School of Civil Engineering

Structural Mechanics
Formative Problem Set 0 Setting-Out Exercise
This set of problems should be completed during the lecture/tutorial session in which it was distributed.
While no marks are assigned to the completion of this exercise, students are to submit their answers at the
end of the session. The lecturer will examine all responses to give some brief group feedback, and will
take note of the students of who submitted this exercise. Please submit your answers on this sheet.
Surname: _______________________________________________

Student Number: _________________________

First name: ______________________________________________

Tutors name: _________________________

It is academic dishonesty to submit this problem on behalf of another person if that person was not present at the tutorial or lecture.

The body shown is a square with sides of length 2 m. A point force of 10 kN

acts at the quarter point of the top edge of the square as shown at an angle of
45 to the horizontal. The object is at rest.
a) Calculate the horizontal and vertical components of the reactions at the
supports.
b) Calculate the magnitude of the total reaction at the left hand support.
c) (Explanation question) If the sides of the square were changed to 4 m (but
the force remain unchanged), how would the answer to (b) above change?
Calculations are not required in answering this question, but use of
diagrams and writing down appropriate equations (without solving them)
may aid the response.

10 kN
L/4

3L/4