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Solid Mechanics-3

Composite rigid bodies


3.1 Composite rigid bodies: Many large bodies cannot be made as a single piece of material.
For example, a bridge is made of several beams connected together. Such a connected
structure of beams is called a truss. The beams are connected together by different types of
joints. Some beams are also supported on rigid walls. These connections and supports are
important in deciding how the forces are transmitted from one part of the body to the other or
how it is transmitted from the body to the wall. Some joints are rigid, while others are
allowed some play so that stresses in the structure are kept under control. In this chapter we
shall study how to determine unknown forces in these composite bodies. We use the two set
of equations, i.e. force and moment balance to compute the unknown forces. If we can fine all
unknown forces, we say that the composite structure is statically determinate, otherwise it is
statically indeterminate. In some cases, we may find that structure cannot be in static
equilibrium. Such a structure will be statically unstable. In the case of statically indeterminate
structures, we need to do detailed stress analysis to determine the unknown forces. This
analysis will be left out from this chapter, but at the end of the course you will develop
capability to do such analysis and we shall demonstrate by reviewing some statically
indeterminate cases.

3.2 Different types of joints and connections in two dimensional structures:


We first analyse the directions of the forces at different types of supports and
connections. This understanding would be useful for analysis of composite structures. We
first consider two dimensional supports. They are classified into different categories
depending on the nature of reactions at the supports
(a) Roller, rockers and frictionless surfaces: All of these connections produce a reaction
which is normal to the wall to which they connect the beam. The roller joints can freely move
parallel to the wall. The beam can also rotate freely around the roller so the joint does not
produce any restoring moment. The vertical movement is prevented either by the weight of
the structure itself or by confining rails. As a result, the reaction force is normal to the
surface.

Rocker allows a small but finite play in horizontal direction. Vertical motion is prevented by
weight of the structure. Due to circular shape of the rocker, it is supposed to be in contact
with the wall at a point. The reaction is therefore normal to the wall.
Frictionless surface allows free sliding of the beam along its surface. Rotation is
allowed, but vertical motion is prevented by the weight of the structure. Here again the force
is normal to the wall and no restoring moment is present.
(b) Short cable/short link:
If the support is in the form of a short cable, the force is always along the cable and is
tension, since the cable cannot support bending or compression. Also free rotation is allowed
at the joint and hence there is no restoring moment. A short link also acts as a short cable
since any force not aligned with its length will make it rotate to align it with the direction of
the force. However, a rigid link can resist both compressive and tensile forces.

(c) Collar and slot:

In this case, bean can slide along the frictionless rod or frictionless slot but cannot move
perpendicular to it and hence the force is normal to the rod or slot. Rotation is allowed due to
the pin. Hence no restoring moment is generated.
(d) Frictionless pin, hinge or rough surface:
In both cases free rotation is allowed and there is no restoring moment generated at
the joint. However, the both vertical and horizontal motion is resisted and hence the net force
has both components. It is not possible to find the direction of the force from the geometric
consideration alone.

(e) Fixed support:

This support not only prevents motion along or across the surface, but also resists rotation.
Hence it produces the restoring moment. This moment needs to accounted for satisfying the
balance of moments.
We shall analyse static determinacy of a simple truss through examples

3.3 Example-1: Consider a two dimensional truss shown in the figure below. Check its static
determinacy
Solution: Let us denote the external force acting at the node by the letter corresponding to
that node and its x-component by subscript-1 and y-component by subscript-2.

We note that at node , where the support is a pin, both components of the force
exist, whereas at node , the only component of the external force present is 2 since the
roller support does not resist motion in x-direction.

100 N

30

30

The force balance of y-components gives


2 + 2 100(300 )() = 0 or 2 + 2 =

100
2

() = 50()

The force balance of x-components gives


1 100(300 )() = 0 or 1 =

1003
2

() = 503()

The balance of moments around gives


2 = 0 or 2 = 0
Combining this with the force balance equation in y-direction, we get
2 = 50()
Hence, all unknown external forces can be determined by the equations of static equilibrium
and the system is statically determinate.
As a crosscheck we apply momentum balance about point . Here, we get
2 100 (300 ) (. ) = 0 or 2 = 100 (300 )() = 50()
This matches with our previous calculation, thus confirming it.

3.4 Example-2:

Consider now the truss with the same geometry and the support

arrangement as in the previous example, but now the direction of the load is vertically
downward. Check the static determinacy of this truss (see figure below)
Solution: The force balance of y-components gives
2 + 2 100() = 0
4

The force balance of x-components gives


1 = 0

100 N

30

30

(We assign positive sign to the moment when the axis of rotation is positive z-axis and
negative when the axis of rotation is negative z-axis)
From this we get 2 = 50() and hence from the first equation 2 = 50()
Balance of moments about B and C would yield the same answer.
Since all external forces can be determined based on the considerations of static equilibrium
alone, the truss is statically determinate.

3.5 Example-3: Consider now the truss with the same geometry and load as in the previous
example, but both supports are now pin type. Check the static determinacy of this truss (see
figure below)

100 N

30

30

2
5

Solution: Here, the external force components along x-axis are present at both points A and
B.
The force balance of y-components gives
2 + 2 100() = 0
The force balance of x-components gives
1 + 1 = 0
Balance of moments about A gives

2 100() 2 = 0
From this we get 2 = 50() and hence from the first equation 2 = 50().
No additional information can be obtained by the balance of moments around B.
The balance of moments around C gives

2 (2) 2 (2) + 1 (2) (300 )+1 (2) (300 ) = 0


Substitution of values of 2 and 2, followed by simplification gives 1 + 1 = 0 , which is
the same equation as obtained by the force balance. We are therefore unable to determine the
individual values of 1 and 1 by considering the static equilibrium alone. Hence, the
system is statically indeterminate.

3.6 Example-4: Consider now the truss with the same geometry and load as in the previous
example, but the left support is a fixed support and the right support is a roller. Check the
static determinacy of this truss (see figure below)

100 N

30

30

Solution: In this case in addition to two force components, A is acted upon by a moment
which prevents rotation about the joint. We need to determine this moment along with the
other forces. The force balance of y-components gives
2 + 2 100() = 0
The force balance of x-components gives
1 = 0
Balance of moments about B gives

2 + 100() + = 0 or

= 502 ()

Balance of moments about A gives

2 100() 2 + = 0
From this we get

= 50 2 ()

Subtracting the two moment balance equations, we get 2 = 2 and since


2 + 2 = 100(), we get 2 = 2 = 50(). Finally, we get

= 502 = 0

or = 0

Thus no restoring moment is generated at the fixed support. Reason is that this moment is
not needed for static equilibrium.

3.7 Example-5: We rework the example above, one change. The force acting at C is in
vertically upward direction (pull). Assume that the rollers are weightless. Length = 1

100 N

30

30

Solution: Since the rollers are weightless, they cannot resist the pulling force. Hence 2 = 0
7

The force balance of y-components gives


2 + 100 () = 0 or 2 = 100 ()
The force balance of x-components gives
1 = 0
Balance of moments about A gives

100() 2 + = 0

or

= 50 () and = 50 1 = 50

The moment is in clockwise direction and hence has negative sign.


Balance of the moments about B gives

2 100() 2 + = 0 or 100 50 50 = 0
Thus the balance of the moments about B is satisfied by the values which were previously
obtained. This provides a check for the correctness of our calculations. The same point can be
confirmed by applying the balance of moments about point C, which is left as an exercise.
We can also conclude that this system is statically determinate.

3.8 Example-6: Consider now the truss with the same geometry as in the previous example,
but both supports are roller type. The force of 100 N is acting at C in downward direction.
Check the static determinacy of this truss (see figure below)

100 N

30

30

Solution: It is easy to see that there are no horizontal component of forces and that
2 = 2 = 50 (). Hence, the system under ideal conditions is statistically determinate. In
practice, however, any small perturbation in the direction of force at C, will produce a small
horizontal component of force. This force will accelerate the truss in horizontal direction. The
truss is therefore, potentially statically unstable. In actual practice, friction between the rollers
and the floor will resist small perturbations from verticality of the force at C.
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3.9 Example-7: We now consider a truss which is modified from that shown the previous
example. Here, the horizontal connector is removed. The principle of statics does not show
any difference between this situation and the one in the previous example. However, this
situation is potentially far more unstable than the previous situation. There is a small extent of
bending of the inclined beams of the truss, which produce horizontal forces at points A and B
in opposite directions (positive at B and negative at A). In the case of three beam system of
the previous example, the tension in the horizontal, connector beam balances these stresses.
In the absence of this connector, the system will not be able to resist the horizontal forces
generated by the inclined beams and as a result, points A and B will move away from each
other and point C will move downwards and finally the truss will collapse.

100 N

30

30

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