This course will provide an introduction to the three main structural engineering materials, structural steel (heavy and light gauge), structural timber and its derivatives and reinforced concrete, plus transportation engineering materials (e.g. bound and unbound aggregate, bitumen, asphalt and additives). The course will cover how the materials are made, their properties, property testing methods and how they are used in practice. It also covers fundamental aspects of sustainability and environmental impact, including understanding the carbon intensity of different materials, manufacturing processes and their impact on emissions, and life-cycle considerations for different materials. The aim of this course is to provide a comprehensive overview of the general concepts behind the design and use of these materials, both separately and when acting together to produce a composite solution. Design problems and methodologies will be presented at a basic level as appropriate to the scope of the course.
This course builds on concepts such as equilibrium, free body diagrams and beam bending theory with the aim of expanding and improving understanding of structural behaviour and providing analytical techniques to facilitate quantitative and qualitative assessment of that behaviour. Principles of mechanics are further developed with an emphasis on their application to the analysis of structures. The course will explore the concept and application of the Slope Deflection Method, using Fixed End Moments (FEM), unit-load method, virtual work and associated theorems. Examples will be based on real structures and links with the design standards demonstrated where possible. New concepts include methods of calculating deflections, buckling of columns, analysis of indeterminate structures, shear stresses and torsion. For students majoring in structures, this course lays the foundations for ensuing structural design courses. For students with other majors, this course forms the minimum necessary engineering knowledge and enhances understanding of the constituent raw material properties and structures that inevitably form part of most engineering projects, and facilitates interaction with the designers and constructors of those structures.