Structural Engineering
Structural Engineering
Structural Engineering
org/wiki/Structural_engineering
Structural engineering
Structural engineering is a sub-discipline of civil engineering in
which structural engineers are trained to design the 'bones and
muscles' that create the form and shape of human-made structures.
Structural engineers also must understand and calculate the stability,
strength, rigidity and earthquake-susceptibility of built structures for
buildings[1] and nonbuilding structures. The structural designs are
integrated with those of other designers such as architects and
building services engineer and often supervise the construction of
projects by contractors on site.[2] They can also be involved in the
design of machinery, medical equipment, and vehicles where
structural integrity affects functioning and safety. See glossary of
structural engineering.
History
Structural engineering dates back to 2700 B.C. when the step
pyramid for Pharaoh Djoser was built by Imhotep, the first
engineer in history known by name. Pyramids were the most
common major structures built by ancient civilizations because
the structural form of a pyramid is inherently stable and can be
Pont du Gard, France, a Roman era
almost infinitely scaled (as opposed to most other structural
aqueduct circa 19 BC
forms, which cannot be linearly increased in size in proportion
to increased loads).[3]
The structural stability of the pyramid, whilst primarily gained from its shape, relies also on the
strength of the stone from which it is constructed, and its ability to support the weight of the stone
above it.[4] The limestone blocks were often taken from a quarry near the building site and have a
compressive strength from 30 to 250 MPa (MPa = Pa × 106).[5] Therefore, the structural strength
of the pyramid stems from the material properties of the stones from which it was built rather than
the pyramid's geometry.
Throughout ancient and medieval history most architectural design and construction were carried
out by artisans, such as stonemasons and carpenters, rising to the role of master builder. No theory
of structures existed, and understanding of how structures stood up was extremely limited, and
based almost entirely on empirical evidence of 'what had worked before' and intuition. Knowledge
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was retained by guilds and seldom supplanted by advances. Structures were repetitive, and
increases in scale were incremental.[3]
No record exists of the first calculations of the strength of structural members or the behavior of
structural material, but the profession of a structural engineer only really took shape with the
Industrial Revolution and the re-invention of concrete (see History of Concrete). The physical
sciences underlying structural engineering began to be understood in the Renaissance and have
since developed into computer-based applications pioneered in the 1970s.[6]
Timeline
1452–1519 Leonardo da Vinci made many contributions.
1638: Galileo Galilei published the book Two New Sciences in
which he examined the failure of simple structures.
1660: Hooke's law by Robert Hooke.
1687: Isaac Newton published Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia
Mathematica, which contains his laws of motion.
1750: Euler–Bernoulli beam equation.
1700–1782: Daniel Bernoulli introduced the principle of virtual
work.
1707–1783: Leonhard Euler developed the theory of buckling of Galileo Galilei published
columns. the book Two New
1826: Claude-Louis Navier published a treatise on the elastic Sciences in which he
behaviors of structures. examined the failure of
simple structures.
1873: Carlo Alberto Castigliano presented his dissertation "Intorno
ai sistemi elastici", which contains his theorem for computing
displacement as the partial derivative of the strain energy. This
theorem includes the method of "least work" as a special case.
1874: Otto Mohr formalized the idea of a statically indeterminate
structure.
1922: Timoshenko corrects the Euler–Bernoulli beam equation.
1936: Hardy Cross' publication of the moment distribution method,
an important innovation in the design of continuous frames.
1941: Alexander Hrennikoff solved the discretization of plane
elasticity problems using a lattice framework.
1942: Richard Courant divided a domain into finite subregions.
1956: J. Turner, R. W. Clough, H. C. Martin, and L. J. Topp's paper Isaac Newton published
on the "Stiffness and Deflection of Complex Structures" introduces Philosophiae Naturalis
the name "finite-element method" and is widely recognized as the Principia Mathematica,
first comprehensive treatment of the method as it is known today. which contains his laws of
motion.
Structural failure
The history of structural engineering contains many collapses and failures. Sometimes this is due
to obvious negligence, as in the case of the Pétion-Ville school collapse, in which Rev. Fortin
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In other cases structural failures require careful study, and the results
of these inquiries have resulted in improved practices and a greater
understanding of the science of structural engineering. Some such
studies are the result of forensic engineering investigations where the
original engineer seems to have done everything in accordance with
the state of the profession and acceptable practice yet a failure still
eventuated. A famous case of structural knowledge and practice being
advanced in this manner can be found in a series of failures involving Leonhard Euler developed
box girders which collapsed in Australia during the 1970s. the theory of buckling of
columns.
Theory
Structural engineering depends upon a detailed knowledge of
applied mechanics, materials science, and applied mathematics
to understand and predict how structures support and resist
self-weight and imposed loads. To apply the knowledge
successfully a structural engineer generally requires detailed
knowledge of relevant empirical and theoretical design codes,
the techniques of structural analysis, as well as some knowledge
of the corrosion resistance of the materials and structures,
especially when those structures are exposed to the external
environment. Since the 1990s, specialist software has become
Figure of a bolt in shear stress. Top
available to aid in the design of structures, with the
figure illustrates single shear,
functionality to assist in the drawing, analyzing and designing
bottom figure illustrates double
of structures with maximum precision; examples include
shear.
AutoCAD, StaadPro, ETABS, Prokon, Revit Structure, Inducta
RCB, etc. Such software may also take into consideration
environmental loads, such as earthquakes and winds.
Profession
Structural engineers are responsible for engineering design and structural analysis. Entry-level
structural engineers may design the individual structural elements of a structure, such as the
beams and columns of a building. More experienced engineers may be responsible for the
structural design and integrity of an entire system, such as a building.
Structural engineers often specialize in particular types of structures, such as buildings, bridges,
pipelines, industrial, tunnels, vehicles, ships, aircraft, and spacecraft. Structural engineers who
specialize in buildings often specialize in particular construction materials such as concrete, steel,
wood, masonry, alloys, and composites, and may focus on particular types of buildings such as
offices, schools, hospitals, residential, and so forth.
Structural engineering has existed since humans first started to construct their structures. It
became a more defined and formalized profession with the emergence of architecture as a distinct
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profession from engineering during the industrial revolution in the late 19th century. Until then,
the architect and the structural engineer were usually one and the same thing – the master builder.
Only with the development of specialized knowledge of structural theories that emerged during the
19th and early 20th centuries, did the professional structural engineers come into existence.
The role of a structural engineer today involves a significant understanding of both static and
dynamic loading and the structures that are available to resist them. The complexity of modern
structures often requires a great deal of creativity from the engineer in order to ensure the
structures support and resist the loads they are subjected to. A structural engineer will typically
have a four or five-year undergraduate degree, followed by a minimum of three years of
professional practice before being considered fully qualified. Structural engineers are licensed or
accredited by different learned societies and regulatory bodies around the world (for example, the
Institution of Structural Engineers in the UK). Depending on the degree course they have studied
and/or the jurisdiction they are seeking licensure in, they may be accredited (or licensed) as just
structural engineers, or as civil engineers, or as both civil and structural engineers. Another
international organisation is IABSE(International Association for Bridge and Structural
Engineering).[7] The aim of that association is to exchange knowledge and to advance the practice
of structural engineering worldwide in the service of the profession and society.
Specializations
Building structures
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Earthquake engineering
Façade engineering
Fire engineering
Roof engineering
Tower engineering
Wind engineering
One important tool of earthquake engineering is base isolation, which allows the base of a structure
to move freely with the ground.
Civil structural engineering includes all structural engineering related to the built environment. It
includes:
Bridges
Dams
Earthworks
Foundations
Offshore structures
Pipelines
Power stations
Railways
Retaining structures and walls
Roads
Tunnels
Waterways
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Reservoirs
Water and wastewater infrastructure
The structural engineer is the lead designer on these structures, and often the sole designer. In the
design of structures such as these, structural safety is of paramount importance (in the UK, designs
for dams, nuclear power stations and bridges must be signed off by a chartered engineer).
Civil engineering structures are often subjected to very extreme forces, such as large variations in
temperature, dynamic loads such as waves or traffic, or high pressures from water or compressed
gases. They are also often constructed in corrosive environments, such as at sea, in industrial
facilities, or below ground.
Mechanical structures
The forces which parts of a machine are subjected to can vary significantly and can do so at a great
rate. The forces which a boat or aircraft are subjected to vary enormously and will do so thousands
of times over the structure's lifetime. The structural design must ensure that such structures can
endure such loading for their entire design life without failing.
Aerospace structures
Nanoscale structures
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Structural elements
Any structure is essentially made up of only a small number of
different types of elements:
Columns
Beams
Plates
Arches A statically determinate simply
Shells supported beam, bending under an
Catenaries evenly distributed load
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One-dimensional Two-dimensional
(predominantly) bending beam continuous arch plate, concrete slab lamina, dome
Columns
Columns are elements that carry only axial force (compression) or both axial force and bending
(which is technically called a beam-column but practically, just a column). The design of a column
must check the axial capacity of the element and the buckling capacity.
The buckling capacity is the capacity of the element to withstand the propensity to buckle. Its
capacity depends upon its geometry, material, and the effective length of the column, which
depends upon the restraint conditions at the top and bottom of the column. The effective length is
where is the real length of the column and K is the factor dependent on the restraint
conditions.
The capacity of a column to carry axial load depends on the degree of bending it is subjected to,
and vice versa. This is represented on an interaction chart and is a complex non-linear
relationship.
Beams
Beams are elements that carry pure bending only. Bending causes one part of the section of a beam
(divided along its length) to go into compression and the other part into tension. The compression
part must be designed to resist buckling and crushing, while the tension part must be able to
adequately resist the tension.
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Trusses
Plates
They can also be designed with yield line theory, where an assumed
collapse mechanism is analyzed to give an upper bound on the collapse
load. This technique is used in practice[8] but because the method
provides an upper-bound (i.e. an unsafe prediction of the collapse The 630 foot (192 m) high,
load) for poorly conceived collapse mechanisms, great care is needed stainless-clad (type 304)
to ensure that the assumed collapse mechanism is realistic.[9] Gateway Arch in St. Louis,
Missouri
Shells
Shells derive their strength from their form and carry forces in compression in two directions. A
dome is an example of a shell. They can be designed by making a hanging-chain model, which will
act as a catenary in pure tension and inverting the form to achieve pure compression.
Arches
Arches carry forces in compression in one direction only, which is why it is appropriate to build
arches out of masonry. They are designed by ensuring that the line of thrust of the force remains
within the depth of the arch. It is mainly used to increase the bountifulness of any structure.
Catenaries
Catenaries derive their strength from their form and carry transverse forces in pure tension by
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deflecting (just as a tightrope will sag when someone walks on it). They are almost always cable or
fabric structures. A fabric structure acts as a catenary in two directions.
Materials
Structural engineering depends on the knowledge of materials and their properties, in order to
understand how different materials support and resist loads. It also involves a knowledge of
Corrosion engineering to avoid for example galvanic coupling of dissimilar materials.
See also
Glossary of structural engineering
Aircraft structures
Architects
Architectural engineering
Building officials
Building services engineering
Civil engineering
Construction engineering
Corrosion engineering
Earthquake engineering
Forensic engineering
Index of structural engineering articles
List of bridge disasters
List of structural engineers
Mechanical engineering
Nanostructure
Prestressed structure
Structurae
Structural engineer
Structural engineering software
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Notes
1. FAO online publication (http://www.fao.org/docrep/015/i2433e/i2433e04.pdf) Archived (https://w
eb.archive.org/web/20161119191121/http://www.fao.org/docrep/015/i2433e/i2433e04.pdf)
2016-11-19 at the Wayback Machine
2. "What is a structural engineer" (http://www.rmg-engineers.com/what-is-a-structural-engineer/).
RMG Engineers. 2015-11-30. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20151208052438/http://w
ww.rmg-engineers.com/what-is-a-structural-engineer/) from the original on 2015-12-08.
Retrieved 2015-11-30.
3. Victor E. Saouma. "Lecture notes in Structural Engineering" (https://web.archive.org/web/2018
0413110017/http://ceae.colorado.edu/~saouma/Lecture-Notes/se.pdf) (PDF). University of
Colorado. Archived from the original (http://ceae.colorado.edu/~saouma/Lecture-Notes/se.pdf)
(PDF) on 2018-04-13. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
4. Fonte, Gerard C. A. Building the Great Pyramid in a Year: An Engineer's Report (Report).
Algora Publishing: New York. p. 34.CV
5. "Some Useful Numbers on the Engineering Properties of Materials (Geologic and Otherwise)"
(https://web.archive.org/web/20120616163119/http://www.stanford.edu/~tyzhu/Documents/So
me%20Useful%20Numbers.pdf) (PDF). Stanford University. Archived from the original (http://w
ww.stanford.edu/~tyzhu/Documents/Some%20Useful%20Numbers.pdf) (PDF) on 2012-06-16.
Retrieved 2013-12-05.
6. "ETABS receives "Top Seismic Product of the 20th Century" Award" (https://web.archive.org/we
b/20121127130531/http://www.structuremag.org/downloads/pulse-release-ETABS-receives-To
p-Seismic-product-5-24-06.pdf) (PDF). Press Release. Structure Magazine. 2006. Archived
from the original (http://www.structuremag.org/downloads/pulse-release-ETABS-receives-Top-S
eismic-product-5-24-06.pdf) (PDF) on November 27, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
7. IABSE "Organisation", iabse website (http://www.iabse.org/association/organisation/index.php)
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20040806054537/http://www.iabse.org/association/organ
isation/index.php) 2004-08-06 at the Wayback Machine
8. "Assessment of a Pair of Reinforced Concrete Roof Slabs" (http://www.ramsay-maunder.co.uk/
downloads/precast_roof_slabs.pdf) (PDF). Ramsay-Maunder.co.uk. Ramsay Maunder
Associates. 2011. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
9. "Reappraisal of a Simply Supported Landing Slab" (http://www.ramsay-maunder.co.uk/downloa
ds/l_shaped_landing.pdf) (PDF). Ramsay-Maunder.co.uk. Ramsay Maunder Associates. 2011.
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20160304071038/http://www.ramsay-maunder.co.uk/do
wnloads/l_shaped_landing.pdf) (PDF) from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
References
Hibbeler, R. C. (2010). Structural Analysis. Prentice-Hall.
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Blank, Alan; McEvoy, Michael; Plank, Roger (1993). Architecture and Construction in Steel.
Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0-419-17660-8.
Hewson, Nigel R. (2003). Prestressed Concrete Bridges: Design and Construction. Thomas
Telford. ISBN 0-7277-2774-5.
Heyman, Jacques (1999). The Science of Structural Engineering. Imperial College Press.
ISBN 1-86094-189-3.
Hosford, William F. (2005). Mechanical Behavior of Materials. Cambridge University Press.
ISBN 0-521-84670-6.
Further reading
Blockley, David (2014). A Very Short Introduction to Structural Engineering. Oxford University
Press ISBN 978-0-19967193-9.
Bradley, Robert E.; Sandifer, Charles Edward (2007). Leonhard Euler: Life, Work, and Legacy.
Elsevier. ISBN 0-444-52728-1.
Chapman, Allan. (2005). England's Leornardo: Robert Hooke and the Seventeenth Century's
Scientific Revolution. CRC Press. ISBN 0-7503-0987-3.
Dugas, René (1988). A History of Mechanics. Courier Dover Publications.
ISBN 0-486-65632-2.
Feld, Jacob; Carper, Kenneth L. (1997). Construction Failure. John Wiley & Sons.
ISBN 0-471-57477-5.
Galilei, Galileo. (translators: Crew, Henry; de Salvio, Alfonso) (1954). Dialogues Concerning
Two New Sciences. Courier Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-60099-8
Kirby, Richard Shelton (1990). Engineering in History. Courier Dover Publications.
ISBN 0-486-26412-2.
Heyman, Jacques (1998). Structural Analysis: A Historical Approach. Cambridge University
Press. ISBN 0-521-62249-2.
Labrum, E.A. (1994). Civil Engineering Heritage. Thomas Telford. ISBN 0-7277-1970-X.
Lewis, Peter R. (2004). Beautiful Bridge of the Silvery Tay. Tempus.
Mir, Ali (2001). Art of the Skyscraper: the Genius of Fazlur Khan. Rizzoli International
Publications. ISBN 0-8478-2370-9.
Rozhanskaya, Mariam; Levinova, I. S. (1996). "Statics" in Morelon, Régis & Rashed, Roshdi
(1996). Encyclopedia of the History of Arabic Science, vol. 2–3, Routledge.
ISBN 0-415-02063-8
Whitbeck, Caroline (1998). Ethics in Engineering Practice and Research. Cambridge University
Press. ISBN 0-521-47944-4.
Hoogenboom P.C.J. (1998). "Discrete Elements and Nonlinearity in Design of Structural
Concrete Walls", Section 1.3 Historical Overview of Structural Concrete Modelling,
ISBN 90-901184-3-8.
Nedwell, P.J.; Swamy, R.N.(ed) (1994). Ferrocement:Proceedings of the Fifth International
Symposium. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0-419-19700-1.
External links
Structural Engineering Association – International (http://www.seaint.org)
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