22 STATICS OF DEFLECTED STRUCTURES

The pressure line is itself a curve of moments, so that the moment on

any vertical member is equal to the vertical component of the pressure
line times the horizontal distance from the pressure line — more accu
rately, from the appropriate string of the pressure line — to the section
considered. On any horizontal member the bending moment is the
horizontal component of the pressure line times the vertical distance

Uniform Load W
i;iuuu;uuuuuuu?uun

f
..

/Hinge* \. ^
/ Pressure Lines \
/ \
/ 1
.«
J a Parabola 1
|fc-

Hinge Hinge — +_: Thrust =-jfW-fc

Fig. 18. \
Pressure Line in a Three-hinged Frame.

from the appropriate string of the pressure line to the section considered.
In general the moment at any point in the structure equal to the force

is
represented by the corresponding string of the pressure line times the
perpendicular distance to this string from the point.
This the theory of the static arch. It can be shown that the
is

pressure line in any structure lies as near as possible to the axis of the

Uniform Load W-

Thrusf=J_]NJf_
Moment at Crown =
Straight Line -
Thrust h"
X

Tangent to
Parabola Moment at Knee =
Thrust hm
X

Fig. 19. Pressure Line in Hingeless Frame.

a

structure due allowancemade for the stiffness of different parts.

is
if

the structure equally stiff in all its parts the pressure line will be
If

is

that string polygon for the loads which most nearly fits the axis of the
" fits " not quite precise, the principle
structure. Though the term
is