ES 1022y Engineering Statics Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

Conditions for Rigid Body Equilibrium

In contrast to the forces acting on a particle the forces on a rigid body are not usually
concurrent, and may cause rotation of the body due to the moments created by the forces.

For a rigid body to be in equilibrium, the net force as well as the net moment about any
arbitrary point O must be equal to zero. These requirements can be expressed
mathematically as

If we write each force and moment acting on the rigid body in terms of their vector
components, and then group the components acting along the x, y and z axes respectively
we can rewrite these equations as

Since the sum of each component must be zero for equilibrium, we end up with the
following set of equations for force and moment equilibrium of a rigid body:

Any rigid body that is in equilibrium must satisfy all six equilibrium equations.

Equations of Equilibrium for a Rigid Body in 2-D

If a body subjected to a system of forces and couple moments acting in the x-y plane is in
equilibrium three of the six equilibrium equations are automatically satisfied. The three
remaining equilibrium equations that must be satisfied are:

where point O is any arbitrary point lying on or off the body.

80
ES 1022y Engineering Statics Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

An alternative set of equations that is very useful in this course is to consider the net
moment about two arbitrary points O and P,

together with one of the force equations

Free Body Diagrams

To solve a rigid body equilibrium problem we first need to draw a free body diagram
showing all the external forces and couple moments acting on the body, before applying
the equations of equilibrium to solve for any unknowns.

The procedure for drawing a free body diagram is as follows:

• draw the outlined shape of the body isolated or cut ‘free’ from its supports or
connections
• define a set of coordinate axes
• show all the external forces and couple moments acting on the body, including
applied loads, support reactions, and the weight of the body.
• label all known forces and couple moments acting on the body with their
magnitudes and directions
• label any unknown forces or couple moments, assuming the sense if it is not
obvious, before treating them as variables to be solved for
• indicate any necessary dimensions required for the calculation of moments

Support Reactions in 2-D

As a general rule, if a support prevents translation of a body in a given direction, then a
force is developed on the body in the opposite direction. Similarly, if rotation is
prevented, a couple moment is exerted on the body.

Common types of supports encountered in engineering statics include:

Rollers

81
ES 1022y Engineering Statics Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

Pins

Fixed supports

The loads associated with 2-D supports can be summarized in the following table taken
from the textbook.

82
ES 1022y Engineering Statics Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

Procedure for Analysis

To solve a problem involving the equilibrium equations the following steps are required:
1) Draw a free body diagram showing all the loads, both known and unknown acting on
the systems. Do not forget to establish a coordinate system.
2) Formulate the equilibrium equations for forces directed along the x and y axes, as
well as moments about a point that can either lie within or outside the system.
3) Solve the resulting equations.
4) Check the answers obtained in step 3).

83
ES 1022y Engineering Statics Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

Important points to keep in mind:

Since we have only three equations of equilibrium for a 2-D system of forces and couple
moments, we can solve for at most three unknowns. If there are more unknowns than
equations the system is said to be statically indeterminate.

The order in which the equations of equilibrium are applied may affect the simplicity of
the solution. In many cases taking moments about a point that lies at the intersection of
the lines of action of one or more unknown forces allows a direct solution for one of the
other unknowns to be obtained.

Remember that if the answer for one of the unknowns is negative the sense of the
unknown force or couple moment is opposite to the direction that was assumed when
drawing the FBD.

84
ES 1022y Engineering Statics Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

Example Problem

Determine the tension in the cable and the horizontal and vertical components of reaction
at the pin A. The pulley at D is frictionless and the cylinder weighs 80 lb.

85
ES 1022y Engineering Statics Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

86
ES 1022y Engineering Statics Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

Example Problem

The bulkhead AD is subjected to both water and soil-backfill pressures. Assuming that
AD is ‘pinned’ to the ground at A, determine the horizontal and vertical reactions there,
and also the required tension in the ground anchor BC necessary for equilibrium. The
bulkhead has a mass of 800 kg.

87
ES 1022y Engineering Statics Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

88
ES 1022y Engineering Statics Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

Example Problem

The crane consist of three parts, which have weights of W1 = 3500 lb, W2 = 900 lb, W3 =
1500 lb, and centres of gravity at G1, G2, and G3 respectively. Neglecting the weight of
the boom determine (a) the reactions on each of the four tires if the load is hoisted at
constant velocity and has a weight of 800 lb, and (b), with the boom held in the position
shown, the maximum load the crane can lift without tipping over.

89
ES 1022y Engineering Statics Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

90
ES 1022y Engineering Statics Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

Two- and Three-Force Members

When a member is subject to no couple moment, and forces are applied at only two
points it can be shown that for equilibrium the resultant forces at A and B must be equal
in magnitude and act in opposite directions along the line joining points A and B.

Provided that we can neglect the weight of the member, all of the above members can be
considered as two-force members. In many cases this simplifies the equilibrium analysis
of rigid bodies since the directions of the resultant forces at A and B are known (along the
line joining points A and B).

91
ES 1022y Engineering Statics Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

Similarly, if a member is subjected to only three forces and no couple moment, the forces
must be either concurrent or parallel for the member to be in equilibrium.

92
ES 1022y Engineering Statics Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

Example Problem

The toggle switch consists of a cocking lever that is pinned to a fixed frame at A and held
in place by the spring, which has an unstretched length of 200 mm. Determine the
magnitude of the resultant force at A and the normal force on the peg at B when the lever
is in the position shown.

93
ES 1022y Engineering Statics Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

94
ES 1022y Engineering Statics Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

Determinate, Indeterminate and Improperly Constrained Systems

Systems where the number of unknowns is equal to the number of independent
equilibrium equations available are referred to as statically determinate because the
unknowns can be determined using only the equations of equilibrium.

A system in which there are more supports than are necessary for the system to be
balanced is said to be statically indeterminate. In this case there is an excess or
redundancy of supports. A support that can be removed without affecting equilibrium of
the system is referred to as a redundant support.

Statically indeterminate systems

Modified to be statically determinate

In order to determine the redundant support loads additional equations other than the
equilibrium equations are required. These are usually obtained by considering how the
system deforms under the loads, and applying conditions on, for example, the deflection
or slope of elements of the system being considered.

95
ES 1022y Engineering Statics Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

An improperly constrained system is one in which the supports are insufficient to keep
the system in equilibrium. Consider the following system and its associated free body
diagram.

The equilibrium equation for the x direction can be written as

∑F x = FD = 0

Clearly, if FD is nonzero there is an unbalanced force acting on the system in the x

direction and the system will accelerate to the right.

96