BEng Mechanical Engineering with Management

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It is essential for engineers to understand the behaviour of both structures and the material to be used when designing a structure and to ensure its safety in service.  This unit explains the response of materials and structures subjected to static loads and the corresponding methods for structural analysis and assessment under varied loadings (i.e. axial, bending, torsional and combined loading).   The intended learning outcomes are focussed on the knowledge and understanding of material response to external load and development of skills in structure analysis and considerations on structure design.  The course is delivered as 24 hours of lectures and 6 hours of tutorials. Assessment is 80% exam and 20% laboratory work.

For students to:

Be able to describe and explain the responses of materials and structures subjected to static loads.

Have developed their ability to assess the behaviour of materials and structures under various loads and to attribute failure and fracture of the structures to specific causes.

1. Beam theory & column buckling

A review of the bending of beam and derivation of transverse shear stresses in beams, explanation of how to analyse beams on elastic foundation and beams under axial loading. An introduction to column buckling and its mechanism, derivation of the governing equations and Euler’s formula, solving some examples.

2. Torsion of shafts

The torsion of shafts with circular cross section. Derivation of the shear stresses in shafts due to torsion. Determination of stresses in stepped shafts and in static indeterminate shafts.

3. Pin-jointed frame structure

Introduction of the unit load method and how to calculate displacement in pin-jointed frame structure. Determination of internal forces in static indeterminate structure.

4. Stress analysis

Description of stress definition and general stress state, derivation of stress transformation and introduction of Mohr’s circle, determination of maximum stresses, analysis of stresses in pressure vessels.

5. Strain analysis

Description of strain definition and general strain state, derivation of strain transformation and introduction of Mohr’s circle, determination of maximum strains, explanation of how to measure strain.

6. Stress-strain relationship (of the material)

Description of Hooke’s law, explanation of plasticity and idealised stress-strain relationship and their application

7. Failure criteria

Description of criteria for yield, criteria for brittle rupture, and their application

Exam - marks anlaysis feedback form uploaded to Blackboard

Report - Individual feedback provided via Blackboard. Collective feedback provided in lecture.