Structural Analysis - I

Method of Sections - Truss

 Method of Sections

• Used when forces in only a few members of a truss

are to be found

• It consists of passing an imaginary section through

the truss, thus cutting it into two parts

• Since the entire truss is in equilibrium, each of the

two parts must also be in equilibrium

• Three equations of equilibrium may be applied to

determine the member forces at the “cut section.”
Method of Sections
 Method of Sections
• Make a decision as to how to “cut” or section the
truss through the members where forces are to be
determined

• Before isolating the appropriate section, it may first

be necessary to determine the truss’s external
reactions, so that the three equilibrium equations
are used only to solve for member forces at the cut
section

• Draw the free-body diagram of that part of the

sectioned truss which has the least number of
forces on it
 Method of Sections
• Moments should be summed about a point that lies
at the intersection of the lines of action of two
unknown forces; in this way, the third unknown
force is determined directly from the equation

• If two of the unknown forces are parallel, forces

may be summed perpendicular to the direction of
these unknowns to determine directly the third
unknown force
 Example
Determine the forces in members CD, DG, and GH of the
truss shown below by the method of sections.
A section aa is passed through the three members of interest, CD,DG, and
GH, cutting the truss into two portions, ACGE and DHI. To avoid the
calculation of support reactions, we will use the right-hand portion, DHI, to
calculate the member forces.

All three unknown forces FCD; FDG, and FGH, are assumed to be tensile and
are indicated by arrows pulling away from the corresponding joints on the
diagram. The slope of the inclined force, FDG, is also shown on the free-body
diagram. The desired member forces are calculated by applying the
equilibrium equations.
Checking Computations
 Example
Determine the force in members GF, FC, and CD of the
bridge truss.
 Example
Determine the forces in members identified by “x” of the
truss shown below by the method of sections.
Space Trusses
 Space Trusses
• A space truss consists of members
joined together at their ends to form
a stable three-dimensional structure.

• Determinacy and Stability

Type of Supports
• Resolve the force F in a member into components acting
along the x, y, z axes.
• Member AB has a length l and known projections x, y, z
along the coordinate axes. These projections can be related
to the member’s length by the equation

• Since the force F acts along

the axis of the member, then
the components of F can be
determined by proportion as

• Notice that this requires

 Zero-Force Members
Case-I
If all but one of the members
connected to a joint lie in a single
plane and no external loads or
reactions are applied to the joint, then
the force in the member that is not
coplanar is zero.

The type of arrangement shown consists of four members AB;AC;AD,

and AE connected to a joint A. Of these, AB;AC, and AD lie in the xz
plane, whereas member AE does not.
Note that no external loads or reactions are applied to joint A. It should
be obvious that in order to satisfy the equilibrium equation σ 𝐹𝑦 = 0, the
y component of FAE must be zero, and therefore FAE =0.
 Zero-Force Members
Case-II
If all but two of the members
connected to a joint have zero force
and no external loads or reactions are
applied to the joint, then unless
the two remaining members are
collinear, the force in each of
them is also zero.

The type of arrangement shown consists of four members AB;AC;AD,

and AE connected to a joint A, of which AD and AE are zero-force
members, as shown.
Note that no external loads or reactions are applied to the joint. By
choosing the orientation of the x axis in the direction of member AB, we
can see that the equilibrium equations σ 𝐹𝑦 = 0 𝑎𝑛𝑑 σ 𝐹𝑧 = 0 can be
satisfied only if FAC = 0. Because the x component of FAC is zero, the
equation σ 𝐹𝑥 = 0 is satisfied only if FAB is also zero.
Example
Determine the reactions at the
supports and the force in each
member of the space truss
shown
Static Determinacy The truss contains 9 members and 5 joints and is supported
by 6 reactions. Because m + r = 3j, and the reactions and the members of the truss
are properly arranged, it is statically determinate.

Zero-Force Members At joint D, three members, AD;CD, and DE, are connected.
Of these members, AD and CD lie in the same xz plane, whereas DE does not.
Since no external loads or reactions are applied at the joint, member DE is a zero-
force member.
Having identified DE as a zero-force member, we can see that since the two
remaining members AD and CD are not collinear, they must also be zero-force
members.
𝐹𝐷𝐸 = 0, 𝐹𝐴𝐷 = 0, 𝐹𝐶𝐷 = 0
Reactions
Joint A
Joint B

Check
Joint C

Checks
Joint E

Checks
Example
Determine the force
in each member of
the space truss.