Module Catalogue 2025/26

Pre Requisite Comment

English Language to IELTS 6.0 or Pearsons 54 or equivalent. Satisfy admissions or progression requirement for entry to Stage 1 of an engineering degree programme at Level 3, including A-Level Mathematics or equivalent and normally an A-Level in science or equivalent.

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

Trusses, beams, and frames are fundamental components of engineering structures, spanning applications from bridges and building structures to aerospace and biomaterials. A thorough understanding of how these structures deform and fail under loading is crucial for ensuring safe and reliable designs.
This module is divided into two key areas:
•       Structural Analysis and Deflection Methods: The module focuses on trusses, beams, and frames, covering techniques for determining reaction and internal forces. It explores various methods for calculating deflections, including the principle of virtual work, and provides an in-depth analysis of indeterminate structures using both the force method and the slope-deflection method.
•       Structural Behaviour and Material Failure: Understanding how large-scale forces and deflections translate into small-scale stresses and strains is essential for predicting material failure. This knowledge forms a critical foundation for using and interpreting finite element analysis in structural design.

Outline Of Syllabus

The syllabus is structured around two main areas:

1.       Trusses, beams and frames (16 lectures, 8 tutorials, SZ)

Designing safe and stable structures requires a thorough understanding of how loads and constraints influence deformation. This lecture series explores key structural analysis concepts, including static indeterminacy and instability. It covers methods for analyzing the internal force distribution in trusses and determining bending and deflection in beams using integration. The principle of virtual work is introduced, along with Castigliano’s method for calculating deflections. Finally, the force method and slope-deflection method are presented for analysing indeterminate structures.

2.       Stresses and Yield (6 lectures, 3 tutorials, FF)

Engineering properties of materials, such as Young’s modulus and the yield point, are typically found from rods loaded axially, giving a very one-dimensional understanding of material response. These lectures look at the three-dimensional and interrelated nature of stress and strain and how to reduce this complexity to the von Mises stress that is useful for structural design work.
pressure and subsurface yield.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

On completion of this module, the student will:

-       Be able to comprehend and interpret appropriate force and deflection results in structural analysis software.[C2]
-       Be able to select and interpret appropriate stress and strain results in, for example, finite element analysis [C2]

Intended Skill Outcomes

On completion of this module, the student will:

-       Be able to apply virtual energy methods and principles to structural deflection.[C1]
-       Be able to analyse a three-dimensional stress state, calculate the principal and von Mises stresses and determine whether failure through yield is likely.[C2]
-       Be able to apply a number of techniques for resolving forces and determining deflections of trusses, beams and frames.[C3]

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures deliver the core engineering theory and the methods for applying this to engineering applications. Tutorials support the students' self-study in reading around the lecture material and learning to solve the practical engineering problems posed through tutorial questions.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The digital examination assesses the students’ ability to apply engineering principles and theory to a variety of problems covering trusses, beams, frames, thin-walled cylinders and stress in 3D. The formative assessment provides a wider range of problems with immediate feedback to aid student learning. (C2, C3)

General Notes

N/A