Course syllabus for Structures

Course syllabus adopted 2024-02-13 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameBärande konstruktioner
  • CodeBMT016
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerTKATK
  • Education cycleFirst-cycle
  • Main field of studyArchitecture and Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • DepartmentARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language Swedish
  • Application code 46116
  • Open for exchange studentsNo
  • Only students with the course round in the programme overview.

Credit distribution

0109 Design exercise + laboratory 4 c
Grading: UG		0 c4 c0 c0 c0 c0 c
0209 Examination 3.5 c
Grading: TH		0 c3.5 c0 c0 c0 c0 c
  • 16 Jan 2025 am J
  • 15 Apr 2025 am J
  • 21 Aug 2025 am J

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for bachelor's level (first cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

The same as for the programme that owns the course.
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

Ability to basic mathematical analysis, knowledge of statistical distributions and risk analysis, knowledge and understanding of the mechanical properties of steel, timber and concrete, knowledge and understanding of basic concepts, theories and models in solid mechanics and structural mechanics. These prerequisites can for example have been obtained in the courses - MVE475/MVE595 Introductory course in calculus - MVE450 Computational Mathematics - ACE035 Building materials - TME275 Mechanics - TME300 Solid mechanics

Aim

The aim of the course is to provide comprehensive knowledge of the behaviour of structures, of how they can be designed and sized. The course shows how mechanics, solid mechanics and building materials are applied within civil engineering and gives an overview of the structural engineering field. Together with advanced courses in the subject, the course provides knowledge that civil engineers need to be able to design for example bridges and houses.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

  • Describe commonly used construction materials and general structural behaviour for various types of structural elements and systems.
  • Describe the general requirements for structures, and identify what needs to be checked for common types of structural elements and systems.
  • Select suitable structural model based on sketches, photos or drawings of structures, and describe their structural behaviour.
  • Describe and explain the design process and principles for how requirements of safety and function are taken into account (especially with the partial factor method).
  • Describe and explain the strength and deformation properties of timber, steel and concrete, and how they are affected by external factors such as time, moisture and load duration.
  • Describe and explain the structural behaviour of beams of timber, steel and reinforced concrete subjected to bending moments and shear force, and how these are described in calculation models.
  • Design and check simple load-carrying structural elements of timber, steel and reinforced concrete (such as beams, struts and braces) with respect to the bending moment and shear force capacity in the ultimate limit state.
  • Describe how structures are produced.
  • Conceptually design, describe and explain the mode of action of a structural system and how it interacts with the architectural design.

Content

The course treats the behaviour of structures of timber, reinforced concrete, and steel. A large part of the course treats calculation models for analysis and design for bending moment and shear force in the ultimate limit state. Safety related problems, different loads, and different types of structural systems are treated in an overview. Furthermore, one section of the course treats selection of suitable structural models and the behaviour of various types of structures.

Later applications:
The course gives parts of necessary prerequisites for the master program Structural Engineering and Building Technology. The content of the course is used in design and analysis of for example houses and bridges.

Organisation

An essential part of the course consists of a design task including sizing of beams of timber, reinforced concrete, and steel. The design task runs through the course to continually provide motivation for studies and learning. Teaching is mainly in the form of theory lectures, exercises where calculation models are applied, and design exercises where the students themselves work with calculation models to connect theory and application. In connection with a course running in parallel, an additional design task including conceptual design of a structural system is carried out. The course also includes an online lab task, which is part of the progression of scientific methodology; in this lab task the students compare their calculations to beams loaded to failure. Furthermore, a study trip is included, in which the students study how structures are produced. Mathematics, engineering methodology and natural science are applied in the course.

Literature

Bärande konstruktioner - del 1, Chalmers, Konstruktionsteknik. 
Bärande konstruktioner, Exempelsamling, Chalmers, Konstruktionsteknik. 
Diverse utdrag för kursen Bärande konstruktioner BMT015, Chalmers, Konstruktionsteknik

Examination including compulsory elements

The two design tasks are examined continuously during the course. Completion of the online lab task. Compulsory attendance is required in the study trip. In the end of the course a written exam, including both basic theory and problem-solving tasks is included. Examination time 5 hours, grading TH.  

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.