Statics

Method of Sections

Finding truss member forces by cutting the truss and applying equilibrium to one side of the cut.

The method of sections passes a cut through the truss, ideally through no more than three members with unknown forces, and treats either piece as a free body. Three equilibrium equations then give the three forces, and choosing each moment point where two of the unknown forces intersect solves for the third directly.

It is far faster than the method of joints when a question asks for one member in the middle of a large truss. In a parallel-chord truss, the vertical component of the cut diagonal carries the whole panel shear.

How much of the FE Civil exam is Statics?