Pin-jointed truss apparatus — forces and deflections in statically determinate and indeterminate structures
Experiments
Member forces in a pin-jointed Warren truss
Member forces in a pin-jointed roof truss
Forces in a statically determinate truss
Forces in a statically indeterminate (redundant) truss, with adjustable redundant member
Truss deflection under load, compared with theoretical values from Castigliano's second theorem
Analysis by the method of joints and method of sections, with direct comparison to measured bar forces
Introduction to Bow's notation and graphical force diagrams
Dependence of member force on the magnitude, direction and application point of the external load
Comparison of the load paths and efficiency of different truss geometries
Description
Modular bench-mounted apparatus for building pin-jointed truss frameworks — Warren, roof, cantilever and redundant configurations — and measuring the force in every member under
static loading.
Each bar is instrumented with a strain-gauge force transducer; the 16-channel data-acquisition unit streams the bar forces to dedicated software in real time, for graphical and numerical
evaluation.
Direct experimental verification of the classical analysis methods — method of joints, method of sections, Castigliano's theorem — against measured values.
Experiment configurations
Software
Real-time graphical display of the force in each member.
Components
Fixed support — joint-hub reaction fixed to the vertical frame profile
Roller support — joint-hub reaction sliding along the vertical profile, position adjustable
Load unit — vertical load applicator on the lower horizontal profile; load magnitude applied and read directly
Sensor interface — 16-channel module connecting the bar-mounted load cells to the data-acquisition unit
