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Structural engineering is the field of civil engineering particularly concerned with the design of load-bearing structures. In practice, it is largely the implementation of mechanics to the design of structures, such as buildings, bridges, walls (including retaining walls), dams, tunnels, etc. Structural engineers need to design structures so that while serving their useful function, they do not collapse, and do not bend, twist, or vibrate in undesirable ways. In addition they are responsible for making efficient use of funds and materials to achieve these structural goals. Typically, apprentice structural engineers may design simple beams, columns, and floors of a new building, including calculating the loads on each member and the load capacity of various building materials ( steel, timber, masonryMasonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, concrete block, glass block, and tile. Masonry is a highly durable form of construction becaus, concreteIn general, a concept is considered concrete if it is not abstract: it must be both particular and an individual, and hence occupy both space and time. To say that a physical object is concrete is to say, approximately, that it is a particular individual). An experienced engineer would tend to design more complex structures, such as multi-storey buildings (including skyscraperTaipei 101, the world's tallest skyscraper by roof height on high rise. What is the chief characteristic of the tall office building? It is lofty. It must be tall. The force and power of altitude must be in it, the glory and pride of exaltation must be ins), or bridges.

Loads are generally classified as: "live loads" such as the weight of occupants and furniture in a building, the forces of wind or weights of water, and the forces due to an earthquakeAn earthquake is a trembling or shaking movement of the Earth's surface. Earthquakes typically result from the movement of faults, quasi-planar zones of deformation within its uppermost layers. The word earthquake is also widely used to indicate the sourc; or "dead loads" such as the weight of the building itself.

Traditionally, structural engineering used careful placement of coordinate axes to simplify complex equationAlgebra This article is about equations in mathematics. For equations in chemistry, see chemical equation. In mathematics, one often (not quite always) distinguishes between an identity which is an assertion that two expressions are equal regardless of ths associated with tensorFor more technical Wiki articles on tensors, see the section later in this article. In mathematics, a tensor is a certain kind of geometrical entity which generalizes the concepts of scalar, vector (spatial) and linear operator in a way that is independen quantities such as stressStress has different meanings in different fields: Stress in physics, see also pressure. Medical or psychological stress, see stress (medicine). Vocal stress, see phonology. Link stress (network theory). Moisture stress or plant stress is the result of de and resulting displacements of structural elements, such as beams. This simplification was essential to being able to solve problems. A successful engineer must design a structure to withstand the loads specified to be placed upon it. As long as the design loads are not exceeded the structure should spring back when the load is lifted, or hold steady indefinitely. The advance of computer software has allowed many of the more complicated calculations to be carried out more accurately and quickly.

One of the most straightforward mechanisms of analyzing structures is the method of statics in which Newton's laws of motion are used to determine the forces acting on the components of a structure, generally by assuming that the material is rigid and uniform.

Another mechanism capable of handling more complicated situations is the finite element method which is capable of calculating forces in structures made of various materials with differing properties.




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Topics: Structural Engineering, Structuralist Film Theory, Structural...

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