Monash University Handbook 2010 Undergraduate - Unit

Synopsis

The unit provides the basis for assessing the stress state of most engineering components, artefacts and structures - beams, deep beams, shear walls, and foundations under loads. The unit is also a primer for understanding how the critical strength of a structure or component can be assessed using modern day theoretical, experimental and numerical methods of stress analyses. After completing this unit, students should be able to determine the stress, strain and displacement in a beam and plate subjected to load using either an experimental, theoretical or numerical method. The unit includes linear algebra and numerical methods relevant to civil engineering.

Objectives

After completion of this unit the student should: have the following knowledge and skills:

1. basic principles of stress and strain and how to determine normal and shear stresses given strain values from experimental gauges
2. difference between normal and shear stresses and strains and how to measure strains using strain gauges
3. influence of material and geometric properties on the strength of beams
4. underlying principles of simple bending theory and how to calculate the elastic and plastic section moment capacities
5. underlying principles of failure criteria for structures
6. differences and commonality between determining stresses and strains using one dimensional beam theory, two dimensional plane stress and plane strain theory and three dimensional stress analysis of solids
7. approximate nature of theoretical and numerical analysis methods to determine stresses in any engineering component, artefact or structure.
8. solution of nxn linear systems.

Assessment

Tests: 20%
Two projects: 30%
Examination (3 hours): 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Xiao-Ling Zhao

Contact hours

3 hours lectures, 2 hours practice classes and 7 hours of private study per week

Prohibitions

CIV2204, CIV2208