Smaller Internal Forces

• The more direct the internal force paths, the stiffer the structure.
• The more uniform the distribution of internal forces, the stiffer the structure.
• The smaller the internal forces, the stiffer the structure.

Smaller internal forces in a structure or a stiffer structure can be achieved by:

• providing additional supports to the structure
• reducing spans of the structure or
• making a self-balanced system of forces in the structure before the forces are transmitted to the supports of the structure.

The first two measures are obvious. The contents of this chapter are related to the third measure.

Criterion:

If members can be added into a structure in a way that offsets some of the effects of the external loads or balances some of the internal forces before the forces are transmitted to the supports of the structure. The internal forces in the structure will be smaller and the structure will be stiffer.