NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY

Faculty of Engineering

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Fall 2019 – 2020

Course Code: CEN 311 – Structures II

Course Learning Outcomes

Understand the fundamental concepts of structural analysis.
Identify the stability and the degree of indeterminacy of different structures.
Analyze and solve statically indeterminate structures.
Use modern engineering computer based tools.

Indeterminate Truss – Force Method Calculations and SAP2000 Modeling

Instructor: Dr. Imad El Chiti Section: B

Student Name: Shaun Mikel Chamchoum ID No.: 20127096

Student Name: George Berkachi ID No.: 20127012

 CEN 311 – Structures II

Table of Contents

Table of Contents 2
List of Figures 3
List of Tables 4
Section I – Project Introduction 5
1.1 Project Given 5
1.2 Structural Properties 6
1.3 Requirements 7
Section II – Force Method Calculations 8
2.1 Force Method Information 8
2.2 Force Method Calculations 9
2.3 Results Summary 14
Section III – SAP2000 Modeling 16
3.1 SAP2000 Information 16
3.2 SAP2000 Modeling 16
3.3 Results Summary 22
Section IV – Conclusion 26
4.1 Force Method and SAP2000 Results Comparison 26
4.2 Conclusion 27
Appendix A – Hand Calculations 28

2
 CEN 311 – Structures II

List of Figures

Figure 1.1 Truss Structural Layout. 5

Figure 2.1 Modified Truss Structural Layout. 9
Figure 2.2 Redundant Truss Structural Layouts. 10
Figure 2.3 Redundant Truss Axial Loads (kN). 10
Figure 2.4 Horizontal Displacement Structural Layout and Axial Loads (kN). 14
Figure 3.1 About SAP2000. 16
Figure 3.2 New Model Set-Up. 17
Figure 3.3 Grid System Set-Up. 18
Figure 3.4 Material Properties Set-Up. 18
Figure 3.5 Section Properties Set-Up. 19
Figure 3.6 Load Pattern Set-Up. 19
Figure 3.7 Modeled Truss (Extruded View). 20
Figure 3.8 Support Restraints. 20
Figure 3.9 Horizontal Point Load. 21
Figure 3.10 Member End Moment Releases. 21
Figure 3.11 Axial Load Diagram (Fill View) (kN). 22
Figure 3.12 Axial Load Diagram (Value View) (kN). 22
Figure 3.13 Support Reactions (kN). 23
Figure 3.14 Joint Displacement Summary (m). 23
Figure 3.15 Horizontal Deflection Contour. 24
Figure 3.16 Vertical Deflection Contour. 24

3
 CEN 311 – Structures II

List of Tables

Table 2.1 Primary and Redundant Trusses Axial Loads (kN). 11

Table 2.2 Truss Axial Loads Summary (kN). 13
Table 2.3 Primary, Redundant, and Displacement Trusses Axial Loads (kN). 15
Table 3.1 Grid System Information Summary. 17
Table 3.2 SAP2000 Truss Axial Loads Summary (kN). 25
Table 4.1 Truss Axial Loads Comparison (kN). 26

4
 CEN 311 – Structures II

Section I – Project Introduction

1.1 Project Given

This report will tackle the analysis of a statically indeterminate truss using two different

methods of analysis. The first method is using hand calculations by applying the force

method since the structure is statically indeterminate. The second method is to obtain similar

results using computer software modeling, and this will be handled by SAP2000 which is

developed by Computers and Structures, Inc. in Berkeley, California. The results obtained

from each method will be compared in the final part of this report.

Figure 1.1 – Truss Structural Layout.

Figure 1.1 illustrates the layout of the truss that will be considered in this report. The

truss is made up of 11 hollow steel tube members and has two pin supports at the base. Each

of the six joints is labeled to aid in clarifying calculations further on in the report.

5
 CEN 311 – Structures II

1.2 Structural Properties

The vertical truss is subject to a horizontal point load F = 10 kN applied at the top while

maintained by two pin supports at the bottom, as seen in Figure 1.1. All structural members

are hollow steel (Es = 200 GPa) tubes of 60 mm outer diameter and 5 mm wall thickness.

Take L = H = 5 m.

• L (Length) = 5 m

• H (Height) = 5 m

• D (Diameter) = 0.06 m

• t (Wall Thickness) = 0.005 m

• Es = 200 GPa = 2 × 108 KPa

• A (Area) = 8.639× 10-4 m2

• I (Moment of Inertia) = 3.294× 10-7 m4

• EsA = 172780 kN

• EsI = 65.88 kN.m2

Detailed hand calculations pertaining to the above results are presented in Appendix A

of this report starting on Page 28. These values are important for further calculations and

therefore need to be validated before proceeding. The analysis requirements are explained in

the next section. This report will be divided into two main section:

• Hand Calculations using The Force Method

• Software Modeling using SAP2000

6
 CEN 311 – Structures II

1.3 Requirements

The requirements of this project are as follows:

1. Hand calculations using the force method, determine the following effects caused by

the applied loads:

• All support reactions.

• All internal effect in the structural members.

• The factor of safety against buckling.

• The lateral displacement of F.

2. Model the truss using one of the structural modeling programs available at NDU, such

as SAP2000, ROBOT, ABSYS, ABAQUS, and RDM 6.17 to determine the same

results are previously listed.

3. Analyze and compare the results presented in the hand calculations and software

modeling to arrive at a valid conclusion.

7
 CEN 311 – Structures II

Section II – Force Method Calculations

2.1 Force Method Information

The method to be used for this section is the force method, as discussed previously. The

method works by making a reaction or joint redundant by removing the support or adding a

hinge/roller, respectively. In the case of a truss, members are removed to ensure the structure

becomes internally and externally statically determinant. Then unit loads are added to the

modified frame and specific compatibility equations are derived and solved. All these steps

will be seen in details for the remainder of this section.

• Number of Reactions (r) = 4

• Number of Members (b) = 11

• Number of Joints (j) = 6

• Number of Available Equations (2j) = 12

• Number of Required Equations (b + r) = 15

2j < b + r

b < 2j – 3

Therefore, the truss is externally indeterminate to the first degree. It is also externally

and internally stable, but indeterminate to the third degree overall. This means that one of the

supports must be made redundant by one degree and two members must be removed to arrive

at a statically determinate vertical truss.

8
 CEN 311 – Structures II

2.2 Force Method Calculations

Figure 2.1 illustrates the modified truss structural layout that ensures it is now statically

determinant. This is achieved by removing members ED and CB and replacing the pinned

support at joint B with a roller. The truss can now be solved using the joints method to obtain

the axial loads in each member and the equilibrium equations will be used to obtain the

support reactions.

Figure 2.1 – Modified Truss Structural Layout.

The support reactions of the modified truss are found to be:

• Ax = 10 kN 

• Ay = 20 kN 

• By = 20 kN 

Detailed calculations for the support reactions and axial loads of each member can be found

in Appendix A on Page 29.

9
 CEN 311 – Structures II

Figures 2.2 illustrates the redundant truss layouts that need to be considered to set-up

the compatibility equations. Since the truss was indeterminate to the third degree a total of

three redundant truss layouts need to be considered. Going from left to right, the first truss

applies a unit point load on support B while the other two apply unit tension loads on the

truss members ED and CB, respectively.

Figure 2.2 – Redundant Truss Structural Layouts.

Figure 2.3 – Redundant Truss Axial Loads (kN).

10
 CEN 311 – Structures II

Figure 2.3 represents the axial force diagrams for the three redundant trusses. Table 2.1

summarizes the axial loads of the three cases in addition to the primary structure illustrated in

Figure 2.1 that has an applied horizontal load of 10 kN placed on point E.

Table 2.1 – Primary and Redundant Trusses Axial Loads (kN).

Primary Redundant
Member
N (kN) nB (kN) nED (kN) nCB (kN)
AB 0 –1 0 – 0.71
AC 10 0 0 – 0.71
BD – 20 0 0 – 0.71
AD 14.14 0 0 1
BC 0 0 0 1
CD – 10 0 – 0.71 – 0.71
CE 0 0 – 0.71 0
DF – 10 0 – 0.71 0
CF 14.14 0 1 0
DE 0 0 1 0
EF – 10 0 – 0.71 0

There are three unknowns (Bx, FED, and FCB) that need to be solved for in this case. The

appropriate compatibility equations are as follow:

∆B + Bx × fB B + FED × fB ED + FCB × fB CB = 0

∆ED + Bx × fED B + FED × fED ED + FCB × fED CB = 0

∆CB + Bx × fCB B + FED × fCB ED + FCB × fCB CB = 0

The 9 variables to be found are:

∆B , ∆ED , ∆CB , fB B , fED ED , fCB CB , fB ED = fED B , fB CB = fCB B , and fED CB = fCB ED

11
 CEN 311 – Structures II

Since EsA and L are constant for all member they will be simplified from all the following

calculations.

N × nB × L
∆B = � =0
Es A

N × nED × L
∆ED = � = −10(−0.71)(3) + 14.14(1) = 35.44
Es A

N × nCB × L
∆CB = � = 10(−0.71) − 20(−0.71) + 14.14(1) − 10(−0.71) = 28.34
Es A

nB × nB × L
fB B = � = (−1)2 = 1
Es A

nB × nED × L
fB ED = � =0
Es A

nB × nCB × L
fB CB = � = −1(−0.71) = 0.71
Es A

nED × nED × L
fED ED = � = (−0.71)2 × 4 + (1)2 × 2 = 4.0164
Es A

nED × nCB × L
fED CB = � = −0.71(−0.71) = 0.5041
Es A

nCB × nCB × L
fCB CB = � = (−0.71)2 × 4 + (1)2 × 2 = 4.0164
Es A

The final compatibility equations are as follow:

1 × Bx + 0 × FED + 0.71 × FCB = 0

0 × Bx + 4.0164 × FED + 0.5041 × FCB = −35.44

0.71 × Bx + 0.5041 × FED + 4.0164 × FCB = −28.34

12
 CEN 311 – Structures II

These compatibility equations yield the following results:

• Bx = 4.92 kN 

• FED = – 7.95 kN (Compression)

• FCB = – 6.93 kN (Compression)

These results can now be used to solve the original truss layout as illustrated in Figure

1.1 to obtain axial loads for all members. Detailed hand calculations can be found in

Appendix A on Page 34 and Table 2.2 summarizes the axial load results for each member.

Table 2.2 – Truss Axial Loads Summary (kN).

Member Axial Load (kN) Member Axial Load (kN)

AB 0.02 CE 5.62
AC 14.90 DF – 4.38
BD – 15.10 CF 6.19
AD 7.21 DE – 7.95
BC – 6.93 EF – 4.38
CD 0.52

The support reactions of the original truss are found to be:

• Ax = 5.08 kN  • Bx = 4.92 kN 

• Ay = 20 kN  • By = 20 kN 

The factor of safety against buckling is found by first calculating the critical axial load that

can be sustained by the hollow steel tube used in the truss members.

π2 × Es I π2 × 65.88
Pcr = = = 26.01 kN
L2 52

Pcr 26.01
SF = = = 1.723  𝐎𝐎𝐎𝐎
Max. Compression Axial Load 15.10

13
 CEN 311 – Structures II

2.3 Results Summary

The final set of calculations is for the lateral displacement of joint E which is the

location of the horizontal point force that has a magnitude of 10 kN. This is first done by

applying a unit horizontal point load on joint E of the primary structure, as illustrated in

Figure 2.4, which has two redundant members and redundant support.

Figure 2.4 – Horizontal Displacement Structural Layout and Axial Loads (kN).

In order to calculate the actual horizontal deflection of joint E, a total of four partial

deflections need to be calculated. The sum of these results will represent the actual horizontal

deflection. This will be done by using the axial load values in Figure 2.4 and the results

summarized in Table 2.2 will be reused in Table 2.3.

14
 CEN 311 – Structures II

Table 2.3 – Primary, Redundant, and Displacement Trusses Axial Loads (kN).

Primary Redundant Displacement

Member
N (kN) nB (kN) nED (kN) nCB (kN) nE (kN)
AB 0 –1 0 – 0.71 0
AC 10 0 0 – 0.71 1
BD – 20 0 0 – 0.71 –2
AD 14.14 0 0 1 1.41
BC 0 0 0 1 0
CD – 10 0 – 0.71 – 0.71 –1
CE 0 0 – 0.71 0 0
DF – 10 0 – 0.71 0 –1
CF 14.14 0 1 0 1.41
DE 0 0 1 0 0
EF – 10 0 – 0.71 0 –1

∆E Total = ∆E N + ∆E B + ∆E ED + ∆E CB

nE × N × L nE × nB × L nE × nED × L nE × nCB × L
∆E Total = � +� +� +�
Es A Es A Es A Es A

nE × N × L
∆E N = � = 10(1) − 20(−2) + 14.14(1.41) × 2 − 10(−1) × 3 = 119.87
Es A

nE × nB × L
∆E B = � =0
Es A

nE × nED × L
∆E ED = � = −0.71(−1) × 3 + 1(1.41) = 3.54
Es A

nE × nCB × L
∆E CB = � = −0.71(1) − 0.71(−2) + 1(1.41) − 0.71(−1) = 2.83
Es A

(119.87 + 0 + 3.54 + 2.83) × 5

∆E Total = = 0.00365 m →
172780

15
 CEN 311 – Structures II

Section III – SAP2000 Modeling

3.1 SAP2000 Information

The utilization of programming is an imperative part when taking care of present-day

structural building issues. This is on account of programs offer engineers higher accuracy in

estimations, speed in finishing ventures, and a stage for different specialists to audit each

other's work. SAP2000 is a program that offers every one of these advantages with an

accentuation on basic examination.

3.2 SAP2000 Modeling

This section of the report will cover the detailed steps required to prepare a SAP2000

model, and then all the results will be seen as presented by the software. SAP2000 will

provide us with the moment, shear, and axial force diagram of the entire frame, and the

deflections and rotations of each joint.

Figure 3.1 – About SAP2000.

16
 CEN 311 – Structures II

The version on SAP2000 used for this project is 21.1.0 as seen in Figure 3.1. Next

select file in the menu bar and new model. This opens a new model set-up window as seen in

Figure 3.2. The units are set to kN and meters before selecting the grid only template.

Figure 3.2 – New Model Set-Up.

Table 3.1 – Grid System Information Summary.

Grid Lines No. of Grid Lines Grid Line Spacing

X 2 5m
Y 1 1m
Z 3 5m

After setting up the grid system as seen in Figure 3.3, the next thing is to define the material

and section to be used for the model as seen in Figures 3.4 and 3.5, respectively.

17
 CEN 311 – Structures II

Figure 3.3 – Grid System Set-Up.

Figure 3.4 – Material Properties Set-Up.

18
 CEN 311 – Structures II

Figure 3.5 – Section Properties Set-Up.

The self-weight multiplier for the DEAD load pattern must be set to zero to ensure that

the material self-weight has no effect to the truss system being considered. The only load that

will be considered is the applied horizontal load on point E that has a magnitude of 10 kN.

Figure 3.6 – Load Pattern Set-Up.

19
 CEN 311 – Structures II

Figure 3.7 – Modeled Truss (Extruded View).

Figure 3.8 – Support Restraints.

20
 CEN 311 – Structures II

Figure 3.9 – Horizontal Point Load.

The final step prior to analysis is to select all members of the truss and apple moment

releases on both ends of each member to simulate a pin connection between all members.

This is important to ensure that the model operates as a truss structure and not a frame.

Figure 3.10 – Member End Moment Releases.

21
 CEN 311 – Structures II

3.3 Results Summary

Figure 3.11 – Axial Load Diagram (Fill View) (kN).

Figure 3.12 – Axial Load Diagram (Value View) (kN).

22
 CEN 311 – Structures II

Figure 3.13 – Support Reactions (kN).

Figure 3.14 – Joint Displacement Summary (m).

23
 CEN 311 – Structures II

Figure 3.15 – Horizontal Deflection Contour.

Figure 3.16 – Vertical Deflection Contour.

24
 CEN 311 – Structures II

Table 4.2 summarizes the analysis results obtained from SAP2000, and specifically the

axial load values that can be seen in Figure 3.12. It is also worth noting that Figure 3.11 aids

in identifying which members are in tensions or compression.

Table 3.2 – SAP2000 Truss Axial Loads Summary (kN).

Member Axial Load (kN) Member Axial Load (kN)

AB 0 CE 5.52
AC 14.94 DF – 4.48
BD – 15.06 CF 6.33
AD 7.16 DE – 7.81
BC – 6.99 EF – 4.48
CD 0.46

25
 CEN 311 – Structures II

Section IV – Conclusion

4.1 Force Method and SAP2000 Results Comparison

This section will compare the axial load results obtained from the force method and

SAP2000. We will then check the percentage difference between the results for each member

to verify if the hand calculations and software results match. All the results are summarized

in Table 4.1 as seen. All axial load values are in kN.

Table 4.1 – Truss Axial Loads Comparison (kN).

Axial Load (kN)

Member % Difference
Force Method SAP2000
AB 0.02 0 –
AC 14.90 14.94 0.27
BD – 15.10 – 15.06 0.26
AD 7.21 7.16 0.69
BC – 6.93 – 6.99 0.87
CD 0.52 0.46 11.54
CE 5.62 5.52 1.78
DF – 4.38 – 4.48 2.28
CF 6.19 6.33 2.26
DE – 7.95 – 7.81 1.76
EF – 4.38 – 4.48 2.28

The Table 4.1 shows that the largest percentage difference between the force method

and SAP2000 is 11.54%. This percentage is relatively large because the axial load values of

member CD are small and therefore any change will yield a large percentage difference.

26
 CEN 311 – Structures II

4.2 Conclusion

Several conclusions can be drawn from the completion of this project. The most

significant is that ignoring the shear strain energy in the force method yields the same results

as SAP2000 that takes into account the shear strain energy. This shows the little significance

shear strain energy has in this problem, and that the frame is dominated by strain energy due

to bending moment.

Overall this project proved to be useful in developing manual applications of structure

theories and learning how to use software to model trusses. Civil engineers need to be able to

understand how structure deforms and react under different loadings qualitatively and this

can only be developed by solving several cases quantitatively. Hence, the importance of such

a project that employs various methods of solving the same frame. Hopefully, all

requirements of the project are met to the expected standard.

27
 CEN 311 – Structures II

Appendix A – Hand Calculations

28
 CEN 311 – Structures II

29
 CEN 311 – Structures II

30
 CEN 311 – Structures II

31
 CEN 311 – Structures II

32
 CEN 311 – Structures II

33
 CEN 311 – Structures II

34
 CEN 311 – Structures II

35