Gyanmanjari Institute of

Technology

Department of Civil Engineering

Subject Name: Mechanics of Solids
Chapter Name: Coplanar Non Concurrent Forces
Topic Name: Plane Truss
Plane Truss
 Introduction
• A truss is consists of uniform members (circular section, angle
section, channel section) joined together at their ends by
welding and constructed to support loads.
• 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.
• Space truss: A truss made up of members not lying in the
same plane is referred to as space truss. Ex: Electric power
transmission tower, microwave tower, etc.
 Plane Truss
• Trusses are commonly used to support long spans in industries,
buildings and bridges.
• Plane truss consists of straight members attached to each other only
at their ends.
• The points where the members are connected are called joints.
• In practice, the members are usually made up of steel angles, boxes
or channels and are attached at the joints by riveting, bolting or
welding.
• Sometimes, wooden trusses are also used.

…continued
 Plane Truss
• The joints of the truss are assumed as frictionless hinges or pins.
• The members are so connected that the whole structure is rigid
under the action of the forces applied at the joints in the plane of
the truss.
 Rigid- triangle

 Collapse- Rectangular/Square member

 Redundant member- Zero force member

• A truss can be assumed to deform without a change in length of
its members.

…continued
 Plane Truss
• Trusses may be used to support considerable long
spans and they may be made up of metals.
• There may be considerable change in length of the truss
because of the temperature change.
• To accommodate such changes, sometimes a roller
support is provided at one of the end, the other end
being hinged or fixed.
Assumptions made in the analysis of a truss

• The members of the truss are connected at the

ends by frictionless hinges.
• The axes of all members lie in a single plane
called ‘middle plane of the truss’.
• All the external forces acting on the truss are
applied at the joints only.
• All the loads are applied in the plane of the
truss.
• The members are straight.
 Sign Convention
• A truss is held in position by the supports and the loads are applied
only at joints.
• The free body diagram of a member shows that it is acted upon by
two equal and opposite forces.
• The hinged joint permits members to rotate with respect to each other
and hence the members are subjected to purely axial forces.
• There can be two types of forces:
 Tension Member
 Compressor member
• The convention for internal forces, i.e., the action of forces in the
members on the joints is shown.
• Tension Members
• Compression members
 Types of Method of Analysis
• Method of Joints

• Method of Section
 Truss Notations
SIGN CONVENTIONS USED :
• Positive sign is used for tension.

• Negative sign is used for compression.

• Clockwise moment is taken positive and anticlockwise

moment is taken as negative.
Types of 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 (∑H=0, ∑V=0 and ∑M=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.
Examples based on Method of Joints
 Method of Sections
• In this method we can directly determine the force in any
member without proceeding to that member by a joint by
joint analysis. The method is as follows :
• Determine the reactions at the supports of the truss
given.
• Take an imaginary cutting plane through the truss,
dividing it into two parts, such that it passes through
members in which forces are required.
Examples based on Method of sections

• Method of Section Example Link