Notes From Class

Week 1: January 25, 27, and 29, 2021.

Topic (2021-01-25): Welcome to ENCE 353: (zoom/panopto video).
Topic (2021-01-27): Overview of Structural Analysis and Design (Part 1): ( pdf ) (zoom video)
Topic (2021-01-29): Overview of Structural Analysis and Design (Part II): ( pdf ) (zoom video)
Millennium Tower (San Francisco): See Wikipedia writeup on Millennium Tower, a 58 story building that is sinking in San Francisco.
Jakarta is home to 10 million people and the capital city of Indonesia. It is also the fastest sinking city in the World (sinking 10 inches per year in places).
Google: Jakarta sinking
YouTube: Simple demonstration of liquefaction . It's cool.

Week 2: February 1, 3, and 5, 2021.

Topic (2021-02-01): Introduction to Structural Analysis (Part 1): (pdf) (zoom video)
Topic (2021-02-03): Introduction to Structural Analysis (Part 2): (pdf) (zoom video)
Topic (2021-02-05): Introduction to Structural Analysis (Part 3): (pdf) (zoom video)
Click here to download Introduction to Structural Analysis, Parts 1-2-3.
Homework 1: Homework 1
Please see the class web page for instructions on submission of homework.
Due: February 15.

Week 3: February 8, 10, and 12, 2021.

Topic (2021-02-08): Statically Determinate Structures (Part 1) (Trusses and Planar Structures): (pdf) (zoom video)
Topic (2021-02-10): Statically Determinate Structures (Part 2) (Beams and Frames): (pdf) (zoom video)
Topic (2021-02-12): Statically Determinate Structures (Part 3) (Stability): ( pdf ) ( zoom video )

Week 4: February 15, 17, and 19, 2021.

Topic (2021-02-15): Analysis of Truss Structures (Part 1) (Method Joints and Sections): ( pdf ) ( zoom video )
Handout: Types of Trusses
Example: Method of Joints .
Example: Method of Sections .
Topic (2021-02-17): Analysis of Truss Structures (Part 2) (Zero-Force Members): ( pdf ) ( zoom video )
Topic (2021-02-19): Analysis of Truss Structures (Part 3) (Handouts): Please browse through the content, no videos needed.
Handout: Analysis of Statically Determinate Structures
Handout: Truss Analysis Tutorial
Homework 2: Homework 2
Please see the class web page for instructions on submission of homework.
Due: March 1.

Week 5: February 22, 24, and 26, 2021.

Topic (2021-02-22): Analysis of Beam Structures (Part 1) (Connection to Mechanics): (pdf) (zoom video)
Topic (2021-02-24): Analysis of Beam Structures (Part 2) (Shear and Bending Moment) ( pdf ) ( zoom video )
Topic (2021-02-26): Analysis of Beam Structures (Part 3) (Examples) ( pdf ) ( zoom video )
Midterm I from Fall Semester, 2016.
Midterm I from Fall Semester, 2017.
Midterm I from Fall Semester, 2018.
Midterm I from Fall Semester, 2019.
Midterm I from Spring Semester, 2020.
Solutions to Homework 1 .

Week 6: March 1, 3, and 5, 2021.

Topic (2021-03-01): Review of Midterm I, Fall Semester 2018.
Whiteboard Pics (from 2018-10-15): Pic01 , Pic02 and Pic03 .
Topic (2021-03-01): Review of Midterm I, Fall Semester 2019.
Whiteboard Pics (from 2020-03-02): Pic01 , Pic02 , Pic03 and Pic04 .
Topic (2021-03-01): Review of Midterm I, Spring Semester 2020.
Whiteboard Pics (from 2020-03-09): Pic01 and Pic02 .
Topic (2021-03-01): Solutions to Midterm I Exam, Fall Semester, 2020 (pdf).
Midterm 1: March 3, 9 am. Here is the midterm exam .
NOTE: You have 12 hrs to complete and return the exam. Please make sure your name and e-mail are clearly written on the first page.
Open book and open notes. University rules on academic integrity apply.

Three questions covering computation of indeterminacy, support reactions,
shear and bending moment diagrams, tensile and compressive element-level forces.
Instructions for Submitting Midterm I: See details on ENCE353 home page.
NOTE ON EXAM DATE: I am proposing March 3 for Midterm I, but I realize there might be conflicts with religious commitments.
So please let me know and we adjust accordingly.
Solutions to Homework 2 .
Topic (2021-03-05): Solutions to Midterm I exam (pdf).

Week 7: March 8, 10, and 12, 2021.

Topic (2021-03-08): Qualitative Sketching of Displacements (pdf) (zoom video).
Topic (2021-03-10): Principle of Superposition ( pdf ) (zoom video).
Topic (2021-03-12): Superposition (Examples) (pdf) (zoom video).

Week 8: March 15, 17, and 19, 2021.

Spring Break!

Week 9: March 22, 24, and 26, 2021.

Change of topic: for the next two weeks we will cover analysis of arch structures followed by analysis of cable structures.
See, in particular, the notes and video on parabolic arches -- definitely the coolest part of this course -- and links (below) to recently developed projects.

Topic (2021-03-22): Analysis of Arch Structures (Introduction) (pdf) (zoom video).
Topic (2021-03-24): Analysis of Arch Structures (Circular and Parabolic Arches) (pdf) (zoom video).
Topic (2021-03-26): Solution to Arch Problems from Recent (2017 and 2020) Exams (pdf) (zoom/panopto video).
Case Study: Here's an article (and video) from the NY Times on collapse of an Arch Bridge in Taiwan.
Case Study: Engineering drawing of St. Louis Gateway Arch (late 1940s).

Rough timeline:
- Initial planning for the "Gateway to the West" Arch occurred in the mid-1930s.
- A design competition was held in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
- Construction began in 1963 and was completed in 1965.
There is a nice write-up of the history and development of the arch on Wikipedia.
The principal architect, Eero Saarinen, also designed the terminal building at Washington Dulles Airport.
Case Study: Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, Washington, DC (2017-2022):

Timeline:
- Project start: Summer 2017;
- Project completion: Spring 2022.
Looking beyond the Washington DC region, arch bridges are definitely in vogue, e.g.,
- Sixth Street Viaduct project in downtown Los Angeles.
- Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge in Brasilia, Brazil.
- Ruyi Bridge, Zhejiang Province, China, Opened Dec. 2020.
Homework Grades: Click here to see a summary of the homework grades (stored on Google docs).
Homework 3: Homework 3
Please see the class web page for instructions on submission of homework.
Due: April 5.

Week 10: March 29 and 31. April 2, 2021.

Topic (2021-03-29): Analysis of Cable Structures (Ignore Self-Weight of Cable) (pdf) (zoom video).
Topic (2021-03-31): Analysis of Cable Structures (Include Self-Weight of Cable) (pdf) (zoom video).
Topic (2021-04-02): Solution to Cable Problem, Final Exam, 2018 (pdf) (zoom video).
Case Study: Architectural drawing of terminal building and cable roof structure at Dulles International Airport (1959).

As noted above, architect Eero Saarinen worked on the design of Dulles Airport during the 1950s, some 20-odd
years after completing the St. Louis Arch. You can see the influences of his previous work
in the shape of the cantilever supports.
What's really amazing is that this structure was designed without the aid of modern computational analysis
tools (i.e., no Matlab), relying instead on "first principles of engineering" (equilibrium)
and the construction of small-scale models.
See, in particular, slides 12-15 and 22-24 of this handout .
Slide 24 shows that foundation level of the structure essentially acts as a huge deep beam,
with tensile forces at the lower-most sections of the ground slab carried by reinforcing/prestressed cables.

Week 11: April 5, 7 and 9, 2021.

Topic (2021-04-05): Elastic Curve for Beam Deflection (pdf) (zoom video).
Topic (2021-04-07): Integration of Beam Differential Equations (pdf) (zoom video).
Topic (2021-04-09): Moment Area Method (Introduction) (pdf) (zoom video).
Homework 4: Homework 4
Please see the class web page for instructions on submission of homework.
Due: April 16.

Week 12: April 12, 14 and 16, 2021.

Topic (2020-04-12): Moment Area Method (Examples) (pdf) (zoom video).
Sample Midterm II Exams:
Midterm II from Fall Semester, 2016.
Midterm II from Fall Semester, 2019.
Topic (2021-04-14): Moment Area Problems from 2017 and 2018 Midterm II Exams (zoom video).
Solutions to Midterm II from Fall Semester, 2017.
Solutions to Midterm II from Fall Semester, 2018.

Topic (2021-04-14): Solution to Question 1, Midterm II, Spring 2015 (pdf) (zoom video).
Topic (2021-04-16): Solutions to Midterm II Exam, Fall Semester 2019 (pdf) (zoom video).
Topic (2021-04-16): Solutions to Midterm II Exam, Spring Semester 2020 (pdf) (zoom video).

Week 13: April 19, 21 and 23, 2021.

Midterm 2: April 19, 9 am. Here is the midterm exam .
NOTE: You have 12 hrs to complete and return the exam. Please make sure your name and e-mail are clearly written on the first page.
Open book and open notes. University rules on academic integrity apply.

Three questions covering: (1) computation of displacements via integration of
beam differential equations and/or moment area, and (2) arches and cables.
Virtual work will not be covered.
Instructions for Submitting Midterm II: See details on ENCE353 home page.
NOTE ON EXAM DATE: I am proposing April 19 for Midterm II, but I realize there might be conflicts with religious commitments. So please let me know.

If April 19 will not work, am happy to move to April 21.
Topic (2021-04-21): Energy Methods in Structural Analysis (pdf) (zoom video).
Topic (2021-04-23): Method of Virtual Displacements (pdf) (zoom video).
Homework 5: Homework 5
Please see the class web page for instructions on submission of homework.
Due: May 7 (no extensions).

Week 14: April 26, 28 and 30, 2021.

Topic (2021-04-26): Method of Virtual Forces (Beam Examples) (pdf) (zoom video).
Topic (2021-04-28): Method of Virtual Forces (Truss Examples) (pdf) (zoom video).
Topic (2020-04-30): Solutions to Midterm 2 exam (pdf).

Week 15: May 3, 5 and 7, 2021.

Topic (2021-05-03): Force and Displacement Methods (pdf) (zoom video).
Topic (2021-05-05): Flexibility Method and Matrices (pdf) (zoom video).
Topic (2021-05-07): Solutions to Final Exam, Spring Semester, 2020 (pdf) (zoom video).
See this handout for partial solutions to Homework 5.

Week 15: May 10, 2021.

Topic (2021-05-10): Review of Recent Final Exams and Solutions
Final Exams: 2016 (pdf), 2017 (pdf), 2018 (pdf) (zoom video) and 2019 (pdf) (zoom video).
Office hours this week: I will hold Zoom office hours M, W and F, 11 am -12 pm.
Please fill out the Maryland Course Evaluation -- believe it or not, over time we do try to improve the content and way in which courses are taught.

Final Exam

May 17, 9 am. Here is the final exam. Good luck!
NOTE: You have 12 hrs to complete and return the exam. Please make sure your name is clearly written on the first page.
Cross out the two questions that you do not want marked.
Open book and open notes. University rules on academic integrity apply.

Six questions: Question 1 is compulsory. Do three of the remaining five questions.
Topics include: Moment area, virtual forces, virtual displacements, force method
and flexibility matrices.

Submitting the Final Exam: See details on ENCE353 home page.