Civil Engineering Mechanics

CVG2149

Elena Dragomirescu

What is Civil Eng. Mechanics?

Civil Eng. Mechanics is the science which describes and predicts the
conditions of rest or motion of bodies under the action of forces.

• Categories of Mechanics:
- Rigid bodies
- Statics
- Dynamics
- Deformable bodies
- Fluids

• Mechanics is an applied science - it is not an abstract or pure

science but does not have the empiricism found in other
engineering sciences.

• Mechanics is the foundation of most engineering sciences and is

an indispensable prerequisite to their study.

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Examples of mechanics applied in civil engineering

Static Structural Analysis

Columns
remained
intact
Bridge deck
collapsed!!

2
 Quebec Bridge Collapse – 1907, 1916
Quebec Bridge

Due to a design flaw the actual weight of the bridge was heavier than its
carrying capacity, which caused it to collapse twice, first in 1907, then in 1916.
DEATHS: 95, from both tragedies

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1649646_1421688,00.html

Millennium Bridge, London

https://simple.wikipedia.org/w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAXVa
iki/Millennium_Bridge __XWZ8

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 A collapse which led to development

1940 - Failure of Tacoma Bridge only 4

months after opening

Science of Equilibrium

2D Equilibrium

Equilibrium of
a Rigid Body

3D Equilibrium

4
 Newtonian Mechanics
Mass
Absolute
Space Concepts
Time (independent from
each other)

Force depends on the

mass of the body,
variation of velocity
Force

In Newtonian Mechanics, space, time, and mass are absolute concepts,

independent of each other. The force acting on a body, however, is related
to the mass of the body and the variation of its velocity with time.

3D
1. Fundamental concepts: z

A. Particle: The very small P

amount of matter which may
be assumed to occupy a y

single point in space.

z
x
B. Rigid body: combination of
large number of particles
occupying fixed positions with
respect to each other . y

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 • C. Free-Body Diagrams

Space Diagram: A sketch showing Free-Body Diagram: A sketch showing

the physical conditions of the only the forces on the selected particle.
problem.

3. Fundamental Principles
3.1. Newton’s First Law
3.2. Newton’s Second Law

3.3. Newton’s Third Law

3.5 Addition of vectors:
3.4. Newton’s Fourth Law of
Parallelogram Law Gravitation

3.6 Principle of
Transmissibility

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 Review:
Forces in Plane
Forces in Space

Forces and Vectors

Replacing multiple forces acting on a particle with a single equivalent or
resultant force

Relations between forces acting on a particle that is in a state of equilibrium.

• Force: action characterized by its point of

application, magnitude, line of action, and
sense.
• Force is a vector quantity.

• Vector: parameters possessing magnitude and direction

which add according to the parallelogram law. Examples:
displacements, velocities, accelerations.

• Scalar: parameters possessing magnitude but not

direction. Examples: mass, volume, temperature

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 Review of Trigonometric functions

Definitions:
a c
sin A  cosA  C
a
b b
sin A A
tan A 
cosA c B

a b c
Law of sines:  
sin A sin B sin C

a  b cos C  c cos B a 2  b2  c 2  2bc cos A

Law of cosines b  a cos C  c cos A b2  a 2  c 2  2ac cos B
c  a cos B  b cos A c 2  a 2  b2  2ab cosC

• Trigonometric solution - Apply the triangle rule.

From the Law of Cosines,

R 2  P 2  Q 2  2 PQ cos B
 40N 2  60N 2  240N 60N  cos 155
R  97.73N

From the Law of Sines,

sin A sin B

Q R
Q
sin A  sin B
R
60 N
 sin 155
97.73N
A  15.04
  20  A   35.04

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 Rectangular Components of a Force:
Unit Vectors
• May resolve a force vector into perpendicular
components so that the resulting parallelogram is a
rectangle. Fx and Fy are referred to as rectangular
vector components and
  
F  Fx  Fy
 
• Define perpendicular unit vectors i and j which are
parallel to the x and y axes.

• Vector components may be expressed as products of

the unit vectors with the scalar magnitudes of the
vector components.
  
F  Fx i  Fy j

• Fx and Fy are referred to as the scalar components of F

Example Method
SOLUTION:
• Resolve each force into rectangular
components.

• Determine the components of the

resultant by adding the corresponding
force components.

• Calculate the magnitude and direction

Four forces act on bolt A as shown. of the resultant.
Determine the resultant of the force
on the bolt.

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 SOLUTION:
• Resolve each force into rectangular
components.

force mag x  comp y  comp


F1 150  129 .9  75.0

F2 80  27.4  75.2

F3 110 0  110 .0

F4 100  96.6  25.9
199 .1 14.3

• Determine the components of the resultant by

adding the corresponding force components.
R  199.12  14.32 R  199.6N
• Calculate the magnitude and direction.

14.3 N
tan     4.1
199.1 N

Rectangular Components in Space

• If the force is in space and does not belong to neither plans: xoy,
zox, yoz then decompose the force successively until rectangular
components are reached

 
• The vector F is • Resolve F into
contained in the horizontal and vertical
plane OBAC. components.
Fy  F cos  y
Fh  F sin  y
• Resolve Fh into
rectangular components
Fx  Fh cos 
 F sin  y cos 
Fy  Fh sin 
 F sin  y sin 

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 Rectangular Components in Space


• With the angles between F and the axes,
Fx  F cos x Fy  F cos y Fz  F cos z

   
F  Fx i  Fy j  Fz k
 
   
 F cos x i  cos y j  cos z k  F

   
  cos x i  cos y j  cos z k
 
•  is a unit vector along the line of action of F
and cos  x , cos
  y , and cos  z are the direction
cosines for F

Expression of F based on unit vectors i, j, k

F  Fxi  Fy j  Fz k

scalar unit vectors

components

F  vector

F  F (cos xi  cos y j  cos z k )

scalar unit vector, 
  cos xi  cos y j  cos z k

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 Force F defined by two points (Position Vectors)
Method of Relative Position

How can we determine the vector of the resultant if the

application point is not in the origin or if position is known
(not the magnitude of the force)?

Tutorial Vectors

http://www.screencast.com/users/Elndrag/folders/Mechanics/media/baf11b3e-d6ab-
4414-8a83-6fc21743806e

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 (Position Vectors) Method of Relative Position
Is MN vector not F vector!
Direction of the force is defined by
the location of two points,
M  x1 , y1 , z1  and N  x2 , y2 , z 2 
d x  x2 - x1 d y  y2 - y1 d z  z2 - z1
d  d d d
2
x
2
y
2
z


MN  d x i  d y j  d z k

MN 1
  F      (d x i  d y j  d z k )
F  F  (d x i  d y j  d z k ) MN d
d
dx
Fd x Fd Fd cos x 
Fx  Fy  y Fz  z d
d d d
dy
cos y 
Determine the position vector directed d
from A to B and its  vector. d
cos z  z
Scalar components Fx, Fy, Fz d

Example
SOLUTION:
• Based on the relative locations of the
points A and B, determine the unit vector
pointing from A towards B.

• Apply the unit vector to determine the

components of the force acting on A.

• Noting that the components of the unit

vector are the direction cosines for the
vector, calculate the corresponding
The tension in the guy wire is 2500 N.
angles.
Determine:
a) components Fx, Fy, Fz of the force
acting on the bolt at A,
b) the angles x, y, z defining the
direction of the force

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 Example
SOLUTION:
• Determine the unit vector pointing from A towards B.

• Determine the components of the force.

Example
• Noting that the components of the unit vector are
the direction cosines for the vector, calculate the
corresponding angles.

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