Structural Engineering Tasks: Calculations, Design and Safety

Task 1: Calculations of Bending Moments and Shear Forces

LO1 Calculate bending moments and shear forces for simply supported steel and concrete beams.

LO2 Determine deflection for simply supported steel beams

LO3 Calculate the axial load carrying capacity of steel and reinforced concrete columns

LO4 Explore design methods for steel, reinforced concrete beams and columns.

(a) A simply supported beam with a span of 14m is subjected to a point load of 150KN at the midpoint. Draw the beam arrangement and determine the reactions at the supports. Calculate and draw the shear force diagram and the bending moment diagram running along the beam.

(b) A beam simply supported has a span of 8m. It carries a 65KN point load at a position 2m from the left support. Draw the beam arrangement and calculate the reactions at both supports. Also determine and draw the shear force and bending momentdiagrams.

(c) A beam simply supported has a length of 25m and carries a uniformly distributed load of 25KN/m. Determine and draw the shear force and bending momentdiagrams.

(d)Draw the shear Force and bending moment diagrams if the beam in (a) if a UDL of 20KN/m isadditionally supported by the beam.

(e) Draw the shear force and bending moment diagrams if the beam in (c) also carries in addition a point load of 50 KN at 10m from the rightsupport.

Discuss the statutory requirements to ensure safety in structural designs

Explore, explain and produce valid factors of safety for live loads, dead loads and imposed loads using current codes of practice and building regulations, a valid example can be utilised to illustrate thisfurther.

You can use the simply supported beam carrying a UDL provided in Task 1(c) or otherwise to evaluate how maximum bending moments determine steel beam selection using current codes of practice and approved documents in terms of economics and safety. Select a trial section for this beam and explore its safety for bending.

To determine deflection for simply supported steelbeams

(A) Determine deflections in simply supported steel beams with point loads and a uniformly distributed load provided in Task 1 (a) to 1 (e).

(B) Explain how deflection in beams affects structural stability.

(C) Identify and describe different methods of supports for structures in general and how are these are applied to both steel and reinforced concrete structures. Analyse different support methods and their effect on deflection in fixed structures.

To Assess Support Methods inConstruction:

(D) Assess the most effective support method for a given scenario, in terms of ease and speed of construction, economics, safety and environmental factors. You may apply these to examples to be stated in both steel and reinforced concretestructures

To calculate the axial load carrying capacity of steel and reinforced concrete columns

(a) A short reinforced concrete column3.75m long of square dimensions 350mm square with steel bar reinforcements has 6 no 25mm bars (area= 2950mm2). Determine the axial load

carrying capacity of this column. Confirm firstly that the column is short.

(b) Select an equivalent steel column section that can carry this axial load safely and economically stating all yoursteps.

(A) Describe the concepts of slenderness ratio and effective length in the design of both steel and reinforced concrete columns separately, and comparing them appropriately.

(B) Determine the exact axial load carrying capacity of the selected steel column section provided above.

(C) Explore and analyse the load carrying capacity, size, weight and corrosion resistance properties of different materials used for beams and columns in fixed structures.

Explore design methods for steel, reinforced concrete beams and columnsA Hotel guest house building one storey high has a beam first floor identified as 8m long on two simple column supports. The beam is carrying a UDL of 55KN/m. Each column is axially loaded by 4 such identical beams.

(A) Develop two design solutions, one in steel and the other in reinforced concrete, for this stated beam and the support column for this given scenario, comparing their corresponding costs for the beam both in steel and in reinforced concrete and also for the column in both steel and reinforced concrete as well.

(B) Produce drawings and specifications in support of the structural design solutions above.

(C) Evaluate the use of an alternative material, different from concrete or steel, in achieving a design solution, discussing the benefits and challenges so associated.

(D) Assess the use of Building Information Modelling in the production of accurate structural design information and the collaborative environment of structural design.