Domain

Explanation

Structure?

• An organization, interconnection, design-analysis-construction & maintenance of individual &/or groups of members

Structure in Engineering?

• Engineering serves the needs of society through various structures
• The concept & act of catering structures for society is termed structural engineering

Tools?

• A tool is a concept, object, hardware or software that helps in doing
• Tool would have the following attributes:

1. Intended purpose: tools are made-made for man-use, hence each tool has a specific purpose à the only tool that does not have a specific purpose is the mind
2. Construction to meet that purpose: design & fabrication to make that tool à translate idea (conception) into implementation (concretion) à should meet intended purpose within tolerances à inherent imperfections are not only unavoidable, but also inevitable
3. Availability: not all tools are available to every single engineer, neither would the engineer crave for such à due to the incomplete of tools à hence, restricted availability of tools is necessary, but can also be a nuisance when the specific need arises
4. Usage proficiency: having the required tool does mean the user knows how to use it à to meet the intended purpose, the user first have to understand the tool operations & then apply it to good usage à akin to personal travel: having a vehicle does not you can drive it; get a relevant driving license & know your route & vehicle are pre-requisite à be comfortable, confident & cautious with the tool through First Law of ReSearch
5. Applicability: the engineer would familiarize himself with first the intended purpose & then the tool to form a problem-centred approach towards usage proficiency à Zeroth Law of ReSearch à always expect to find difficulties & learn to correct accordingly
6. Maintenance & Upgrading: even if the tool is correctly used, new problems & needs would arise to supersede its usefulness à increasingly obsolete with time & circumstances à maintenance for wear & tear à upgrading for corrections, refinements & modifications

Why tools for engineers?

• Tools are to engineers what wings are to birds
• No wings, no bird
• No tools, no engineer

Structural engineering?

• To engineer a structure is to cater that structure for its intended purpose over its intended lifetime for its intended users against its intended odds
• Hence, structural engineering would encompass the following 4 attributes:

1. Purpose: the service of the structure
2. Lifetime: period of usage
3. Users: the people who are using, their expectations & needs
4. Odds: loadings, disturbances, excitations, deteriorations, contingencies, even emergencies

• To reach & maintain these intended attributes of structural engineering would require tools for structural engineering

Tools for structural engineering

• Combining the 6 tool attributes with the 4 structural engineering attributes,
• The engineer would arrive at tools for structural engineering

Software tools

• In highly complex environments, actual construction need to be first analysed in order to prepare
• In highly simplistic environment, actual construction can proceed without much preparation
• However, in general engineering structures, the environments are complex & relates to public safety policy
• Hence, software tools are often the preliminary needs, that are often more economical, versatile & resourceful

Aspects

• Software tools for structural engineering require:
• Material-loading behaviours:

1. Linear-Nonlinear:
2. Static-Dynamic:
3. Elastic-Non-elastic:
4. Non-failure-Failure:

• Pre-processing:

1. User interface
2. File I/O/editing
3. Verification

• Processing:

1. Numerical algorithm-solver:
2. Parameters: step-size, interval

• Post-processing:

1. Graphic visualization:
2. Checking: adequacy

S.E. software

• Analysis: statically determinate structures à uniqueness
• Design: statically indeterminate structures à iterations
• Code proficiency:

1. Steel: BS5950, CIDECT
2. Concrete: BS8110, ACI318, CP(1-60), SS(1-300+)
3. Other material: relevant codes & fundamental theory
4. Critical limit state principle

• FEA software:

1. ETABS: buildings
2. SAP2000: trusses
3. STAADIII: 3-D
4. USFOS: steel, elasto-plastic
5. SAFE, SLOPE/W: geotechnical

Upgrading

• Aspects:

1. Software
2. Codes
3. Experience: done it before, more confident now; for work
4. Knowledge: research

Checking

• Given: structural problem (loadings & dimensions; material: concrete, steel, timber) already designed by consultants
• Perform: (static/dynamic) loads & structures à member & global checks under ULS & SLS à compare against consultants
• Software tools: SAP2000, ETABS, PROKON, CSiBerkeley, STAADIII,
• Forum: SAP2000, ETABS, PROKON, STAADIII, CADENCE (CAD)
• Checking: design info à assumptions (tributary areas for load taking) à load schedule à adequacy: indept. checks
• Separation theory: simplify by reasonable separation à foundation supports, column supports, beam-slab supports à geometry, load & connection distribution
• Steps: Understanding (Archi, layout, functions) à service conditions à extreme conditions à external loading-behaviour conditions à load pattern à simplification: method of typical section à FBD à appropriate reasonable assumptions à analysis: conservative; check: less conservative à adequacy: codes, drafting, detailing

Learnt

• Large-scale systems à separation theory à simplification à typical sections à typical load takings à typical loads & deformations à typical checks à typical demand adequacy à typical clarifications, comments & corrections
• Types of elements:

• Functional layout à load taking (check consultant’s) à manual simplified à software computations