07-Str-A1: May 2017

Paper format. 07-Str-A1 Elementary Structural Analysis, National Examinations, May 2017. Three hours, CLOSED BOOK (an approved Sharp or Casio calculator is permitted). Page 1 states that six questions constitute a complete paper: Questions 1–5 are compulsory and the candidate answers one only of Questions 6, 7 or 8. All eight questions are worked below.

Sign conventions used throughout. Sagging bending moment is positive and is plotted above the axis; shear is the sum of the upward forces on the portion to the left of the section. Truss member forces are quoted as T for tension and C for compression. In the slope-deflection work of Question 7 the member-end moments follow the usual convention — clockwise on the member end taken as positive — so the sagging moment is $+M_{ij}$ at the left end of a member and $-M_{ji}$ at its right end. For the bent members of Questions 2(c) the diagrams are developed: the abscissa is distance measured along the member axis, not the horizontal projection.

Reference texts.

• R. C. Hibbeler, Structural Analysis, 10th ed. — Ch. 2 (determinacy and stability), Ch. 3–5 (trusses, internal loadings, frames), Ch. 6 (influence lines), Ch. 8–9 (deflections; virtual work), Ch. 11 (slope deflection).
• A. Kassimali, Structural Analysis, 6th ed. — Ch. 3 (equilibrium and determinacy), Ch. 4 (plane trusses), Ch. 5 (beams and frames), Ch. 7 (virtual work), Ch. 8–9 (influence lines), Ch. 16 (slope deflection).
• K. Leet, C.-M. Uang and A. Gilbert, Fundamentals of Structural Analysis, 5th ed. — a parallel treatment of the same syllabus.
• C. H. Norris, J. B. Wilbur and S. Utku, Elementary Structural Analysis, 4th ed. — the classical text this exam code is named after.