LAB #3: RISA 2D

ENGR 498 Structural Analysis

Fall 2020

Lab Section 0007

October 9, 2020

The author listed below affirm that I conducted this experiment and prepared this technical
report to the absolute best of my abilities. The author understand that I am preparing to become a
practicing engineer meaning that I take manners of plagiarism and falsification of data very
seriously, and I affirm that this submitted report does not contain any plagiarized content or
falsified information.

Author #1: Catherine Beck

Signature: _________________________________
Contributions: Abstract, Introduction, Procedure, Results, Discussion, Summary and
Conclusion, Reference, Appendix
ABSTRACT

The following report focuses on the use of an open source software, RISA 2D. This

program is designed to evaluate 2D structures and produce results for reactionary and internal

forces. The values found using RISA 2D were compared to hand-written calculations for an

example truss and the Linville Creek Bridge truss. It is expected that the hand-calculated results

will be equal to the RISA 2D results, which indicated the program is reliable and can be used to

evaluate the as-built Linville Creek Bridge truss.

INTRODUCTION

The Linville Creek Bridge was analyzed by hand in Part 02 – Analyze. Now an open source

software was used to structurally analyze the pedestrian truss bridge. RISA 2D is an interactive

computer program that allows for the analysis of two-dimensional structures (i.e. trusses, frames,

beams, etc.) [1]. RISA 2D was validated using hand-calculations for an example truss because

while programs are useful, they are not always accurate. This project part confirms that RISA 2D

is helpful when determining the reactionary and internal forces of a structure.

By reading this report, technical information regarding RISA 2D and the pedestrian bridge

truss will be provided with numerical results.

Determinacy of a truss can be found using Equation 1 and Equation 2.

𝑏 + 𝑟 = 2𝑗 → 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 Equation 1

𝑏 + 𝑟 > 2𝑗 → 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 Equation 2

Where 𝑏 represents the number of bars/members in a truss, 𝑟 represents the number of

external reactions acting on the truss, and 𝑗 represents the number of joints in the truss
superstructure. A truss that is statically determinate means the reactionary forces can be solved for

using equilibrium equations. If a truss is statically indeterminate, more information is needed in

order to solve for the reactionary forces. A sample calculation can be seen in Sample Calculation

SC 1 in the Appendix.

Trigonometry was used to calculate the angle between two members in a truss and can be

seen in Equation 3.

𝑂
𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 (𝐴) = 𝜃 Equation 3

Where 𝑂 represents the length of the member opposite of the angle being calculated, 𝐴

represents the length of the member adjacent to the angle being calculated, and 𝜃 (or another letter

denoted specifically) represents the angle. A sample calculation can be seen in Sample

Calculation SC 2 in the Appendix.

The length of member EF in the example truss for this part of the project was determined

using Equation 4.

𝑥 = √𝑎2 + 𝑏2 Equation 4

Where 𝑥 represents the length of the member (or hypotenuse), 𝑎 represents the length of

one side of the triangle, and 𝑏 represents the length of the second side of the triangle. A sample

calculation can be seen in Sample Calculations SC 3 in the Appendix.

Equilibrium equations were used to determine the reactionary and internal forces of the

examples truss, seen in Equation 5, Equation 6, and Equation 7.

→ Σ𝐹𝑥 = 0 Equation 5
 ↑ Σ𝐹𝑥 = 0 Equation 6

↺ Σ𝑀 = 0 Equation 7

Where Equation 5 represents the sum of the forces in the x-direction, Equation 6

represents the sum of the forces in the y-direction, and Equation 7 represents the sum of the

moment at a particular point. Equation 7 was not used during the method of joints procedure.

Sample calculations can bee found in Sample Calculations SC 4 through SC 6.

Integration was used to determine the internal shear and internal moment functions of the

example truss. The internal shear function can be seen in Equation 8 and the internal moment

function can be seen in Equation 9.

𝑉(𝑥 ) = ∫ 𝜔𝑑𝑥 Equation 8

𝑀 (𝑥 ) = ∫ 𝑉 (𝑥 )𝑑𝑥 Equation 9

Where 𝑉(𝑥 ) is the function for internal shear, 𝜔 is the distributed load on a member, 𝑀 (𝑥 )

is the function for internal moment, and 𝑑𝑥 is what the integration is with respect to. Sample

calculations for the internal shear function and internal moment function can be seen in Sample

Calculations SC 7 and SC 8, respectively, in the Appendix.

An assumption for this part of the project were made. When analyzing the statically

determinate Linville Creek Bridge truss, it was assumed that the material of the truss was A36

Grade 36, which is a low carbon steel, and the Young’s Modulus for this material is 29,000 kilo-

pounds per square inch (ksi) [2]. The loading of 85 pounds per square foot (psf) [3] used in Part

02 – Analysis was also used during this part.

PROCEDURE

The first step in this part of the project was to determine the determinacy of the example

truss (Figure 1). Before counting the number of bars, joints, and external reactions, the truss was

idealized (Figure 2). After determining the number of bars, joints, and external reactions in the

truss, Equations 1 and 2 were used to determine if the truss was statically determinate or statically

indeterminate. Before evaluating the example truss, all of the angles between members was

calculated using trigonometry. The length of member EF was also calculated to properly isolate it

before solving for the reactionary and internal forces. Member EF was “removed” from the truss

(Figure 3) to determine the reactionary loads at nodes E and F. The member was assumed to be

simply supported at E and F, and equilibrium equations were used to determine the reactionary

forces. These forces were then considered to be point loads at nodes E and F when looking at the

entire truss (Figure 4). The drawing seen in Figure 4 was referred to when solving for the

reactionary forces at A and G of the example truss and equilibrium equations were used to

determine the reactionary forces.

Next, method of joints was used to solve for the internal force of each member in the truss.

Joint D (Figure 5) was evaluated first due to it having the least number of unknowns. Joint C

(Figure 6) was evaluated after joint D, then joint E (Figure 7), followed by joint B (Figure 8),

joint G (Figure 9), and joint A (Figure 10). Once the internal forces of each member were

calculated, the internal shear was determined by using conceptual knowledge gained from statics

and dynamics. It is known that shear does not exist in a truss due to the pin-pin connections of

each member. However, shear does exist if there is an external load acting directly on a member.

For this project, the internal shear function of member EF was determined by taking the integral

of the distributed load. This function and conceptual knowledge were then used to draw the internal
shear diagram (Figure 11). Since there is no shear in a truss, there is also no moment unless an

external load is acting directly on a member. Since member EF has a distributed load, the

integration of the internal shear function was taken to find the internal moment function, which

was then used with conceptual knowledge to draw the internal moment diagram (Figure 12). This

diagram was then used to draw the deformed shape of the example truss. The deformed shape can

be seen in Figure 13.

The next portion of this part of the project required the use of RISA 2D. The demonstration

version was downloaded using a James Madison University (JMU) student account. The

instructions in 2D_Tutorials, provided by Dr. Daniel Castaneda, were followed to understand how

to create a 2D structure and evaluate it. The example truss in Figure 1 was recreated in RISA 2D

(Figure 14). Once the structure is made, the “solve” button was pressed to see the reactionary and

internal forces generated by the program.

RISA 2D was then used to evaluate the pedestrian truss bridge to be compared to the hand-

calculated values from Part 02 – Analyze. The modified truss (Figure 15) was created in the

program (Figure 16). The “solve” button was pressed to view the reactionary and internal forces

of the modified pedestrian truss bridge. Since the Linville Creek Bridge has more components to

it (Figure 17) the as-built structure was modeled in RISA 2D (Figure 18) to compare the results

of the reactionary and internal forces to the modified structure. The “solve” button was clicked to

view the program results.

RESULTS

The result of the determinacy of the example truss is statically determinate (hand-written

calculations can be seen in Sample Calculations SC 1) since the sum of the number of bars and
external reactions equals the number of joints multiplied by two. Numerical results for the hand-

calculated example truss reactionary forces and internal forces of each member can be found in

Table 1. The handwritten calculations for these results are in Sample Calculations SC 5 and SC

6. The results using RISA 2D can be found in Table 2 and a comparison of the software results

and hand-calculated results can be found in Table 3. It can be noticed that the results are overall

very similar and differ by a small amount. Some values have a larger difference between the hand-

calculated results and the software results, this could be due to rounding during hand-calculations

or a mathematical error.

After confirming the RISA 2D results are accurate, the reactionary and internal forces for

the modified Linville Creek Bridge truss can be seen in Table 4. This table also shows the hand-

calculated results from Part 02 – Analysis. The values are nearly identical with the exception of

rounding during the hand-calculations. RISA 2D results for the as-built (statically indeterminate)

Linville Creek Bridge truss can be seen in Table 5. This table also compares the reactionary and

internal forces of the modified truss to the as-built truss.

DISCUSSION

Overall, the simplified truss results and the as-built truss results compare very well. With

the exception of the internal forces for members OP, JK, NO, KL, MN, and LM, all of the values

are nearly identical. The values are slightly different due to rounding during the hand-written

calculations. It was discovered that a mathematical error was made during Part 02 – Analysis for

members OP, JK, NO, KL, MN, and LM. The equations were written correctly, but the numbers

were not typed into the calculator properly. Therefore, the values should be equal to what RISA

2D produced. Since completing this part of the project, RISA 2D is reliable and can be used
confidently without a complimentary hand-written solution. This confidence comes from the

results comparison of the example truss and the Linville Creek Bridge truss.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

The use of RISA 2D was done to determine the reliability of the program when evaluating

two-dimensional structures. Since the as-built truss for the Linville Creek Bridge is statically

indeterminate, RISA 2D is useful for the evaluation of the truss. The program also confirms any

hand-calculated results that were done. Programs like RISA 2D are very useful when evaluating a

complex structure. It will prevent any human error that may occur when doing calculations by

hand. It is recommended to use RISA 2D for complex structures or checking hand-written

calculations but continue to use skills like method of joints for less complex structures or when

programs are not as easily accessible.

REFERENCES
[1] Uang, C. and Leet, K., n.d. Tutorial For RISA Educational. [ebook] Available at: <http://
web.engr.uky.edu/~gebland/CE%20682/RISA%202D/RISA%202D%20Educational%20
Tutorial.pdf> [Accessed 8 October 2020].
[2] Metal Supermarkets - Steel, Aluminum, Stainless, Hot-Rolled, Cold-Rolled, Alloy, Carbon,
Galvanized, Brass, Bronze, Copper. 2020. Grade Guide: A36 Steel | Metal Supermarkets
- Steel, Aluminum, Stainless, Hot-Rolled, Cold-Rolled, Alloy, Carbon, Galvanized, Brass,
Bronze, Copper. [online] Available at: <https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/grade-
guide-a36-steel/#:~:text=A36%20is%20a%20low%20carbon,as%20a%20general%2D
purpose%20steel.> [Accessed 8 October 2020].
[3] n.d. VDOT Modifications To AASHTO Standard Specifications For Highway Bridges. 16th
ed. [ebook] p.15. Available at: <http://www.virginiadot.org/business/resources/
VDMASD.pdf> [Accessed 26 September 2020].
APPENDIX
Table 1: Example truss hand-calculated results
(*Note: Hand-written calculations can be seen in Sample Calculations SC 5 and SC 6)
Member Internal Force Tension or
(kN) Compression
Ax 24.3 Tension
Gx 14.3 Compression
Gy 17.5 Tension
AB 13.5 Compression
AF 19.5 Compression
AG 17.5 Tension
BC 6.66 Compression
BE 8.62 Compression
BF 5.2 Tension
CD 6.66 Compression
CE 5 Tension
DE 8.33 Tension
EF 10.7 Tension
FG 14.3 Tension

Table 2: Example truss RISA 2D results

Member Internal Force Tension or
(kN) Compression
Ax 28.542 Tension
Gx 21.042 Compression
Gy 20 Tension
AB 15.219 Compression
AF 22.62 Compression
AG 19.531 Tension
BC 5.675 Compression
BE 11.254 Compression
BF 6.112 Tension
CD 6.118 Compression
CE 4.887 Tension
DE 7.943 Tension
EF 13.393 Tension
FG 20.557 Tension
 Table 3: Example truss hand-calculated results versus RISA 2D results
Hand-Calculated RISA 2D Results
Results
Member Internal Force (kN) Internal Force
(kN)
Ax 28.54 (T) 28.542 (T)
Gx 21 (C) 21.042 (C)
Gy 20 (T) 20 (T)
AB 13.5 (C) 15.219 (C)
AF 19.5 (C) 22.62 (C)
AG 17.5 (T) 19.531 (T)
BC 6.66 (C) 5.675 (C)
BE 8.62 (C) 11.254 (C)
BF 5.2 (T) 6.112 (T)
CD 6.66 (C) 6.118 (C)
CE 5 (T) 4.887 (T)
DE 8.33 (T) 7.943 (T)
EF 12.265 (T) 13.393 (T)
FG 14.3 (T) 20.557 (T)

Table 4: Linville Creek Bridge truss RISA 2D results versus hand-calculated results from Part
02 – Analysis
(*Note: hand-calculated results for members OP, JK, NO, KL, MN, and LM are incorrect due to
a mathematical error when using a calculator)
RISA 2D Results Hand-Calculated Results
Member Internal Force (kip) Internal Force (kip)
Iy 28 (T) 28 (T)
Ay 28 (T) 28 (T)
Ax 0 0
AP and IJ 29.7 (C) 29.8 (C)
AB and HI 16.98 (T) 17 (T)
BP and HJ 6.769 (T) 7 (T)
BC and GH 17.016 (T) 17 (T)
CP and GJ 8.822 (T) 8.5 (T)
CD and FG 22.066 (T) 21.8 (T)
DP and FJ 17.705 (T) 17.9 (T)
OP and JK 36.438 (C) 7.3 (C)
NO and KL 36.438 (C) 7.3 (C)
MN and LM 36.438 (C) 7.3 (C)
DM and FM 4.276 (C) 4.2 (C)
DE and EF 38.907 (T) 38.7 (T)
EM 7.03 (T) 7 (T)
CO, DN, FL, and GK Zero force members Zero force members
Table 5: Modified Linville Creek Bridge truss results in RISA 2D versus the as-built Linville
Creek Bridge Truss results in RISA 2D
Simplified As-Built
Member Internal Force (kip) Internal Force (kip)
Iy 28 (T) 28 (T)
Ay 28 (T) 28 (T)
Ax 0 0
AP and IJ 29.7 (C) 29.718 (C)
AB and HI 16.98 (T) 19.993 (T)
BP and HJ 6.769 (T) 6.875 (T)
BC and GH 17.016 (T) 17.05 (T)
CP and GJ 8.822 (T) 13.124 (T)
CD and FG 22.066 (T) 29.827 (T)
DP and FJ 17.705 (T) 11.377 (T)
OP and JK 36.438 (C) 33.772 (C)
NO and KL 36.438 (C) 33.821 (C)
MN and LM 36.438 (C) 34.174 (C)
DM and FM 4.276 (C) 0.994 (T)
DE and EF 38.907 (T) 38.499 (T)
EM 7.03 (T) 6.99 (T)
CO and GK Zero force members 0.042 (T)
DN and FL Zero force members 0.484 (C)
CM and GM - 6.454 (C)
NR and LS - 0.63 (T)
RS - 0.837 (T)

Figure 1: Example Truss Figure 2: Idealized drawing of the example

truss
 Figure 3: Isolation of member EF in the Figure 4: Example truss with point loads at
example truss nodes E and F
(*Note: Handwritten calculations can be seen (*Note: Handwritten calculations can be seen
in Sample Calculations SC 4) in Sample Calculations SC 5)

Figure 6: Example truss joint C method of

Figure 5: Example truss joint D method of
joints
joints
(*Note: Handwritten calculations can be seen
(*Note: Handwritten calculations can be seen
in Sample Calculations SC 6 Joint C)
in Sample Calculations SC 6 Joint D)

Figure 7: Example truss joint E method of Figure 8: Example truss joint B method of
joints joints
(*Note: Handwritten calculations can be seen (*Note: Handwritten calculations can be seen
in Sample Calculations SC 6 Joint E) in Sample Calculations SC 6 Joint B)
 Figure 9: Example truss joint G method of Figure 10: Example truss joint A method of
joints joints
(*Note: Handwritten calculations can be seen (*Note: Handwritten calculations can be seen
in Sample Calculations SC 6 Joint G) in Sample Calculations SC 6 Joint A)

Figure 11: Internal shear diagram for the example truss

(*Note: Handwritten calculations can be seen in Sample Calculations SC 7)

Figure 12: Internal moment diagram for the example truss

(*Note: Handwritten calculations can be seen in Sample Calculations SC 8)
 Figure 13: Example truss deformed shape
(*Note: the black dashed lines represent the original shape of the example truss and the orange
solid lines represent the deformed shape)

Figure 14: Example truss in RISA 2D

 Figure 15: Modified (statically determinate) pedestrian truss bridge in Broadway, VA

Figure 16: Modified (statically determinate) pedestrian truss bridge modeled in RISA 2D

Figure 17: As-built (statically indeterminate) pedestrian truss bridge

 Figure 18: As-built (statically indeterminate) pedestrian truss bridge modeled in RISE 2D

SAMPLE CALCULATIONS
SC 1 – Determinacy

SC 2 – Trigonometry

SC 3 – Length of Member EF in Example Truss

SC 4 – Isolating Member EF in Example Truss

SC 5 – Reactionary Forces for the Example Truss

SC 6 – Example Truss Internal Forces Method of Joints
Joint D:

Joint C:

Joint E:

Joint B:

Joint G:

Joint A:
SC 7 – Internal Shear Function for the Example Truss

SC 8 – Internal Moment Function for the Example Truss