


















1. a. lor a 200g load acLlng verLlcally downwards aL polnL 8', deLermlne Lhe axlal load ln members A'8',
8'C', 8'u', C'u' and C'L'.
b. 8epeaL Lhls for Lhe load hung aL C', u' and l'.




Member LengLh(cm)
A'8' 11.3
8'C' 17
8'u' 24
C'L' 24
C'u' 17
u'L' 17
u'l' 24
L'l' 17
l'C' 11.3