ABSTRACT
Many types of 'skeletal' structures, such as two and three dimensional pin-jointed trusses, rigid-jointed plane and space frames and plane grid structures, are assembled from members which are; in general, much longer than their cross-sectional dimensions. The members are jointed only at joints (nodes). Depending on the type of structure, the nature of the forces they resist vary. For example, a member of a pinjointed truss can resist axial forces only. On the other hand, members of a rigid-jointed frame resist not only axial forces but also bending moment and shear forces, and in a space frame torsional forces as well. A plane grid structure is a two dimensional structure subjected to loads normal to the plane, and the members resist bending moments, shear forces and torsional moments.
