ULTIMATE STRENGTH OF TRUSS GIRDER DUE TO FAILURE OF CHORD MEMBER

Abstract

The ultimate strength analysis of the Warren type of rigidly jointed truss girder structure, in which the influence of the finite displacements, yielding of material, residual stusses and initial crookedness is taken into consideration, is carried out in this paper. From the analysed results, the generating mechannism of the secondary moments in the chord members, the effect of the secondary moments on the ultimate strength of truss girders, the ultimate strength due to the failure of the chord members which behave as an end-restrained column in the ultimate state are discussed herein. It is shown that trusses have much more strength than that estimated by the end-hinged column strength.