Structural Engineering
What is a structure?
Structure –
something that is
constructed, or built
Joining parts to meet
a certain need or
perform a specific
task
Types of Structures
Natural Structures
-spider webs
-birds nest
-wasp nest
Types of Structures
Human Structures
-houses
-buildings
-bridges
[Link]
Design
Design depends on use
-dam must be strong
-tower to transmit tv and phone
signals must be tall
-houses built for comfort and beauty
-factories and offices for function
Who Designs Structures?
Civil Engineers – design and supervise
the building of structures that serve the
public
-most work on roads, water systems,
sewers, and public structures
Structural Engineers – civil engineers
that focus on load-bearing structures
Architect – designs buildings and
oversees construction
Who Designs Structures?
Questions they might ask:
-how many vehicles or pedestrians
on bridge per day
-how might skyscraper be affected
by high winds
-how to protect a structure in
earthquake zone
Forces on Structures
Force – push or pull that transfers
energy to an object
External force – come from outside,
act upon the structure
Internal force – force that parts
exert on eachother, act within
structure
Types of Forces
4 types: compression, tension,
torsion, shear
1. Compression – shortens or
crushes
2. Tension – stretches or pulls apart
3. Torsion – twists
4. Shear – pushes parts in opposite
directions
2.3 Internal Forces Within Structures
Compression, Tension, and Shear
Compression forces crush a material by
squeezing it together. Compressive strength
measures the largest compression force the
material can withstand before it loses its shape or
fails.
Tension forces stretch a material by pulling its
ends apart Tensile strength measures the largest
tension force the material can withstand before
failing.
Shear forces bend or tear a material by pressing
different parts in opposite directions at the same
time. Shear strength measures the largest shear
force the material can withstand before it rips
apart.
Torsion forces twist a material by turning the
ends in opposite directions. Torsion strength
measures the largest torsion force the material
can withstand and still spring back into its original
shape.
Types of Forces
Load – external force acting on an
object, eg: weight, pressure from
wind/water
Static Load – changes slowly or not
at all, eg: bricks in a building, twigs
in nest
Dynamic Load – move or change,
eg: car crossing bridge, oil in pipeline
Structural Materials
Wood
-one of the first materials used for
structures
-still the primary materials for home
production
-comes in many varieties
-for construction, strong wood used = oak,
fir, pines
-grain of wood helps determine strength
(size, shape, direction of fibres)
Structural Materials
Disadvantages of wood:
-expands and contracts with changes
in moisture
-damaged by weather and insects
-breaks down if not maintained
Engineered Wood
-bonding wood strands, fibres, veneers with
adhesive
-can control strength and stability
-formed into panels, laminated beams, I-joists
-structural panels (plywood) most common
-made by gluing together veneers
-odd number of layers, alternating grains
-less likely to shrink or expand (dimensional
stability)
Structural Materials
I-joists
-laminated, used for floor
construction in homes
-light, available up to 60 ft, don’t bow
or twist
-eliminate squeaky floors because
don’t shrink
Structural Materials
Laminated Beams
-glue together thin strips of wood
-consistently strong, can be made
very long
Steel
-Steel is an alloy (metal made of different
elements)
-made from iron and carbon
-may have chromium and nickel to resist
rust
-made into many shapes (I-beams, pipes,
wires) and joined many ways (rivet, bolt,
weld)
-used as rebar or wires to strengthen
concrete
Concrete
-made by mixing cement, sand,
gravel and water
-hardens into strong material
-examples?
-very strong in compression
-poured into forms to make almost
any shape
Concrete
-weak in tension
-may be reinforced with steel bars to
make reinforced concrete
-pre-stressed concrete contains wires
that are under tension all the time
-produce beams, floors or bridges with a
longer span than reinforced concrete
-wires produce a compressive stress that
offsets tensile stresses
Structural Members
Structural Members:
-building materials joined to make a
structure’s frame
Common shapes include:
-I-beam
-box-beam
-angle-beam
-pipe
Bridges
Before a bridge is built:
-soil samples
-wind speed and direction
-water levels and speed of water
-models tested in lab or on computer
-community hearings
-planning takes several years and
millions of dollars!
Bridge Types
Skyscrapers
History:
-Great Pyramid of Giza in
ancient Egypt, which was 146 metres
(480 ft) tall and was built in the 26th
century BC
-Ancient Roman housing structures
reached 10 stories
-Medieval times: many towers built for
defense
-Leaning Tower of Pisa built in 1178
Skyscrapers
-first “skyscraper” was Home
Insurance Building in Chicago, 1885
-10 stories
-load-bearing steel frame
instead of load-bearing walls
-practical with the invention of the
elevator (no more stairs!)
Skyscrapers
-Current record = Taipei 101 @ 101
stories, 1,670 ft tall
-has huge pendulums near top to
counteract swaying
[Link]
Skyscrapers
-high quality steel beams bear
immense weight
-beams welded, bolted, or riveted
together
-most weight is transferred to
vertical column, the spreads out at
base and substructure
-fire safety is a major concern
Wind Resistance
-many tall buildings sway several
feet in strong wind
-structure is tightly constructed to
stop movement
-computers monitor sway and move
huge concrete weights to
compensate
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
Earthquake Resistance
-ban construction along fault lines
-many buildings built on layers of
flexible rubber or a sliding surface
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]