Design of Steel and Composite Structures Academic Essay

Design of Steel and Composite Structures

Coursework Design Project

The attached sheets are extracted from an examination paper for the chartered membership of the Institution of Structural Engineers, where candidates are expected to demonstrate an ability to design structures completely. For this coursework design project, a sufficiently complete design is required as detailed below.

(NOTE: NOT ALL PARTS OF THE IStructE EXAM QUESTION ARE REQUIRED – do not include Part 1b)

Design Requirements

Part 1

 Each group should prepare two distinct and viable schemes as required in the brief Q1 Part 1a. NB. “Distinct and Viable” means that the structural behaviour will be different in each case and that the structures will work. To help give initial sizes, use the Architectural Studio Guide or reference any other sources you may find.

Designs should not use advanced composites such as cellbeams and should be based on steel or composite construction.

 You should estimate the loading on the structure, including self-weight, and present this as loading diagrams (plans of structure with areas shaded, or point/line loads as appropriate, to represent the loading).

Part 2

 A reasonable structural analysis for your chosen scheme. Whilst computer analysis is acceptable, but not necessary, only the results should be summarised in the report at the start of each structural element design with appropriate diagrams clearly indicating design values of actions. NB. Particular attention should be made of computer analysis to ensure that design assumptions are appropriately incorporated, for example, if the design shows a simply supported beam then so should the analysis by having appropriate beam end releases. IT IS A REQUIREMENT OF THE MODULE THAT DESIGNS ARE CONDUCTED MANUALLY AND HENCE IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO USE SOFTWARE THAT DESIGNS STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS. ANYONE DOING SO WILL BE AWARDED A MARK OF ZERO.

 Design of key members and important connections. It is not necessary to design every part of the structure but merely the main components, which will depend on the form of the structure chosen.

 For an individual submission **- It is not necessary to design the staircase, or temporary covering but your design should take these into account and you should include in your report a statement of requirements from these including the required loads

Method statement

You are required to submit a bar (or gantt) chart construction programme of the principal construction activities in the correct sequence for the civil and structural engineering works you have designed as part of this exercise. Anticipated start and finish times for each of the major construction activities must be shown on your bar chart programme.

 A3 sized engineering drawings, folded appropriately into the report, showing the final scheme structure and sketches of the key connections. These should clear no matter how they are drawn – by hand or CAD NB. “Folded appropriately” means neatly and as follows: The drawings should be landscape so that they have the same height as your A4 report but this means that they would stick out if not folded. Take the right hand edge and fold the drawing in half such that it would be A4 sized and then fold the edge back to the first fold line. This means that any binding will not trap the edge of the drawing and it can be simply unfolded from the report.

 Working in groups

You are going to work as a group of three; the following should be adhered to

Each person is to determine one of the two viable schemes in Part 1a
A single analysis for the entire structure is acceptable
It is also necessary to design the structure of the retaining wall and foundations
the work should be evenly distributed among the three persons, at the cover of the report, each person should indicate what he has done together with his signature .

Basis of Design

All design should be conducted according to British Standard Eurocodes as appropriate e.g. Eurocode 3 or Eurocode 4. IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO DESIGN ACCORDING TO THE EUROCODES OF OTHER COUNTRIES.

All calculations should be made on calculation sheets and hence will be hand written (and neat). No additional marks are awarded for typing-up calculations and it is simply a waste of your time.

 Method statement