MEng Civil Engineering (Enterprise)

Understanding the principles of structural mechanics covered in this unit is essential for design of structural elements in follow-on units such as Steel and Concrete Structures, Design 3, etc. Through this understanding, the students will also appreciate how rigorous methods of analysis and experimentation can help create more efficient, economic and environmentally sustainable structures.

To build on students’ existing knowledge and understanding of the subject of structural and stress analysis of civil engineering structures covering more advanced topics such as analysis of statically indeterminate beams, stability of compression members, torsion of non-circular prismatic members, shear centre of various sectional profiles, and unsymmetrical bending of beams.

1. Energy methods
Application of Strain energy and Virtual work methods to calculate deflections (and rotations) of statically determinate and indeterminate trusses, beams and simple frames.

2. Shear in Beams
Shear stresses in beams induced by shear forces; Shear centre; Concepts of Mohr’s Circle for stresses

3. Structural Stability
Stability of rigid bodies; Elastic and inelastic buckling of columns;

4. Torsion
Torsional stress and stiffness in open and closed thin-walled prismatic members; Membrane analogy for solid non-circular sections;

5. Unsymmetrical Bending
Stresses and deflections of a beam under unsymmetrical bending; Product second moment of area and Principal second moment of area;

6. Laboratory Experiments
Elastic and Inelastic buckling of struts, Southwell Plots;  Torsional stiffness of beams with open and closed sections;

7. Qualitative Analysis
Qualitative analysis of deflection profiles, bending moment and shear force diagrams.

General feedback on performance after the exam board by emails and via script viewing.

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