Structural Mechanics and Dynamics

The A1 module on Mechanics and Dynamics of structures and structural components provides the students with advanced knowledge on mechanics and dynamics of structures which are typically encountered in civil engineering. The structure of the module balances a strong theoretical basis with application cases relevant to the structural engineer. By following this module, students will learn how to analyse the stability of structures to both static and dynamics loads. They will get acquainted with the various computational techniques used in the static and dynamic analysis of complex structural systems and they will learn how to deal with measurements and analysis of vibrations of engineering structures.

The learning line on Modelling, Data and Uncertainty is continued from the Faculty Base and Track Base module. In the third unit of this module (SE-A1-3), the student will extract modal parameters from spectral estimates obtained using measurement data from self-designed set-ups in the laboratory, quantify and interpret the uncertainty in these estimates and modal parameters, and statistically judge consistency between mode shapes. Also comparisons will be made between the estimates and their modelled equivalents as obtained in the second unit. The learning line is addressed explicitly in the LO's 2, 3, 7 and 8 of the third unit.

In the first unit, the learning line on design will be continued from the preceding modules. In this unit students will learn to explain the criteria for designing stable structures. A range of instabilities that needs to be considered in a conceptual design phase is considered, including buckling, plastic collapse of frames, galloping, flutter, and vortex-induced vibrations.