PROBLEM 

   03 – 0069:      Member GF of the pin-connected truss in Fig. 1 has a

                                                cross-sectional area of 2.4 sq in. (a) Determine the axial
                                                stress in GF. The lengths shown are center to center of pins,
                                                (b) If member CF of the pinconnected truss is a 7/8-in.
                                                diameter rod, determine the axial stress in CF. The lengths
                                                shown are center to center of pins.
 

 
Solution:                    In general, to determine the forces in the truss members, the
reactions for the whole structure should be calculated. Since the truss in
this problem is a cantilever truss the member forces can be found without
finding the reaction.
(a)to find the axial force in GF, make a section cut a-a as shown in
Fig. 2, and apply the equilibrium equation:
∑MC = 0 + ↷
By taking the moment about point C, FCD and FCF will not contribute since
their lines of action go through C. Therefore the only unknown 18 FGF.
FGF × 10 + 5000 × 12 + 3200 × 24 = 0
FGF – 13680 = 13680 lb, compression
and axial stress in GF.
σGF = (FGF / AFG) = (13680 / 2.4) = 5700psi C.
(b)       to find the axial force in CF, again from Fig. 2,
∑MD = 0 + ↷
the vertical component of FCF passes through the point D and contributes
no moment. The horizontal component of FCF is FCF × 12/15.62 therefore:    
[FCF × (12 /15.62)] × 5 −13680 × 5 + 3200 × 12 = 0
FCF = 7810 lb. Tension .
Axial stress in CF:
                        σCF = (FCF / ACF)
where             ACF = (πd2 / 4) = [(π{7/8}2) / 4)] = .601 in.
                        σCF = [(7810) / (.6)] = 12.990 psi T.