Course syllabus for Steel structures

Course syllabus adopted 2021-02-26 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameStĂ„lbyggnad
  • CodeVSM191
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPSEB
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyCivil and Environmental Engineering
  • DepartmentARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 22119
  • Block schedule
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0108 Examination 7.5 c
Grading: TH
7.5 c
  • 01 Nov 2024 am J
  • 08 Jan 2025 am J
  • 27 Aug 2025 am J

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second 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

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
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

Good understanding of mechanics and of the basic structural behaviour of steel members and connections are required. Basic knowledge in the design of welded and bolted connections and understanding of various stability phenomena are also required.

Aim

The course is a supplement to the basic knowledge of the design and analysis of steel structures. The aim of the course is to provide in-depth knowledge of the design and analysis of thin-walled steel members with special emphasis on different instability phenomenon. The design of steel members and connections with respect to fatigue is also treated and applied specially on steel and composite bridges.

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

The goal of the course is to provide the students with the required knowledge to perform design and analysis of thin-walled structural elements as well as the design of structural steel details with respect to fatigue. Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to:

- Recognize and account for different instability phenomena that might govern the load-carrying capacity of thin-walled steel elements.

- Design thin-walled bridge girders and other similar elements with reference to both static load-carrying capacity and fatigue strength.

- Design stiffened plates and plate fields.

- Perform fatigue design of steel members and connections according to EC3.

- Detail different bridge elements and connections to obtain a high fatigue resistance.

- Perform basic assessment of welded connections with respect to brittle fracture.

Content

The course sessions are composed of two hours of lecture followed by one hour exercise (calculation and theory) and one hour consultation of a project work. Aside that, two hours per week are designated for a FEM task.

The course is composed of two blocks:

Buckling in thin-walled plated steel structures (such as I-girders) includes local instability (normal stress buckling, patch loading and shear buckling) and global instability, such as lateral-torsional buckling. Local buckling, which is especially emphasized, also includes the design of adequate stiffeners. For the local instability phenomena there is also a post-critical reserve strength that is central for the behavior in the ULS (i.e. design). Introductory supporting lectures on the design of columns and beam-columns are also given.

The design of steel elements and connections with reference to fatigue is also treated. Fatigue as a phenomenon is studied first. Fatigue of welded details is then treated. This includes different factors that affect the fatigue strength of welded steel details, detailing of steel connections in order to obtain good fatigue performance and the design of steel connections and details with respect to fatigue according to EC3.
The part of the course on fatigue will also treat aspects such as primary and secondary stresses, residual stresses, number of load cycles, influence lines, inspection routines, fatigue life, constant-amplitude fatigue limit, stress concentration effects. Introductory supporting lecture on the design of welded connections for static loads is also given.

Organisation

The course sessions are composed of two hours of lecture followed by one hour exercise (calculation and theory) and one hour consultation of a project work. Aside that, two hours per week are designated for a FEM task.

Literature

Steel Structures. Al-Emrani - 2018.

Examination including compulsory elements

The course is ended by a written examination . Right to take part in the examination has the one who has passed the project work (bridge analysis) and finished the FEM-LAB task. Registration through the Student Portal is required.

The exam has two parts; one part with design problems to solve, and one part with theoretical and descriptive questions (26 points in total, 16 points coming from the first part and 10 points from the second). To pass the exam, both parts have to be approved (at least 6 points from the first part and 4 points from the second). A total of 12 points is required.


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.