Aims

The aims of the course are to:

• Provide a general understanding of the relationship between the properties of common structural materials, and the principles and approaches underpinning their use in structural design
• Provide a bridge between the fundamental general engineering understanding of structures and materials developed in Part I and the applied specialist modules of Part II
• Provide knowledge and knowhow enabling structural designers to improve our use of energy and material in the design of the built environment while providing safe, useful structures for people to use

Objectives

As specific objectives, by the end of the course students should be able to:

• [1] Use the lower-bound theory of plasticity to perform load-path design of structural arrangements and to appreciate the benefits and limitations of the approach
• [2] Consider the influence of risk, and variability of loading and material properties, in structural design and calculation
• [3] Explain the environmental impacts of structural material and design choices
• [4] Understand and carry out early-stage structural design with various structural materials
• [4.1] Identify the theoretical and practical considerations governing structural design in various materials and explain how these may be accommodated in design
• [4.2] Make reasonable conceptual design decisions regarding appropriate structural form, initial layout and initial member sizing for simple structures in various materials;
• [4.3] Perform preliminary technical design calculations for simple structures in various materials
• [4.4] Determine what design approaches may be appropriate, and what calculations necessary, for more complex structures in various materials

Content

The implications of the general principles of structural mechanics – equilibrium, compatibility, constitutive laws, and stability – are investigated for different materials. This leads to discussion of typical structural forms in the various materials, the reasons for adopting them, and appropriate methods of construction. The significant types of structural behaviour, and therefore the most useful methods of analysis and calculation, are investigated for the different material types. Our basic aim is to establish means of making reasonable preliminary decisions about structural form, layout and initial sizing of structural members made from a range of common construction materials.

Design methodologies will be developed, and design of typical elements will be discussed, for:

• materials of low tensile but high compressive strength, such as masonry and glass;
• composite materials of low tensile strength combined with a ductile tensile material, such as reinforced concrete;
• high-strength, ductile materials such as steel and aluminium alloys;
• moderate-  to high-strength, anisotropic, brittle materials such as engineered timber.

The critical modes of failure of structures made from these materials tend to differ, as do other considerations such as environmental impacts, so design approaches will be correspondingly different.

Weeks 1-2 provide an introduction to a number of important considerations and approaches in structural design across materials, such as: loadpaths and the lowerbound theorem; limit state design and variability; resource efficiency and sustainability

Weeks 3-8 apply these considerations and approaches to design with various structural materials including: masonry; glass; reinforced concrete; steel and timber.

This syllabus contributes to the following areas of the UK-SPEC standard:

Toggle display of UK-SPEC areas.

 
Last modified: 31/05/2024 07:29