ABSTRACT
Frames and trusses are engineering structures designed to support loads. Frames and trusses are made up of structural members such as bars, I-beams, and channels which are fastened together by welding or riveting or with large bolts or pins. A frame can be designed to support both moments and forces applied at any point in the structure. A truss, however, can be regarded as a pin-jointed frame made up of relatively slender members and is designed primarily to support forces applied at the joints. In the determination of the forces in the various members of a truss, it is assumed that each member is pin-jointed at its ends. This means that the lines of action of the two forces applied to the ends of a member in a truss must lie along the straight line joining the ends of the member.
