Official (CLOSED), Non-Sensitive
BE8134 - Structural Mechanics
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COURSE : DCE 1 FT
MODULE NAME : STRUCTURAL MECHANICS
MODULE CODE : BE8134
TOPIC 1B : FUNDAMENTALS OF STATICS (II)
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Keywords:
Equilibrium, support conditions, free body diagram, reactions
Objective:
Student should be able to understand and apply the conditions for equilibrium for simple
statically determinate structures.
They should be able to:
1. Know the various types of loadings on a structure.
2. Compare and contrast different types of support conditions.
3. Distinguish between internal and external forces in simple structures such as simply
supported beams and three hinged arches.
4. Construct free body diagrams of simple structures referred to in 3.
5. State the conditions for static equilibrium of coplanar structures referred to in 3.
6. Calculate reactions at supports for simple structures referred to in 3.
References:
P. S. Smith (2001), Introduction to Structural Mechanics, Palgrave
Chapter 3 : Analysis of Beams.
J.A. Cain & R. Hulse (2001) Structural Mechanics, Palgrave
Chapter 2 : Simple Structures (Loads and Reactions)
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Fundamentals of Statics II 8
Official (CLOSED), Non-Sensitive
BE8134 - Structural Mechanics
__________________________________________________________________________
1. Support Conditions
Structural members are joined together and supported in various ways depending on
the intentions of the designer.
It is important to be able to recognize these supports and the kinds of reactions they
exert on the attached members. The restraints exerted by the supports are governed
by the type of joint.
In a plane structure there are ideally 3 types of joints:
Roller or simple support
− the structure is merely laid on its support.
− relative translation is restrained only in the direction at right angles to the rolling surface.
− the reaction is a force that acts perpendicular to the surface at the point of contact.
Reaction
Pinned or hinged support
− relative translation is restrained but the members can rotate freely and independently.
− the reaction is a single force in an arbitrary direction or, usually
− represented by two mutually perpendicular forces.
Fx
Fy
Rigid or fixed support
− all relative movement is restrained.
− the reaction are the moment and 2 force components.
M
Fx
Fy
Notice that a support develops a force on a member if it prevents translation of a member
and develops a moment to prevent rotation of a member. Look around you… can you
cite some examples of hinged, roller and fixed supports?
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Fundamentals of Statics II 9
Official (CLOSED), Non-Sensitive
BE8134 - Structural Mechanics
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Free Body Diagrams (FBD)
Analysis of actual structures can be simplified by considering the equilibrium of a
particle or portion of the structure only, i.e. drawing a separate diagram showing all the
forces acting on it. This diagram is called a free body diagram.
Steps to draw a FBD:
1. Select the body (members) to be isolated and sketch its outline.
2. Show on this sketch all the forces and moments acting on it.
3. Note: when isolating bodies, the supports and the connections with other bodies
must be replaced with the forces and moments that they could provide.
4. Label all the forces and moments known in magnitude in direction.
5. Direction of force or moment having unknown magnitude but known line of action
can be assumed.
6. Include the dimensions of the member, necessary for the computing of the
moments of forces.
Example 1 :
chain
Sketch the free body diagram for the rod AB.
hinge
A B
1. 3m 3m
10kN
3. Conditions of Equilibrium
A body is said to be in equilibrium when a group of forces applied to the body causes
no change in its state of motion.
i.e. no translational movements in any direction , ∑ Fx = 0
∑ Fy = 0
no rotation about any point , ∑ M= 0
Example 2 :
Apply conditions of equilibrium to determine reactions at support A & B in EXAMPLE 1.
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Fundamentals of Statics II 10