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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2024/2025

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Engineering : School (School of Engineering)

Undergraduate Course: Structural Mechanics 2A (SCEE08002)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Engineering CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryThis course engages students with the fundamental principles of Structural Mechanics relevant to civil and mechanical engineers. Specific topics including: equilibrium, stress, strain, axial load, torsion, bending, shear, and deflections in structural elements including beams, columns, struts, ties, and trusses.
Course description T1 Introduction and Overview: Course structure and organisation. What is structural mechanics?

T2 Structural forms: Structural elements and examples. Strength and stiffness. Loads.

T3 Global Equilibrium: Forces and moments, point and distributed loads. Support conditions. Global equilibrium of structures. Concept of structural determinacy and indeterminacy.

T4 Free Body Diagrams and Stress Resultants

Truss equilibrium. Stress resultants in struts (axial load), shafts (torsion), beams (shear and bending) and pressure vessels (membrane forces).

T5 Members carrying Axial Load

Simple mechanical behaviour. Deformation (due to load and thermal strain).

T6 Members carrying Torsion
Torsion of circular shafts and other closed sections. Torsional stiffness and deformation.

T7 Stress Resultants in Determinate Beams (1)
Sign conventions. Shear force and bending moment diagrams.

T8 Stress Resultants in Determinate Beams (2)
Relationships between w, V, and M

T9 Bending of Beams (1)
Euler Beam Theory. Curvature. Plane sections. Bending strains

T10 Bending of Beams (2)
Euler Beam Theory. Elastic bending stresses. The neutral axis. Moment - curvature - stress - strain relationships.

T11 Deflection of Beams
Double integration of curvature to find deflection. Support boundary conditions. Beam stiffness

T12 Superposition of Deflection
Deflection coefficients. Superposition of deflections.

T13 Geometric Section Properties
Area, 2nd moments of area, Parallel axis theorem. Rectangular, circular, T and I sections

T14 Composite Beam Sections
Modular ratio and equivalent section. Stress and strain diagrams.

T15 Shear Stresses in Beams (1)
Complimentary shear. Derivation of shear stress formulae.

T16 Shear Stresses in Beams (2)
Shear flow. Rectangular, box and flanged sections.

T17 Combined Loading
Combining axial, torsion, shear and biaxial bending stresses.

T18 Stress and Strain Transformation
Plane stress, plane strain. Mohr's circle.

Tutorials:

9 Tutorials (TBD)

The course is examined through three coursework elements, one of which is a virtual laboratory through video recordings.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Additional Costs None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Describe and manipulate fundamental concepts of stress, strain, and deformation in members carrying axial, bending, shear, and torsional loads;
  2. Determine how statically determinate trusses and beams carry load; for beams using diagrams of bending moment and shear force, and evaluate the resulting elastic deflections of the beams;
  3. Analyse structural cross sections, so as to determine the elastic stress and strain distributions, as well as the deformations, resulting from axial, bending and torsional actions; and
  4. Describe and manipulate relevant concepts of combined loadings and stress and strain transformation.
Reading List
J.M. Gere, "Mechanics of Materials", 6th Edition, Thomson. (A comprehensive treatment, and used in other Civil Engineering courses)

J.E. Shigley, C.R. Mischke, R.G. Budynas, "Mechanical Engineering Design", 7th edition, McGraw Hill. (A fairly brief treatment, but also used in other Mechanical Engineering courses).
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsEquilibrium,stress,strain,axial load,torsion,bending,shear,deflections,beams,columns,stru
Contacts
Course organiserDr Thomas Reynolds
Tel: (0131 6)50 5633
Email: treynold@exseed.ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr Craig Hovell
Tel: (0131 6)51 7080
Email: c.hovell@ed.ac.uk
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