Lecturer: Dr.

Vui Van Cao

Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION

1.1 BASIC CONCEPTS

Mechanics of materials is a branch of mechanics that studies

 the internal effects of stress and strain in a solid body
that is subjected to an external loading. Stress is
associated with the strength of the material from which
the body is made, while strain is a measure of the
deformation of the body.
 the body’s stability when a body such as a column is
subjected to compressive loading.

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Lecturer: Dr. Vui Van Cao

1.1 BASIC CONCEPTS

Objectives:
 Strength conditions: no failure – ultimate limit state
 Rigidity conditions: no extra deformation –
serviceability limit state
 Stability conditions: retain the initial deformation state

A thorough understanding of the fundamentals of this subject is

of vital importance because many of the formulas and rules of
design cited in engineering codes are based upon the principles
of this subject.

Method: Theory + Experiment.

1.2 EXTERNAL LOADS,

SUPPORTS AND SUPORT REACTIONS
1. External Loads
A body is subjected to only two types of external loads; namely,
surface forces or body forces.
1.1. Surface loads (forces)
Surface loads are loads on the body surface. They can be
devided into:
a) Point (concentrated) loads
If the area on which the force is acting is small in comparison
with the total surface area of the body, then the surface force can
be idealized as a single concentrated force, which is applied to a
point on the body.
For example, the force of the ground on the wheels of a bicycle
can be considered as a concentrated force.
Unit: N, kN, …
Example: support reaction, some live loads, …

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Lecturer: Dr. Vui Van Cao

1.2 EXTERNAL LOADS, CONNECTIONS,

SUPPORTS AND SUPORT REACTIONS
1. External Loads
A body is subjected to only two types of external loads; namely,
surface forces or body forces.
1.1. Surface loads (forces)
b) Distributed loads
If the surface loading is applied along a narrow strip of area, the
loading can be idealized as a linear distributed load, w(s). Here
the loading is measured as having an intensity of force/length
along the strip and is represented graphically by a series of
arrows along the line s.
The resultant force of w(s) is equivalent to the area under the
distributed loading curve, and this resultant acts through the
centroid C or geometric center of this area. The loading along
the length of a beam is a typical example of where this
idealization is often applied.
Unit: N/mm, kN/m, N/mm2, kN/mm2, …
Example: water pressure, selfweight of beams

1.2 EXTERNAL LOADS, CONNECTIONS,

SUPPORTS AND SUPORT REACTIONS
1. External Loads
1.2. Body forces
A body force is developed when one body exerts a force on
another body without direct physical contact between the bodies.
Examples include the effects caused by the earth’s gravitation or
its electromagnetic field. Although body forces affect each of
the particles composing the body, these forces are normally
represented by a single concentrated force acting on the body. In
the case of gravitation, this force is called the weight of the body
and acts through the body’s center of gravity.

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Lecturer: Dr. Vui Van Cao

1.2 EXTERNAL LOADS, CONNECTIONS,

SUPPORTS AND SUPORT REACTIONS
2. Supports and support reactions

Roller support: this support carries only shear forces between

jointed members. The roller support allows rotation and one
displacement of the support point: uA ≠ 0; vA = 0 and ϕA ≠0.

1.2 EXTERNAL LOADS, CONNECTIONS,

SUPPORTS AND SUPORT REACTIONS
2. Supports and support reactions

Hinged (pin) support: this support carry shear and axial forces
but not moment between different members. The hinged
support allows rotation of the support point but the two
displacements are equal zero or: uA = 0; vA = 0 and ϕA ≠ 0.

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Lecturer: Dr. Vui Van Cao

1.2 EXTERNAL LOADS, CONNECTIONS,

SUPPORTS AND SUPORT REACTIONS
2. Supports and support reactions

M V
H

Fixed support: this supports carry moment, shear and axial

forces between different members. This kind of support
doesn’t allow any displacements of the support point. So, if
the displacement along the x axis is u, the displacement along
y axis is y and the rotation is called ϕ then we can say that: uA
= 0; vA = 0 and ϕA = 0.

1.2 EXTERNAL LOADS, CONNECTIONS,

SUPPORTS AND SUPORT REACTIONS
2. Supports and support reactions

Spring supports: These supports are like the previous but with
the difference that they are not ideally rigid but with some real
stiffness. The spring has a stiffness constant c equals to the force
caused by displacement d = 1.

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Lecturer: Dr. Vui Van Cao

1.2 EXTERNAL LOADS, CONNECTIONS,

SUPPORTS AND SUPORT REACTIONS
2. Supports and support reactions

General rule: if the support prevents translation in a given

direction, then a force must be developed on the member in
that direction.

1.3 EQUATIONS OF EQUILIBRIUM

Equilibrium of a body requires:

 balance of forces, to prevent the body from translating
or having accelerated motion along a straight or curved
path:

F  0
 balance of moments, to prevent the body from rotating:

M /o 0

Here, F represents the sum of all the forces acting on the

body, and M /o  0 is the sum of the moments of all the
forces about any point O either on or off the body.

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Lecturer: Dr. Vui Van Cao

1.3 EQUATIONS OF EQUILIBRIUM

3D problem: If an x, y, z coordinate system is established with

the origin at point O, the force and moment vectors can be
resolved into components along each coordinate axis and the
above two equations can be written in scalar form as six
equations, namely,

 F  0;  F  0;  F  0;
x y z

 M  0;  M  0;  M  0
x y z

1.3 EQUATIONS OF EQUILIBRIUM

2D problem: Often in engineering practice the loading on a

body can be represented as a system of coplanar forces. If this is
the case, and the forces lie in the x–y plane, then the conditions
for equilibrium of the body can be specified with only three
scalar equilibrium equations; that is,

 X  0; Y  0;  M /o  0 (x and y are not parallel)

or M A  0;  M B  0;  M C  0 (A, B, C are not on a

straight line)

or  X  0;  M A  0;  M B  0 (AB is not perpendicular to

x)

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Lecturer: Dr. Vui Van Cao

1.4 MODELLING
The main idea of this idealization is to make a mathematical
model of the real construction to be convenient for analysis and
calculation. After we know the idealization of different joints
and supports, we will take care about whole structure
idealization. To make this we follow the middle axis of the
elements of the structure.
In the following figure are shown some real and idealized
structures:

1.4 MODELLING

- Bar members  center lines; Plates & Shells  middle

surfaces.
- Section  E, A, I (Section Properties).
- Connections, Supports  Idealization (Rigid, Non-
Friction or Elastic…).
- Further simplifications if necessary (such as hinged
joints, brick wall, floors…)
Notes: Designers are responsible for their structural models.

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Lecturer: Dr. Vui Van Cao

1.5 ASSUMPTIONS

1. Materials are continuous, homogeneous, isotropic and

linear elastic (obeying Hooke’s Law).
Homogeneous material has the same physical and mechanical
properties throughout its volume, and isotropic material has
these same properties in all directions. Many engineering
materials may be approximated as being both homogeneous and
isotropic as assumed here.

1.5 ASSUMPTIONS

2. Strain and displacement are small (used as infinitesimal

quantities in mathematics; for small angle: sin  tan  ,
cos = 1 …)
We presume that the displacements are small according the
dimensions of the element and deformations are small according
the unit. These preconditions allow us to write equilibrium
conditions for the initial shape of the structure and to neglect the
small displacement of the structure.
These assumptions allow for using non-deformed structures
when considering the equilibrium of forces.

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Lecturer: Dr. Vui Van Cao

1.6 PRINCIPLE OF SUPERPOSITION

The previous two preconditions allow us to use the principle of

superposition. It may be stated as follow:
The total displacement or internal forces at a point in a
structure subjected to several external loadings can be
determinate by adding together the displacements or internal
forces caused by each of the external loads acting separately.

P1 P2 P1 P2

1 2
1 2

1.7 EXERCISES

Determine support reactions

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