supports (kinematic constraints) form a connection between the analyzed system (beam, frame, etc.) and the ground. In statics, their purpose is to restrain the system’s degrees of freedom in order to achieve a geometrically stable system.
Supports can be classified by the number and type of degrees of freedom they restrain.
The most common types of supports are:
- fixed support (restrains all three degrees of freedom),
- pinned support (restrains translational degrees of freedom while allowing rotation),
- roller support (restrains translation perpendicular to the support surface) and
- slider support (restrains rotation and translation in one direction).
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You can learn more about support reactions in the article: Geometric stability of the system
