TRUSS

AMAN ULLA JINNAH

I V Y E A R D AY
INTRODUCTION
• A truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight
members whose ends are connected at joints or nodes.
• It is an assemblage of slender bars fastened together at their ends by smooth pins or ball and
socket joints acting as hinges
• Plane truss: A truss consisting of members which lie in a plane and are loaded in the same
plane is called a plane truss. Ex: Roof truss, bridge truss, etc.
TYPES OF TRUSS
Planar truss
• A planar truss lies in a single plane. Planar trusses are typically used in parallel to form roofs
and bridges.
• The depth of a truss, or the height between the upper and lower chords, is what makes it an
efficient structural form. A solid girder or beam of equal strength would have substantial
weight and material cost as compared to a truss. For a given span, a deeper truss will require
less material in the chords and greater material in the verticals and diagonals. An optimum
depth of the truss will maximize the efficiency.
Space frame truss
• A space frame truss is a three-dimensional framework of members pinned at their ends.
• A tetrahedron shape is the simplest space truss, consisting of six members that meet at four
joints. Large planar structures may be composed from tetrahedrons with common edges, and
they are also employed in the base structures of large free-standing power line pylons.
King post truss
• One of the simplest truss styles to implement, the king post consists of two angled supports
leaning into a common vertical support
• It is used for simple short-span bridges.
• Fewest number off truss members.- two diagonal members, kingpost braces, that meet at the
apex of the truss, one horizontal beam and the king post which connect the apex to the
horizontal beam below.
The queen post truss
• The queen post truss, sometimes queenpost or queenspost, is similar to a king post truss in
that the outer supports are angled towards the centre of the structure. The primary difference is
the horizontal extension at the centre which relies on beam action to provide mechanical
stability. This truss style is only suitable for relatively short spans.
• It has two vertical post.
• Very strong and stable.
• It s more stable and can support a wider span than a kingpost.
Warren truss
• Truss members form a series of isosceles triangles, alternating up and down.
• It uses triangles to spread out the loads on the bridges. The triangles minimize the forces to
only compression and tension.
• This bridges are often used with verticals to reduce the panel size.
• Loads on the diagonals alternate between compression and tension (approaching the centre),
with no vertical elements, while elements near the centre must support both tension and
compression in response to live loads. This configuration combines strength with economy of
materials and can therefore be relatively light. The girders being of equal length, it is ideal for
use in prefabricated modular bridges.
Pratt truss
• The design uses vertical members for compression and diagonal members to respond
to tension. The Pratt truss design remained popular as bridge designers switched from wood to
iron, and from iron to steel
• Very common type but has many variations (Baltimore, Pennsylvania, and the Parker)
• The basic identifying features are the diagonal web members which form a V-shape. (Howe
truss bridge has a A-shape).
• The Pratt truss’s verticals functioned as compression members and diagonals functioned as
tension members.
• The Pratt truss required more iron than a Howe truss.
TRUSS ANALYSIS
Following characteristics of Truss
• The members of the truss should be in a plane.
• Members are connected at their intersections by means of frictionless pins or hinge.
• Loads and reactions are applied only at joint.
• The centroid of the members must coincide with centroid of the joints.

Why are triangles used in trusses?

Rectangles and squares are not very strong because the middle of each side would tend to bend or
buckle easily. A truss is a structure made up of triangles because when you define the length of
the three sides the relationship between the nodes is fixed. Similarly when you identify any two
angles an a side or two sides and a common angle all other properties are fixed. In any other
shape there are more degrees of rigidity required to create a fixed structure. Triangles have sides
that reinforce each other. They divide up the load.
Why can’t the truss bear the bending and shear?
A member of a truss is connected to other members at a joint by frictionless hinges, or at least,
that is what is assumed. It is also assumed that loads on a truss are applied only at the points, and
never directly applied on the members. If these assumptions are true, then a truss member can
never be required to bend. When loads are applied, joints will displace, all members being
completely free to rotate at the joints, will occupy new positions but they will remain straight and
never bend, That is why a member in a truss is always subjected only to pure axial forces either
tensile or compressive. Bending and shear will be completely absent.
However, assumptions are exactly that, assumptions and almost always never true. In practice,
joints in a truss are never frictionless hinges, especially if members are welded at the joints, they
are rigid joints. Purlins, which transfer load from the roofing to the truss are almost always
diectly on the members and rarely at the joints (their position is dependent on the length of
roofing sheets). So, in practice, a member in a truss is subjected to axial force, bending and shear.
But axial forces being dominant, design of such members is governed by the axial force in the
member.
Truss Members
The members which from the outline or perimeter of a truss are generally called the chord
members. There are two chord members.
• Top Chord: Top members.
• Bottom Chord: Bottom members.
Web Members – The interior members connecting the joints of the chords are called the web
members. There are two members.
• Diagonal members.
• Vertical members
STATICAL DETERMINACY AND STABILITY OF TRUSSES

• If total number of unknowns is equal to total number of equations available, then the truss is
Statically Determinate.
m+c = 2j
• If number of unknowns is more than the number of available equations, then the truss is
Statically Indeterminate.
m+c > 2j
• If the number of unknowns is less than the number of available equations, then the truss is
Unstable.
m+c < 2j
Where,
m= number of unknown member forces. j
c= number of unknown constrained m
reaction components. c
j = number of joints.
• b = 11
Since, b+r > 2j
• r=8
• j=7 The truss is Stable.

• b+r = 11+8 = 19 Since, b+r> 2j

• 2j = 2*7 = 14 The truss is Indeterminate.
STATICAL DETERMINACY AND STABILITY OF TRUSSES

Degree of indeterminacy

i = (m+c) – 2j

Degree of external indeterminacy

ie = c–3

Degree of internal indeterminacy

ii = i – ie = m+3 – 2j
When we consider the internal indeterminacy, we have the following cases of truss.

• When ii= 0, m = 2j – 3 and the structure is statically determinate internally and is Stable.

Such a truss is called a Perfect Truss.

• When ii< 0, the number of members provided is less than that required for stability. Such a
truss is called unstable or Deficient Truss.

• When ii> 0, number of members is more than the number required. Such a truss is called
Statically Indeterminate or Redundant Truss.
METHOD OF JOINTS

The procedure for method of joints is as follows

• The support reactions of the truss are first obtained considering the three conditions of
equilibrium, applied to the truss as a whole (ΣH=0, ΣV=0 and ΣM=0).
• Taking the F.B.D of a joint which has not more than two unknowns (preferably), and applying
the equations of equilibrium for a coplanar concurrent force system (H=0 and V=0), the
unknowns are evaluated.
• The analysis is continued with the next joint with two unknowns (preferably), until the forces
in all the members are obtained.
Identification of zero force members.

• When two of the three members meeting at a joint are collinear, and no load is acting at the joint,
then the force in the third member is zero.

• When two members meet at a joint where no load is acting, then the forces in those members are
zero.
• When two members meet at a joint where there is a support such that the support reaction is
collinear with any one member, then the force in the other member is zero.
USING THE METHOD OF JOINTS
The process used in the method of joints is outlined below:
• In the beginning it is usually useful to label the members and the joints in your truss. This will
help you keep everything organized and consistent in later analysis. In this book, the members
will be labeled with letters and the joints will be labeled with numbers.
• Treating the entire truss structure as a rigid body, draw a free body diagram, write out the
equilibrium equations, and solve for the external reacting forces acting on the truss structure.
This analysis should not differ from the analysis of a single rigid body.
• Assume there is a pin or some other small amount of material at each of the connection points
between the members. Next you will draw a free body diagram for each connection point.
Remember to include

1. Any external reaction or load forces that may be acting at that joint.
2. A normal force for each two force member connected to that joint. Remember that for a two
force member, the force will be acting along the line between the two connection points on
the member. We will also need to guess if it will be a tensile or a compressive force. An
incorrect guess now though will simply lead to a negative solution later on. A common
strategy then is to assume all forces are tensile, then later in the solution any positive forces
will be tensile forces and any negative forces will be compressive forces.
• Label each force in the diagram. Include any known magnitudes and directions and provide
variable names for each unknown.
• Write out the equilibrium equations for each of the joints. You should treat the joints as
particles, so there will be force equations but no moment equations. With either two (for 2D
problems) or three (for 3D problems) equations for each joint, this should give you a large
number of equations.
• In planar trusses, the sum of the forces in the x direction will be zero and the sum of the forces
in the y direction will be zero for each of the joints

∑F=0
∑→Fx=0 ∑→Fy=0

Finally, solve the equilibrium equations for the unknowns. You can do this algebraically, solving
for one variable at a time, or you can use matrix equations to solve for everything at once. If you
assumed that all forces were tensile earlier, remember that negative answers indicate compressive
forces in the members.
CARPENTRY
• Galvanized metal connector plates tie together chords and web members and distribute and
transfer loads between adjacent members. The teeth are very sharp and should be handled
carefully.
CARPENTRY
• Hinge plates may be used as an alternative to piggyback trusses. The top chords are aligned at
the peak and nails are driven through the prepunched holes
CARPENTRY
• A tight fit between truss members is essential to the structural integrity of the truss
CARPENTRY
• Metal spacers such as these are used to properly space trusses and are not designed to be used
as bracing. Sheathing is applied directly over the spacers.
CARPENTRY
• Truss anchors and hangers are used to attach trusses to other structural members.
CARPENTRY
• Permanent metal braces may be installed between roof trusses as lateral bracing.
CARPENTRY
Pinned Connection and Gusset plate Connection.