Question: I don’t understand what is the “virtual work”.

Work: The product of force (moment) and the displacement

(rotation angle) in the direction of the force

Real Work: The displacement is caused by this force

Virtual Work: The displacement is not caused by this force

Conservation of Energy Principle applies to both real

and virtual work!
Virtual loadings

P'  =  udL
Real
displacements

Department of Civil & 18/09/2023 X.Y. Wang

Environmental Engineering
Question: Can I use P instead of the unit force in the virtual work method?

Virtual loadings

P'  =  udL
Real
displacements

P = 1 unit-load theorem P = 2
u = internal virtual load u ? will double accordingly

Answer: Yes, you can design the virtual force of any magnitude, but
u will change its magnitude accordingly. As a result, the magnitude
will be crossed out at the both sides of the virtual work equation.

Department of Civil & 18/09/2023 X.Y. Wang

Environmental Engineering
Question: I can’t find my bending moment shape in the diagram

Case 1

Case 2

Answers:
Divide your diagram or using the superpostion method !
Department of Civil & 18/09/2023 X.Y. Wang
Environmental Engineering
Question: What is the relation of 1 and 2?
P 1
A B A B

1 2
P 1

1 1

1 P 2
Answer: 1=P* 2
Department of Civil & 18/09/2023 X.Y. Wang
Environmental Engineering
Question: Why can I analyze the structure only once to calculate  ?
P
A B


P 1
P

1 1

P 𝑓11

Department of Civil & 18/09/2023 X.Y. Wang

Environmental Engineering
Question: How to demonstrate the Maxwell’s law? P = P
P
A P B A B



To calculate δ: To calculate δത :
P 1

1 P

δ = P ∗ 𝑓𝐴=1,𝐵=1 P = P δത = P
ഥ ∗ 𝑓𝐴=1,𝐵=1
𝑓𝐴=1,𝐵=1 1 1

Department of Civil & 18/09/2023 X.Y. Wang

Environmental Engineering
 Question: I don’t know how to analyze the truss structure.
Moment equilibrium is
automatically satisfied
at the pin joint.
0
Only 2 Equations Zero-Force
0 Members
F x =0
F y =0

Answer: Analyze each pin joint one

by one, all forces should form the
equilibrium state.
(Attend Tutorial 2!)

Department of Civil & 18/09/2023 X.Y. Wang

Environmental Engineering