Laterally Loaded Non‐Uniform Struts: A Tabular Method Requiring only Arithmetical Calculation Available to Purchase

THE bending moments in a strut with lateral loading can usually be found graphically by means of the Polar (Howard) Diagram, but with a strut of non‐uniform section and a complex load system it is difficult to obtain an accurate solution without drawing to an inconveniently large scale. The tabular method described here is applicable to struts of varying section with any load system and involves only arithmetical calculation. The strut is divided into a convenient number of ‘simple’ segments, i.e. segments of uniform section with no point loads applied within the length of each segment, and successive applications are made of relations between the bending moment and slope at either end of the segments. Two trial solutions are necessary, from which the required solution is readily obtained.