DCC 5172 : STRUCTURE,HYDRAULYICS AND WATER

QUALITY LABORATORY

EXPERIMENT : FORCES IN PLANE TRUSSES

GROUP MEMBERS :
MOHD RAIS BIN LEVO KADOH 07DKA17F1049
MOHD FIRDAUS BIN FADZLI 07DKA17F1059
QHAIRRUL HAMIZ BIN ZAM 07DKA17F1035
MOHD RAHMAT AYRAN NIZAM BIN GURIMAN 07DKA17F1083

LECTURE :
MISS SAITING BINTI AHIP@DIONNYSIUS
INTRODUCTION

A truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units which are constructed with
straight slender members whose ends are connected at joints. A plane truss is one where all the
members and joints lie within a 2-dimensional plane, while a space truss has members and
joints extending into 3 dimensions.
In engineering, a structural member usually fabricated from straight pieces of metal or timber
to form a series of triangles lying in a single plane. (A triangle cannot be distorted by stress.)
A truss gives a stable form capable of supporting considerable external load over a large span
with the component parts stressed primarily in axial tension or compression. The individual
pieces intersect at truss joints, or panel points. The connected pieces forming the top and bottom
of the truss are referred to respectively as the top and bottom chords. The sloping and vertical
pieces connecting the chords are collectively referred to as the web of the truss.
OBJECTIVE

To determine the forces in members of a plane truss.

APPARATUS

 A Warren truss with members having a force gauge fixed to it.

 A screw jack for applying load to the truss.

PROCEDURE
1. Place one end of the plane truss on the roller support and the other on the pin support
(please ensure that the centre of the joint is located on the knife edge and at the centre of
the roller).

2. Loosen the screw jack so that the truss is free from the applied load.

Figure 1.1
3. Zero the force gauge readings on the members and the screw jack.

4. Turn the screw jack handle to apply loads in the downward direction.

Figure 1.2

5. Record the magnitude of the applied load and the force gauge readings.

6. Increase the magnitude of the applied load and for each load increment records the force
gauge readings.

7. Measure the horizontal and vertical length of the frame in order to calculate the theoretical
forces.

Figure 1.3
SAMPLE OF CALCULATION

Force experiment = 𝑫𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒈𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 × 𝟓

Member AB, Force experiment = 5.90 × 5
= 29.50N

Force theoretical = 𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒆𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 × 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒅

Member AB, Force theoretical = 0.288 × 40
= 34.24N
RESULT

Dial gauge reading : 1 div. = 5N

Force in Member AB Force in Member AE

Applied Dial Dial Force

Force Force Force
Load gauge gauge (Theory)
(Exp.) (Theory) (Exp.)
(N) reading reading (N)
(N) (N) (N)
(div) (div)

8 = 40 5.90 29.50 34.24 2.90 14.50 17.32

16 = 80 11.20 56 68.48 -4.10 -20.50 34.64

24 = 120 11.90 59.50 102.72 -6.0 -30 51.96

32 = 160 22.40 112 135.96 -8.10 -40.50 69.28

40 = 200 28 140 171.20 -11.10 -55.50 89.60

48 = 240 33.50 167.50 200.64 -14 -70 103.92

 Force in Member BC Force in Member BE

Applied Dial Dial Force

Force Force Force
Load gauge gauge (Theory)
(Exp.) (Theory) (Exp.)
(N) reading reading (N)
(N) (N) (N)
(div) (div)

8 = 40 0.1 0.5 -11.52 1.50 7.5 11.52

16 = 80 2 10 -23.04 3.0 15 23.04

24 = 120 2.8 14 -34.56 5.0 25 34.56

32 = 160 6.8 34 -46.08 7.1 35.5 46.08

40 = 200 9 45 -57.60 9.4 47 57.60

48 = 240 11.7 58.5 -69.12 11.5 57.5 69.12

Force in Member CE Force in Member CD

Applied Dial Dial Force

Force Force Force
Load gauge gauge (Theory)
(Exp.) (Theory) (Exp.)
(N) reading reading (N)
(N) (N) (N)
(div) (div)

8 = 40 -1.5 -7.5 11.52 2.0 10 -11.52

16 = 80 -3.2 -16 23.04 4.0 20 -23.04

24 = 120 -5 -25 34.56 5.8 29 -34.04

32 = 160 -7.1 -35.5 46.08 7.9 39.5 -46.08

40 = 200 -9.2 -46 57.6 10.0 50 -57.6

48 = 240 -11.2 -56 69.12 12.0 60 -69.12

 Force in Member DE

Applied Force
Dial gauge Force
Load (Theory)
reading (Exp.)
(N) (N)
(div) (N)

8 = 40 0.8 4 5.76

16 = 80 1.2 6 11.52

24 = 120 2.5 12.5 17.28

32 = 160 4.1 20.5 23.04

40 = 200 5.4 27 28.8

48 = 240 6.2 31 34.56

PERCENTAGE ERROR
𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒆−𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒆
Percentage error= × 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒆

𝟎.𝟖𝟐𝟓−𝟎.𝟕
 Member AB, percentage error = × 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝟎.𝟖𝟑𝟓

=15.15%
𝟎.𝟒𝟔𝟑−𝟎.𝟐𝟕𝟓
 Member AE, percentage error = × 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝟎.𝟒𝟔𝟑

=40.6%
𝟎.𝟑−𝟎.𝟑
 Member BC, percentage error = × 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝟎.𝟑

=0%
𝟎.𝟐𝟖𝟖−𝟎.𝟐𝟕
 Member BE, percentage error = × 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝟎.𝟐𝟖𝟖

=6.25%
 𝟎.𝟐𝟗−𝟎.𝟐𝟏𝟓
 Member CE, percentage error = × 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝟎.𝟐𝟗

=25.86%
𝟎.𝟐𝟖𝟖−𝟎.𝟐𝟓
 Member CD, percentage error = × 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝟎.𝟐𝟖𝟖

=13.19%
𝟎.𝟏𝟓−𝟎.𝟏𝟕𝟓
 Member DE, percentage error = × 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝟎.𝟏𝟓

=16.67%

Force experimental
Member Force theoretical(N) Percentage(%)
(N)
AB 0.825 0.7 15.15
AE 0.463 0.275 40.6
BC 0.3 0.3 0
BE 0.288 0.27 6.25
CE 0.29 0.215 25.86
CD 0.288 0.25 13.19
DE 0.15 0.175 16.67
DISCUSSION
State the relationship between the applied load and the force in the members.

Figure 1.4
When the truss is loaded with a force W Newton, as in the Figure 5.3, the truss will
adjust itself to achieve a more stable situation balanced. When this condition is reached, the
frame is said to be in equilibrium. Equilibrium is obtained as a whole means that each member
is in a state of balance. If not, it would have been members of the moves one a more stable
position.
There are have positive and negative force with tensile and compression at all member.
Some structures are built with more than this minimum number of truss members. The member
forces depend on the relative stiffness of the members. These can be economy of structure. The
structure will be failed if the load are exceed the ability. In this experiment, the value and size
are not same with the “real life” but the application is still the same

CONCLUSION
From the experiment, we can conclude that when the load is applied to the truss, the
force in each of members of a plan truss will have a different reading of force. The calculation
to evaluate of structual safety can only be done by mathematically and experimentally force
data from data we collected and we can compare with the theoretical force value that be done
manually as we studied in Theory of Structure (TOS). As the graph force VS applied load is
been plotted, the result was as similar to the linear. The reason member BC doesn’t have any
value because the value reader for member BC has broken.