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Lecture 1-Introduction To Structural Engineering

1) A structure is designed to resist and support loading while dissipating energy. Common structures include buildings and bridges. 2) Forces acting on a structure can be static like gravity or dynamic like wind. Forces include axial, bending, tensile, and compressive forces. 3) Structures are built from materials like timber, masonry, concrete, steel, and composites based on their strength, cost, and other properties. Reinforced concrete combines the compressive strength of concrete with steel's tensile strength.

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olive baniel
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58 views

Lecture 1-Introduction To Structural Engineering

1) A structure is designed to resist and support loading while dissipating energy. Common structures include buildings and bridges. 2) Forces acting on a structure can be static like gravity or dynamic like wind. Forces include axial, bending, tensile, and compressive forces. 3) Structures are built from materials like timber, masonry, concrete, steel, and composites based on their strength, cost, and other properties. Reinforced concrete combines the compressive strength of concrete with steel's tensile strength.

Uploaded by

olive baniel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Introduction to Structural

Engineering/ Theory of
Structures
Theory of Structures
• What is a structure?
– A system designed to resist or support
loading and dissipate energy
• Building Structures
– Houses
– Skyscrapers
– Anything designed for continuous human occupation
• Non-building Structures
– Bridges
– Tunnels
– Dams
Forces
• Influence on an object that causes a change in a
physical quantity
• Considered “vectors” – magnitude and direction
• Static Force
– Unchanging with time
• Walls
• Floors
• Dynamic Force
– Changing with time
• People
• Furniture
Forces
• Axial Forces
– Acting along one axis, directly on a point or surface

• Momential (Bending) Force


– Acting along an axis, at a certain distance from a
point, causes a folding motion
– M = F*d

F
Forces
• Tensile Force
– Pulling on an object – stretching it
– Steel shows “necking” when too much tensile
force is applied
• Compressive Force
– Pushing on an object – collapsing it
– Concrete crushes when too much
compressive force is applied
What constitutes loading?
• Loading is a force being enacted on the
structure
– Many sources of load
• Gravity/Weight
• Wind
• Snow
• Earthquake
• Man-made
– Two Types of Structural Loading
• Dead Loads – static, ever-present (i.e. Walls, Floors, etc)
• Live Loads – dynamic, changing (i.e. People, Desk, etc)
What should we build our
structures out of??

• Common Structural Materials


– Timber
– Masonry
– Concrete
– Steel
– Composites
How do we judge the materials?
• Common Material Properties
– Strength – Tensile/Compressive
– Density
– Hardness
– Ductility / Brittleness
– Elasticity
– Toughness
Timber
• Advantages
– Cheap, renewable resource
– Good in Tension – ~40 MPa
• Disadvantages
– Susceptible to fire, nature
– Not very hard
– Not very strong
– Limits on shape, size
Masonry
• Concrete blocks, clay bricks
– Advantages
• Large compressive strength
• Cheap
• Good thermal properties – holds heat
well
– Disadvantages
• Not a cohesive material. The strength
could depend on the mortar, other
factors
• Poor tensile strength, unless reinforced
• Heavy material, requires skilled
laborers to use $$$$$
• Height restriction
• Susceptible to the weather
Concrete
• Combination of water, cement, small
aggregate, and large aggregate.
• Advantages
– Very versatile – can be modified with
admixtures for different effects
– High compressive strength (4~7 ksi)
– Fire resistant
– Many diverse sizes and shapes - formwork
Concrete
• Disadvantages
– Long curing time
– Low tension
strength (~0.4
ksi)
– Fails in shear,
unless reinforced
– Fairly heavy
material to work
with
Steel
• Advantages
– High tensile and compressive strength (A36
Steel ~ 60 ksi)
– Many varieties, depending on your need
• Carbon steel
• Stainless steel
• Galvanized steel
– Elastic material
– Ductile material
– Many shapes, sizes
Steel
• Disadvantages
– Expensive – limited quantities / competition
– Susceptible to fire, rust, impurities
Put them together and…
• Reinforced Concrete
– Concrete with steel reinforcement
• Concrete handles compression
• Steel takes the tension
– Can handle nearly 4 times the loading that
concrete alone can handle
– More expensive material
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGbrp7Mfp
2w
Composites
• Engineered compounds that have different
physical or chemical properties
– FRP – Fiber reinforced polymers
– CFRP – Carbon-fiber reinforced polymers
– Plastics
– Categories of Glass
– Categories of Wood
Structural Components
• Beams Column Girder

• Girders
• Columns
• Floors
• Foundations

Beam
Load Path
• Floor

• Beams

• Girders

• Columns

• Foundation

• Soil/Bedrock
Columns
• Carry the load from floors to the foundation
– Never want the columns to fail COLLAPSE
– Typically reinforced concrete or steel
– Many sizes and shapes
Girders
• Attached column-
to-column
– Take the load
from the beams
– Transfer it to the
columns
– Generally shaped
as an I-Beam
Beams

• Attached between
the girders
– Take load from the
flooring system
– Transfer it to the
girders
– Generally solid
squares, I-beams
Flooring
• Composed of a subfloor and floor covering
– Usually leave space for ductwork, wiring, etc.
– Floor covering ranges from application to
application

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