Apply force method

Apply force method#

The force method is treated in in chapter 2.1 of the book Mechanica, Statisch onbepaalde constructies en bezwijkanalyse (in Dutch) (Hartsuijker and Welleman, 2007).

In the force method, the approach always consists of the followings steps:

  1. Determine the degree of statical determinacy.

  2. Transform the structure in a statical determinant system by releasing a support, splitting the structure at a two-force member or adding hinges: add unknown statically indeterminate forces and displacement constraints for each of the support you released and hinges you added. Be aware that you don’t transform the structure in a (partial) mechanism!

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  1. Solve for the displacement in terms of the unknown indeterminate forces as you would normally do for a statically determinate structure.

  2. Use your displacement constraints to solve for the statically indeterminate forces

This chapter includes the following topics: