Statics

Zero-Force Member

A truss member carrying no load under a given loading condition.

Zero-force members appear where a joint connects only two non-collinear members with no external load, or where three members meet with two of them collinear and no external load. In both cases equilibrium at that joint forces the odd member to carry nothing.

Identifying them first collapses the problem substantially, and exam questions frequently include them precisely to reward that recognition.

How much of the FE Civil exam is Statics?