Structural Engineering Quiz

A system of connected parts designed to support a load.

Structural members that primarily carry tensile forces, often slender and made of rods, bars, angles, or channels.

Straight, horizontal members designed to carry vertical loads. They can be simply supported, cantilevered, fixed-supported, or continuous.

Beams with a varying cross-section, often wider at the supports and narrower in the middle, providing increased strength in areas of high stress.

Beams with cross-sections built up by adding plates on top and bottom. This increases the beam's capacity to resist bending.

This process involves evaluating the structure's strength and stiffness to ensure it can safely support the intended loads.

The process of designing the structure based on the results of structural analysis, modifying the size and weight of the members as needed.

The process of designing a structure involves multiple iterations of structural analysis and design to achieve the desired safety, aesthetics, and functionality.

Structural elements designed to resist bending moments caused by applied loads, typically horizontal and supporting vertical forces.

The cross-section of a beam, often shaped like a wide letter 'I' with top and bottom flanges and a connecting web, optimized for resisting bending and shear forces.

Beams fabricated by using a large plate for the web and welding or bolting plates to its ends for flanges, suitable for large spans and heavy loads.

Concrete beams reinforced with steel rods, usually cast in a rectangular shape, effectively resisting tension forces.

Vertical structural elements designed to withstand axial compressive loads, often found in buildings and bridges.

Members subjected to both axial load and bending moment, requiring special consideration in design to handle combined stresses.

A combination of structural elements and materials, forming a complete structural system for a building or bridge.

Trusses are structures that use slender members arranged in a triangular pattern, often used for bridges and roofs. They efficiently distribute forces through tension and compression in the members, minimizing material usage compared to beams.

Planar trusses are structures where all members lie in the same plane, frequently used for bridges and roof supports.

Space trusses have members extending in three dimensions and are suitable for derricks and towers, providing structural support in all directions.

Cables are flexible structural elements that efficiently support loads primarily in tension, often used for bridges and building roofs.

Arches are curved structures that gain strength from compression, used in bridge structures, dome roofs, and masonry openings.

Frames with rigid joint connections are generally indeterminate because the moment interactions between beams and columns at the joints make analysis more complex. Their strength relies on these moment interactions.

The increase in live loads on a bridge due to the impact of moving vehicles.

The force exerted on a structure by moving air. The pressure created is proportional to the square of the wind speed.

The force exerted on a structure by accumulated snow. It depends on factors like roof shape, location, and heating.

Lateral forces exerted on a structure due to the shaking of the ground during an earthquake.

The weight of the structure itself, including materials and permanent fixtures.

Forces applied to a structure from temporary or movable objects, people, vehicles, environmental conditions (like snow or wind), or equipment.

Minimum live loads specified in building codes are based on historical data and safety factors to minimize the chances of excessive deflection or failure under normal and extreme conditions.

The floors of buildings are assumed to carry uniform live loads, depending on how the space will be used. These loads are typically found in local, state, or national building codes.

Some building codes also specify minimum concentrated live loads that must be considered, representing the impact of heavy objects like cars or hand trucks.

The primary live loads on bridges are those due to traffic, with truck loadings being especially significant.

Specifications for truck loadings on highway bridges are provided in the LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, developed by AASHTO (American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials).

Dead loads are less significant for simple structures like beams or single-storey frames, but for multistorey buildings, accurate accounting of dead load is essential for proper column design, especially for lower floors.

The force exerted by the earthquake on a structure depends on how much the ground shakes, the type of shaking, and the structure's weight and stiffness.

A simplified structural model representing a single-story building, where the block represents the roof's weight and the column represents the stiffness of the building's columns.

When the ground shakes horizontally during an earthquake, the column experiences shear forces, causing the block to move with the ground. If the column is stiff and the block is lightweight, the block moves almost in sync with the ground, minimizing relative displacement.

If the column is flexible and the block is heavy, the earthquake motion causes the block to move significantly relative to the ground. This leads to large displacements and potential damage.

Building codes often require specific earthquake-resistant design in areas prone to strong earthquakes, ensuring structures can withstand these forces.

Besides earthquakes, factors like explosions, temperature changes, and foundation settlement can also impact structural design.

In structural design, uncertainties related to material properties, residual stress, manufacturing deviations, vibrations, and material degradation need to be considered.

Allowable Stress Design (ASD) includes material and load uncertainties into a factor of safety, ensuring the structure can safely handle these variations.