FORCE IN A STATICALLY INDETERMINATE

CANTILEVER BEAM
OBJECTIVE
To observe the effect of redundant member in method of analysing type ot
this structure
LEARNING OUTCOME

Application of engineering knowledge in practical application.

To enhance technical competency in structure engineering through
laboratory application.

THEORY
In a statically indeterminate truss, static equilibrium alone cannot be
used to calculated member force. If we were to try, we would find
that there would be too many unknowns and we would not be able
to complete the calculations.
Instead we will use a method known as the flexibility method,
which uses an idea know as strain energy.
The mathematical approach to the flexibility method will be found in
the most appropriate text books.

Figure 1 : Idealised Statically Indetermined Cantilever Truss

Basically the flexibility method uses the idea that energy stored in
the frame would be the same for a given load wheather or not the

redundant member .
In the other words, the external energy = internal energy.
In practise, the loads in the frame are calculated in its released
from (that is, without the redundant member) and then calculated
with a unit load in place of the redundant member. The value for
both are combined to calculate the force in the redundant member

and remaining members.

The redundant member load in given by :

P=

fnl
nl

The remaining member force are then given by :

Member force = Pn + f
Where ,
P = Redundant member load (N)
L = Length of members (as ratio of the shortest)
n = Load in each member die to unit load in place of
redundant member (N)
F = Force in each member when the frame is release
(N)

Figure 2 shows the force in the frame due to the load of 250 N. you
should be able to calculate these values from Experiment : Force in
a statically determinate truss

Figure 2 : Force in The Released Truss

Figure 3 shows the loads in the member due to the unit load being

applied to the frame.

The redundant member is effectively part of the structure as the
idealised in Figure 2.

Figure 3 : forces in The Truss due to the load on the redundant

members

PROCEDURE
1. Wind the thimbweel on the redundante thumbwheel member up to
the boss and hand tighen it. Do not use any tools to tighten
thumbwheel.
2. The pre- load was apply 100 N downward, re- zero the load cell and
carefully zero the digital indicator.
3. The load of 250 N was apply carefully and the frame was check is
stable and secure.
4. The load was return to zero ( leaving the 100 N preload ). Recheck
and re- zero the digital indicator. Never apply loads greater than
those specified on the equipment.
5. The was load was apply in the increment was shown in the table 1,
the strain readings and digital indicator readings was records.
6. Substract the initial (zero) strain reading (be careful with your
signs) and complete table 2.
7. The equipment member force at 250 N was calculate and enter
them into the table 3.
8. The graph of load vs deflection was plot from table 1 on the same
axis as Load vs Deflection when the redundant removed.
9. The calculation for the redundant truss is made much simpler and
easier if the tabular method is used to sum up all of the Fnl and
nl terms.
10.

Refer to table 4 and enter

in the values and carefully calculated the other terms as required.

11.
The result was enter in
Table 3

RESULT
Strain Reading

Digital

Load

Indicato

(N)

r
Reading
(mm)

0
50
100
150
200
250

1
143
155
168
181
195
207

2
229
225
220
215
210
206

3
-24
-32
-41
-50
-59
-67

4
-41
-55
-69
-83
-97
-110

5
88
92
96
101
104
108

6
14
8
1
-6
-12
-19

7
20
32
45
58
71
83

8
23
30
38
45
52
59

-0.098
-0.123
-0.143
-0.167
-0.192
-0.211

Table 1: Strain Reading and Frame Deflection

Load

(N)
0
50
100
150
200
250

0
12
25
38
52
64

0
-4
-9
-14
-19
-23

0
-8
-17
-26
-35
-43

0
-14
-28
-42
-56
-69

0
4
8
13
16
20

0
-6
-13
8
-26
-33

0
12
25
38
51
63

0
7
15
22
29
36

Table 2 : True Strain Reading

Member

Experimental Force

Theoretical Force (N)

(N)
307.78
-110.61
-206.79
331.82
96.18
-158.70
309.97
173.12

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

-375.06
124.94
250
-625.06
-125.06
176.89
354
530.89

Table 3: Measured and Theoretical in the Redundant Cantilever

Truss
Membe
r
1

Length

Fnl

n2l

Pn

Pn + f

-250

0.707

0.5

250

0.707

1
1

250
-500

0
0.707

0.707

0.5

1.414

1.414

7
8

1.414
1.414

354
354

0
1

0
500.5
6
4.828

0
1.414

125.0
6
125.0
6
0
125.0
6
125.0
6
176.8
9
0
176.8
9

375.0
6
124.9
4

3
4

176.7
5
176.7
5
0
353.5

Total

854.0
6

0.5

0
0.5

Table 4 : Table for calculating the force in the redundant truss

P=

Total Fnl
Total n 2l

250
625.0
6
125.0
6
176.8
9
354
530.8
9

854.06
4.828

= 176.89 N

Calculate For Experimental Force ( Load = 250 N )

Load
(N)
0
250
250

143
207
64

229
206
-23

-24
-67
-43

-41
-110
-69

88
108
20

14
-19
-33

20
83
63

23
59
36

Given
Area,

A= d 2 /4

= (5.4) / 4

Esteel = 2.10 x 105N/mm2

AE = 22.9 x 2.10 x 105 = 4.809 x 106

Member 1
F = AE
= (4.809 x 106 )(64 x 10-6)
= 307.78 N

= 22.9 mm2

Member 2
F = AE
= (4.809 x 106 )(-23 x 10-6)
= -110.61 N

Member 3
F = AE
= (4.809 x 106 )(-43 x 10-6)
= -206.79 N

Member 4
F = AE
= (4.809 x 106 )(-69 x 10-6)
= 331.82 N

Member 5
F = AE
= (4.809 x 106 )(20 x 10-6)
= 96.18 N

Member 6
F = AE
= (4.809 x 106 )(-33 x 10-6)
= -158.70 N

Member 7

F = AE
= (4.809 x 106 )(63 x 10-6)
= 309.97 N

Member 8
F = AE
= (4.809 x 106 )(36 x 10-6)
= 173.12 N

Calculation For Theoretical Force (250 N)

0.245

0.245

Mb = 0
-HA (0.245) + 250 (0.49) = 0
-HA (0.245) = -122.5
-HA = -500
HA = 500 N

0.245

Hx = 0
HA = HB
HB = 500 N

HY = 0
RB = 250 N

Joint A
FAB

500

FAE

FY = 0

FX = 0

FAB = 0

FAE + 500 = 0
FAE = -500

Joint B
250
500

FBC

FBE COS 45

FBE

FBE SIN 45

FBA
FY = 0
FBE sin 45 + 0 = 250
FBE = 353.55 N

FX = 0
FBC + FBE cos 45 = 500
FBC + 353.55 cos 45 = 500
FBC = 500 250
FBC = 250 N
Joint E
FEC
FEB (353.55)

FEA (500)

FED

FY = 0
FEC + 353.55 sin 45 = 0
FEC = -250 N
FX = 0
FED = -500 + 353.55 cos 45
FED = -250 N

Joint D
FDC

FDE (500)

D
250

FY = 0
FDC sin 45 = 250
FDC = 353.55 N
FX = 0
FDE +353.55 cos 45 = 0
FDE = -250 N
Calculation for n

Member A

Member B

1 sin 45 + FAB = 0

FAE = - 1 cos 45

FAB = - 0.707

FAE = - 0.707

FBE sin 45 0.707 = 0

FBE sin 45 = 0.707

FBC + 1 cos 45 = 0
FBC = -0.707

FBE = 1

Member c

FCD cos 45 = - 0.707 + 1 cos 45

FCE + 0 sin 45 + 1 sin 45 = 0

FCD cos 45 = - 0.707 + 0.707

FCE = - 0.707

FCD = 0

Member D = 0

Member E

FEB cos 45 0.707 = 0

FEC + 1 sin 45 = 0

FEB cos 45 = 0.707

FEC = - 0.707

FEB = 1

DISCUSSION
1. From table 3, compare your answer to the experimental values. Comment on the
accuracy of your result
Refer to the table 3, the value in experimental force were different with the theoretical
value. It maybe because of parallax error with the equipment not going well while
experiment and also the error comes from the environment in the lab where the
equipment were sensitive with wind and vibration
2. Compare all of the member forces and the deflection to those from statically
determinate frame. Comment on them in terms of economy and safety of the
structure.
There have positive and negative force with tension and compression at all member.
Some structures are built with more than this minimum number of truss members.
Those structures may survive even when some of the members failure or deflection.
This is because their member forces depend on the relative stiffness of the members to

equilibrium condition described. These can be economy for structure. Failure occurs
when the load (L) effect exceeds the ability (R) of the structure. The safety of the
structure is should be R>L.
3. What problem could you for seen if you were to use a redundant frame in a real
life application.
The structure will be failed if the loads are more than the ability. By my knowledge,
the redundant frame always we can see in a bridge construction. The reason of that
are, redundant frame is used to give the stability of the bridge structure also when we
added redundancy in the structural system, there is an increase in the overall factor of
safety and the redundant frame are useable for aesthetic value of the structure.

CONCLUSION

For this experiment, to evaluate the data from the trusses, we use the different loads starting
with 50N, 100N, 150N, 200N and last 250N. The most important of these criteria is the
structure will able to carry load safely. The limit load for this experiment is 350N. The result
to evaluate of structural safety can only be done mathematically and the experimental force
data was collected from digital reading of equipment. And the value of experimental is
compared with the theoretical force value that be done manually as we studied in analysis
structure module.
Mostly the data that we get from the digital reading is different with the data that we calculate
manually because of the parallax error of the equipment. The equipment is not in a good
condition while we do the experiment. So that, in real life, it will be unsafe effect for the
structural engineer to evaluate a bridge design by a full-size prototype.

APPENDIX

REFERENCES

1) Book
Analysis Structure Module
Nota Mekanik Bahan dan Struktur ( Writer: Yusof B. Ahmad)

Force in Statically Determinate Cantilever Truss Report

2) Internet
http://www.engineering.uiowa.edu/~design1/StructuralDesignII/Chapter5ForceMethod.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truss
http://www.ce.memphis.edu/3121/notes/notes_03b.pdf
http://www.egr.msu.edu/classes/me371/hinds/ME221/HW
%20Solutions/HW11.pdf