Structures from first principles!
Where a structure is eccentrically loaded, it can develop significant torsional forces in elements, which they may not have being designed to resist. This article highlights and discusses issues of buildability and detailing which structural engineers must become fully familiar with in order to avoid unforeseen problems that can lead to significant remedial works on-site and in some extreme cases, failures.
For every structure, frame stability is an important area of consideration. Designers of structural steel-work were the first to recognize the importance of considering the stability of steel frames in BS-5950.
This article describes the process of designing a laterally loaded masonry wall to Eurocode 6. It will highlight masonry and the relationship between its geometry, support condition and material properties when used as a structural material.
Ground improvement is the modification or treatment of weak and loose soil in order to improve their bearing capacities and potential settlement characteristics.
This twisting/rotation is known as torsion. Torsion generates forces within structural elements that they are rarely efficient at resisting. It would normally result in significant increase in element size or ultimately lead to change in structural form where they are found to be acting. Torsion in structures is best avoided as far as possible.
This article is concerned with the derivation and application of these notional loading, which is classified as Equivalent Horizontal Forces within the Eurocodes. The article also illustrates how the notional horizontal loads are incorporated into the design process.
In the design of trusses, timber is another alternative that should be considered at the preliminary design stage. When dealing with a small-moderate span, timber trusses are largely economical and the expertise required for fabrication is far less relative to steel solutions
In 2007 under-engineering, inefficient regulation, ever increasing dead loads combined with inadequate inspections led to the deadliest structural failure in Minnesota’s history. The immediate aftermath saw an investigation board commissioned to probe the cause of the failure. The investigation would discover a systematic collapse in the very layers of defense the engineering profession creates towards preventing catastrophic failures
Extreme loading situations are often known as ‘accidental loads’ because they occur under circumstances that are typically due to events that are inherently unlikely to occur.
![[UPDATED] Design for Shear Using Bent-up Bars](https://structurescentre.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/20201206_182543.jpg)
The most common and conventional method of designing against shear in reinforced concrete structures is via the provision of shear-links (stirrups). However, in certain scenarios, shear cannot be resisted via the use of links alone, especially where the applied shear-force is enormous. In such scenarios, a very effective way of resisting shear in concrete is by combining shear-links with the provision of bent-up bars