In order to build safe and economical structures, a large part of the structural design process is necessarily numerical. However, this book avoids a mathematical approach whenever possible. Its purpose is to develop a “sense” and “awareness” of the physical behavior of structures. As the title of this book suggests, the emphasis is on understanding. For this reason, many illustrations are used to depict the behavior of structures.
About the Book
This book covers the fundamentals of structural analysis, materials, and design. Although these topics are often treated as separate subjects, it is my opinion that it is better to introduce all three topics in an integrated manner. This way, students can tackle realistic design problems in the shortest amount of time and are more motivated because they understand the relevance of the theories. It also provides an early exposure to the actual process of design, from initial concept to final detail.
While the bulk of the book deals with the design of individual structural elements using a variety of materials, it also examines the use of these elements in the complete structure, which is the essence of the structural form. Trying to cover such extensive material in a modestly sized book was not an easy task. In this book, priority has been given to those problems that occur most frequently in the real world of structural design.
This book is intended for students studying civil engineering, structural engineering, architecture, and surveying. It can be used at both first-year degree level and BTEC level. Because it contains a large amount of actual design data, it is also useful as a reference for non-specialist practitioners.