Course Of Structural Analysis Research Articles

A Case Study of Problem-Based Learning from a Civil Engineering Structural Analysis Course

A Case Study of Problem-Based Learning from a Civil Engineering Structural Analysis Course

Análisis Estructural en Edificaciones Estándar bajo el Método Directo de la Rigidez

The present investigation had as objective the Structural Analysis in Standard Buildings under the Direct Method of Rigidity, and in turn verify the results obtained manually with the FTOOL software. The rigidity matrix method was used, for which the criteria and procedures executed in the UNISCJSA Structural Analysis course were necessary, this system is made up of the Q-D system, the primary system, the complementary system, the vector of deformation and internal forces. Regarding the characteristics of the portico, a 3-storey building with 30 cm x 40 cm section beams and 40 cm x 40 cm columns was used as a model where the structural elements have a modulus of elasticity of 2*10^6 GPa, together with a Moment of Inertia 213333.33 〖cm〗^4 for the column and a Moment of Inertia of 160000 〖cm〗^4 for the beams. It was argued that the system has 9 Degrees of Freedom in each node of the structure. In summary, it was concluded that the system presented the greatest deformations along its rigid diaphragms, generating the greatest displacements in those focused areas, which are GDL 1,2 and 3 of the proposed exercise. Subsequently, the results obtained manually were compared with the FTOOL software.

Undergraduate Student Performance in a Structural Analysis Course: Continuous Assessment before and after the COVID-19 Outbreak

The COVID-19 pandemic situation in 2020 forced educational institutions worldwide to fully adopt online learning for both teaching and assessment. However, this change may lead to less satisfactory learning outcomes, if the online technologies used have not been adequately applied. This study compares student engagement and performance through online continuous assessment in a one-semester structural analysis course for undergraduate architecture students before and after the pandemic outbreak. Online continuous assessment assignments had already been deployed and validated in the course evaluation system before the outbreak, and they were further leveraged during the online course. These assignments consisted of three weekly Moodle questionnaires throughout each of the fifteen course weeks, which determined the continuous assessment score. More than 200 students participated in each period. The results showed that shifting to online education affected continuous assessment outcomes very little in terms of participation rates and student performance. The possible underlying causes for the slight differences found between the two academic years are also discussed. The results highlight the robustness of the continuous assessment method used and emphasize the importance of having developed and validated online learning procedures to broach learning activities if contingency situations are required.

Making Molecules Vibrate: Interactive Web Environment for the Teaching of Infrared Spectroscopy

Infrared spectroscopy (IR) is a staple structural elucidation and characterization technique because of its ability to identify functional groups and its ease of use. Interestingly, it allows the capture of electronic effects via their influence on the bond strength of “probes”, such as the carbonyl group and also offers a wealth of examples for discussion on the theory of electronic transitions. For this reason, IR spectroscopy is typically taught both in theoretical classes and in applied structural analysis courses. In practice, there is rarely a link between those courses, and both suffer from the lack of exploratory learning, that is, tools with which students can explore the interplay between symmetry and selection rules, as well as electronic effects and vibrational frequencies─with almost immediate feedback. In practice, this might lead to students that are well skilled in looking up vibrational frequencies in lookup tables but do not understand the links to electronic effects and reactivity. Here, we introduce a web app that leverages semiempirical quantum mechanical (or force-field based) calculations, performed on a web service, in an interactive interface to provide an environment in which students can explore how slight changes to the structure manifest in changes of the spectrum. This approach avoids the time-consuming handling of potentially hazardous materials that might not be readily available and invites students to play with spectroscopy─to “see” and “test” electronic effects that are so commonplace in organic chemistry education. As a “side effect”, our web app also provides a powerful aid for research scientists to investigate how different structural modifications, such as substitution, isomerism, or steric strain, would manifest in the infrared spectrum.

Pedestrian Bridge Application in a Fundamentals of Structural Analysis Course Inside an Architecture Bachelor Program

The paper presents an application of the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) methodology in a structural analysis course taught in English of the third year Architecture bachelor program at Politecnico di Torino (Italy). This experimentation regards a class which is composed mostly of international students, that is, a heterogeneous audience with different background. In general, students struggle with the technical aspects typical of structural analysis course. PBL has been found as a possible solution to this problem in Engineering programs. The aim of redesigning the course is to support students’ learning while evaluating the PBL application in a non-technical context with an international audience. This article describes the structure and the results of the PBL implementation. In particular, the participation has increased compared to the previous academic year in terms of presence during the lectures, interest in the subject, interaction between the lecturer and the students, and exams’ results. These results are encouraging and confirm the validity of the PBL methodology as actually applied.

Structural Analysis Education: Learning by Hands-On Projects and Calculating Structures

AbstractThis paper presents experiences in a structural analysis course of a civil engineering degree at the Universidad Europea de Madrid (Spain) as an example of educational innovation. The writers have tried to motivate students to learn structural analysis and design by using classical theory, performing calculations by hand, using a computer program, and using a plastic toy for model trusses to measure strain and stresses. These allow a comparison of results between the three methods. At the end of the course there is a rapid bridge-building contest with simple materials to develop the students’ capacity for ingenuity and teamwork, design different structural typologies, and meet aesthetic and resistance criteria. The writers analyzed the experiments, educational benefits, and student learning.

3D Visualization of Structures Using Finite-Element Analysis in Teaching

This paper presents the results of a 4-year study (from 2006–2009) using three-dimensional (3D) visualization of structures for teaching in civil engineering. 3D finite-element models have been developed to simulate the behavior of various structural members, such as beams, columns, and plates, taught to civil engineering students in classroom lectures or tested in laboratories. The finite-element simulation approach allows students to see the behavior of structures that is not detectable by human eye, such as the stresses in structures. 3D video clips and animations showing the propagation of stresses and strains in the structural members and deformations from different angles up to failure were developed using finite-element models. The 3D visualizations were presented to students as illustrative examples to enhance their understanding in structural analysis courses. Student feedback regarding the teaching innovations were collected and analyzed. The statistics derived show that students reacted positively and benefited considerably from the use of 3D visualization in civil engineering education, particularly in grasping the behavior of structures. The findings strongly suggest that 3D visualization of structures using finite-element analysis can be used as an effective teaching tool for civil engineering students in structural analysis courses.

Failure analysis of engineering structures in undergraduate courses using optimization

ABSTRACTIn the design process for engineering structures, it is often of interest to determine the largest magnitude of a given form of load that can be applied on a structure before causing failure. This gives the factor of safety against failure. Determining the factor of safety entails analysis of a structure on the verge of failure, and is known as limit analysis. It is well known that limit analysis can be formulated as a constrained optimization problem. With robust computational tools for optimization having become readily available, it is possible to introduce the optimization‐based approach to limit analysis at various stages in the undergraduate civil engineering curriculum. In this article, we present three instances of limit analysis using an optimization‐based approach from (i) a sophomore level Statics course, (ii) a junior level Structural Analysis course, and (iii) a senior level Advanced Solid Mechanics course. These are based on materials presented by the author in undergraduate mechanics courses at the University of Colorado at Boulder. In each case, we develop a mathematical formulation and implement the computations in MATLAB. We use two optimization tools, one from the MATLAB Optimization Toolbox and the other called SeDuMi. Classroom experience has shown that the optimization‐based approach helps students recognize the underlying thread in seemingly disparate limit analysis problems. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 22:297–308, 2014; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cae; DOI 10.1002/cae.20555

Two-intermediate model to characterize the structure of fast-folding proteins

This paper introduces a new model that enables researchers to conduct protein folding simulations. A two-step in silico process is used in the course of structural analysis of a set of fast-folding proteins. The model assumes an early stage (ES) that depends solely on the backbone conformation, as described by its geometrical properties—specifically, by the V-angle between two sequential peptide bond planes (which determines the radius of curvature, also called R-radius, according to a second-degree polynomial form). The agreement between the structure under consideration and the assumed model is measured in terms of the magnitude of dispersion of both parameters with respect to idealized values. The second step, called late-stage folding (LS), is based on the “fuzzy oil drop” model, which involves an external hydrophobic force field described by a three-dimensional Gauss function. The degree of conformance between the structure under consideration and its idealized model is expressed quantitatively by means of the Kullback–Leibler entropy, which is a measure of disparity between the observed and expected hydrophobicity distributions. A set of proteins, representative of the fast-folding group – specifically, cold shock proteins – is shown to agree with the proposed model.

Project Enhanced Learning: Addressing ABET Outcomes and Linking the Curriculum

This paper discusses the development of project enhanced courses that combine the best of problem-based learning and traditional “topic” focused instruction. This approach addresses the need to ensure that students receive the technical content required while developing critical problem solving skills. This balance between skill development and technical content assurance is a key feature of this approach and a main difference to problem-based learning. It is also different from traditional approaches where a project is simply added to the tasks the students are expected to accomplish, and the impacts on student learning are significantly different. The paper presents a case study of the implementation of the projects into a junior level introductory structural analysis course, including details into the goals of the projects, and the changes made to make room for the projects. Assessment and evaluation of the impact of these projects include an evaluation on how the courses and projects address specific ...

Structural Analysis Education through Model Experiments and Computer Simulation

This paper presents two educational experiences as examples of innovation in teaching structural analysis courses. At the University Jaume I de Castellon, Spain, an innovative way was developed to encourage students in the learning of structural analysis and design. The primary objective of the project is to enhance learning through the students’ experimental participation with real structures and computer simulation with commercial software programs. The first educational project combines the use of a plastic toy, called K’NEX, and the utilization of a well-known computer program for structural analysis, SAP2000. The second presents the use of small balsa-wood bars cut and mounted by the students. This paper presents an analysis of both experiences and evaluates the advantages from the engineering education point of view.

Computer simulations versus real experiments in a portable structural mechanics laboratory

Efforts are being made to develop practical and effective innovations for undergraduate engineering teaching laboratories. The process, in which computer simulations are compared in nearly real time with physical measurements made on bench-scale model experiments, is now being used successfully in an introductory structural analysis course. ANEX is described, as well as current plans to develop software simulation modules and matched, bench-scale model experiments for new MECH-ANEX laboratory applications in lower-division statics and mechanics of materials courses. The ANEX process could also be adapted to undergraduate laboratory applications in a wider range of engineering and science disciplines. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Computer simulations versus real experiments in a portable structural mechanics laboratory

Efforts are being made to develop practical and effective innovations for undergraduate engineering teaching laboratories. The “ANEX” process, in which computer simulations are compared in nearly real time with physical measurements made on bench-scale model experiments, is now being used successfully in an introductory structural analysis course. ANEX is described, as well as current plans to develop software simulation modules and matched, bench-scale model experiments for new “MECH-ANEX” laboratory applications in lower-division statics and mechanics of materials courses. The ANEX process could also be adapted to undergraduate laboratory applications in a wider range of engineering and science disciplines. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Octahedral tilt phases in perovskite-like crystals with slabs containing an even number of octahedral layers

The possible combinations of different octahedral tilts are considered for layered crystals having an even number of octahedral layers in perovskite-like slabs. A simple method to determine the resultant space-group symmetry is proposed, and the distorted phases are enumerated, both for a single kind of tilt around axes of the initial structure G0=I4/mmm and for superpositions of different tilts in the slabs. Some of the tilt systems correspond to symmetry changes due to definite irreducible representations of G0. In the single-layered crystals, l=1, A2BX4. Some of the representations correspond to lattice modes observed experimentally. No such modes have been found yet for even-layered (l=2n) crystals. A comparison with known experimental data is performed. The data obtained can be used for the proposition of 'trial models' in the course of structural analysis of related crystals.

Influential Structural Engineers: A Project in a Third‐year Structural Analysis Course

AbstractA study of structural analysis is enhanced by an exposure to the pioneers in the field. Students can more fully appreciate the tools and techniques of structural analysis when given life through a study of those engineers who developed and used them. Of special significance in this age of powerful computer capabilities is the technological context within which many of the important engineers lived and made their contributions. This paper describes a special project undertaken in the second of a two course sequence in structural analysis during the Spring quarter, 1992, in the Department of Civil Engineering and Construction at North Dakota State University. The class of 65 students was divided into 13 groups of five students each. With some guidance, each group chose an engineer who made a significant contribution to modern structural engineering theory and/or practice. Each group was required to research the life and work of the chosen engineer and present an oral, in‐class demonstration, experiment, or other visual illustration of a theoretical or applied concept that characterized a major contribution of the selected individual. In addition, each student was required to submit an independently written paper addressing one of a set of standard questions posed to all groups. The project encouraged the students to discover the unique engineering skills demonstrated by some of the great engineers who made important contributions to modern structural engineering practice. By integrating the stories of influential engineers and their achievements into a quantitative analysis course, the students experienced the technical material within a broader context, helping them to appreciate the practice of engineering as a living, human endeavor.