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Unit Name Introduction to Structural Analysis
Unit Code BCS203
Unit History N/A
Unit Duration 1 Semester
Award

Bachelor of Science (Engineering)

Duration 3 years    
Year Level Two
Unit Creator / Reviewer Dr Vincent Wang
Common/Stream: Stream  
Pre/Co-requisites BCS204
Credit Points

3

Total Course Credit Points 81 (27 x 3)
Mode of Delivery Online or on-campus. 
Unit Workload (Total student workload including “contact hours” = 10 hours per week; 5 hours per week for 24 week delivery)
Pre-recordings / Lecture – 1.5 hours
Tutorial – 1.5 hours
Guided labs / Group work / Assessments – 2 hours
Personal Study recommended – 5 hours

Unit Description and General Aims

This unit aims at providing students with quantitative skills in analyzing statically indeterminate structures and an in-depth understanding of matrix implementation of structural analysis procedures.

The topics covered in this unit include:

  • Static indeterminacy
  • Analysis of statically determinate trusses, beams, and frames
  • Principle of Virtual Work
  • Force Method
  • Displacement Method
  • Moment Distribution Method
  • Matrix structural analysis of trusses, beams, and frames

Upon completion of this unit, students will have further improved their capabilities of analyzing complicated statically determinate structures. They will also be able to analyze statically indeterminate structures and understand the rationale behind commonly used structural analysis procedures in the industry.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Identify the degree of static indeterminacy of a structure.
    Bloom's Level 3
  2. Calculate the axial force, shear force and bending moment in complicated statically determinate structures.
    Bloom's Level 4
  3. Perform the Force Method to analyze statically indeterminate structures.
    Bloom's Level 5
  4. Perform the Displacement Method to analyze statically indeterminate structures.
    Bloom's Level 5
  5. Perform the Moment Distribution Method to analyze statically indeterminate structures.
    Bloom's Level 5
  6. Implement the Matrix Stiffness Method with respect to trusses, beams and frames.
    Bloom's Level 5

Student assessment

Assessment Type When assessed Weighting (% of total unit marks) Learning Outcomes Assessed

Assessment 1

Type: Weekly Quizzes

 

Topics: 2 to Topic 11

 Weekly 10% All

Assessment 2

Type: Test (Invigilated)

Description: Students will need to answer some short and/or long answer questions and/or solve some simple numerical problems.

 Due after Topic 5 25% 3

Assessment 3

Type: Practical (Report)

Description: Students may complete a practical assessment based on problems to solve or practical project to demonstrate a good understanding of the fundamental concepts.

 Due after Topic 9 20% 4 and 5

Assessment 4

Type: Exam (Invigilated)

Description: An examination with a mix of MCQs, theoretical short/detailed answer questions and engineering problems.

 Final Week 40% 1 to 6

Tutorial Attendance & Participation

Description: Attendance, presentation, discussion, group work, exercises, self-assessment/reflection, case study analysis, application.

 Continuous 5% 1 to 6

 

Overall requirements: Students must achieve a result of 40% or above in the exam itself to pass the exam, and must pass the exam to be able to pass the unit. An overall final unit score of 50% or above must be achieved to pass the unit assessment. 

Prescribed and Recommended Readings

Prescribed textbook:

  • R. C. Hibbeler (2019), Structural Analysis, 10th edition, Pearson, ISBN-13: 9781292247236

Recommended textbooks:

  • A. Kassimali (2019), Structural Analysis, 6th edition, Cengage, ISBN-13: 9781337630948
  • G. Ranzi and R. I. Gilbert (2015), Structural Analysis: Principles, Methods and Modelling, 1st edition, CRC Press, ISBN-13: 9780415526449

Unit Content

Topic 1

Static Indeterminacy

  • Equations of equilibrium
  • Statically determinate structures
  • Statically indeterminate structures
  • Degree of static indeterminacy

Topic 2

Analysis of Statically Determinate Trusses

  • Types of trusses
  • Method of joints
  • Method of sections

Topic 3

Analysis of Statically Determinate Beams and Frames

  • Shear force diagram and bending moment diagram for a beam
  • Axial force diagram, shear force diagram, and bending moment diagram for frames
  • Elastic beam theory
  • Calculation of deflection by integration

Topic 4

Principle of Virtual Work

  • Principle of Virtual Work
  • Calculation of deflection by Principle of Virtual Work: Trusses
  • Calculation of deflection by Principle of Virtual Work: Beams
  • Calculation of deflection by Principle of Virtual Work: Frames

Topic 5

Force Method (1)

  • General procedure of the Force Method
  • Maxwell’s Theorem of Reciprocal Displacements
  • Force Method: Beams

Topic 6

Force Method (2)

  • Force Method: Frames
  • Force Method: Trusses
  • Force Method: Composite structures

Topic 7

Displacement Method (1)

  • Fixed-end moment
  • Slope-deflection equations
  • Displacement Method: Beams

Topic 8

Displacement Method (2)

  • Displacement Method: Frames with no sideway
  • Displacement Method: Frames with sideway

Topic 9

Moment Distribution Method

  • Context for Moment Distribution Method
  • Moment Distribution Method: Beams
  • Moment Distribution Method: Frames

Topic 10

Matrix Structural Analysis: Trusses

  • Context for Matrix Structural Analysis
  • Element, node, and degree of freedom
  • Stiffness matrix for a truss element
  • Matrix Stiffness Method: Trusses

Topic 11

Matrix Structural Analysis: Beams

  • Stiffness matrix for a beam element
  • Matrix Stiffness Method: Beams

Topic 12

Matrix Structural Analysis: Frames

  • Stiffness matrix for a frame element
  • Matrix Stiffness Method: Frames
  • Unit review

Software/Hardware Used

Software

  • Software: N/A

  • Version: N/A

  • Instructions:  N/A

  • Additional resources or files: N/A

Hardware

  • N/A

Unit Changes Based on Student Feedback

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