Description and Specification for Lab Tenders
Deflection of Truss Apparatus with Data Acquisition.
Description: An experimental apparatus to allow students to investigate the reactions and deflections of a loaded rectangular portal.
The experiment hardware fitted a Structures Test Frame. The hardware includes two rectangular portal frames with the same dimensions. However, one of the frames has a constant second moment of area, while the other has one leg with a smaller second moment of area.
Load the top of the portal frame using masses on a hanger. Load cells on the supports connect to a Digital Force Display. These measure the moment at one end of the portal frame and the horizontal reaction at the other. A digital deflection indicator measures sway at the top of the portal frame.
Use the results of moments and reactions to plot bending moment diagrams. They compare the bending moment diagrams, the direction of sway (and its causes) to theoretical calculations. They then repeat the experiment using the other portal frame.