huangyhg

continuing education course content
colleagues - i am initiating and teaching a short continuing education college course (three consecutive half days) this fall. the subject is "basic structrual engineering for non-structrual engineers". current plans are to (quickly) cover the following:
basic statics
beams - steel, wood & concrete
columns - steel & wood
isolated concrete footings
i'm sure many of you are asked questions by engineers from other discipines. will appreciate suggestions on specific structural subject matter that will help make others (electrical, mechanical, environmental, etc.) to recognize when they need to call in structrual "help".
many thanks
i would recommend teaching concepts much more then i would teach math. the people you are teaching will never actually do the math. it is best if they understood concepts, things i would cover
1. common house framing mistakes. everyone has a house and wants to ask me ?? about their house. i would explain why collar ties are useless above a certain point. and different ways to get a cathedral ceiling - ridge beam, bent, tension ring, etc. i would also touch on the special requirments of high walls in house construction. the example that you can not build walls in two sections and put them on top of each other without a floor or wind girt at intersection. and other framing errors you can think off
2. the difference between composite and non composite construction and why it is helpful
3. why trusses/joists are used
4. i would talk about the difference between foundation walls and retaining walls and why you can't backfill a wall until the floor in is place. and whick side steel neeeds to be in for retaining wall
5. i would talk about web penetrations in steel and notching holes in wood. all the mech engineers want to poke holes in my structure. i would talk about how holes should be in middle third of span and middle thirs of depth. i would also explain exceptions to rule. such as point load transfer girder
good luck time for dinner
photos of construction in progress to illustrate.
photos of failures.
you might consider doing a simple calculation for a footing or a beam connection. show a detail and then show them a photo of actual construction. the point being that a structural engineer's safety factors or resistance factors take into account what really happens in the construction world.
and where will this course be given? which university will you be affiliated with?
many plant-based mechanical engineers dabble in structures (which always frightens me). i find that their most common mistakes and misunderstandings are:
- background to the lrfd method...factor up the loads, factor down the resistance
- effective lengths for beams, cantilevers and columns. the "effective length" isn't necessarily the “actual length".
- the function and importance of vertical bracing. an observation i often make on visits to process plants and industrial facilities is, what i call, the "lonely cleat". a brace cleat attached to columns or beams, where vertical bracing was once connected and has now been removed. it seems that when bracing clashes with the site-running of piping and cabling or with the provision of access for mobile equipment...out comes the bracing!
- maintenance of structures...they are assets, just like a crusher, screen or pump. preventative maintenance of structures is cheaper than expensive remedial works.
tfl, sperlingpe, dbuzz - thank you. i will be adding significant content to the course based on ideas that each of you has suggested.
dicksewerrat - trident technical college in charleston, sc is offering the course, here is a link:

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