4.440
Introduction to Structural Design
Introduces the design and behavior of large-scale structures and structural materials. Emphasizes the development of structural form and the principles of structural design. Presents design methods for timber, masonry, concrete, and steel applied to long-span roof systems, bridges, and high-rise buildings. Includes environmental assessment of structural systems and materials. In laboratory sessions, students solve structural problems by building and testing simple models. Graduate and undergraduate students have separate lab sections.
Spring 2009 · Basic Structural Design
Topics
- Introduction
- Compression and tension structures
- Designing for axial forces
- Truss design
- Forces and forms in beams
- Beam design
- Forces and forms in frames
- Frame design
- Structural failures
- Loading
- Stability and indeterminancy
- Midterm review
- Indeterminate beams
- Indeterminate beams/frames
- Indeterminate frames
- Lateral load systems
- Timber design
- Steel design
- Reinforced concrete design
- Connections
- Sustainable structures
- Design for strength and serviceability
- Advanced topics in structural design
- Design project presentations
- Review lecture
- Cables and arches
- Buckling
- Truss design / Column project
- Column testing
- Beams and frames
- Frames / Beam project
- Beam testing
- Indeterminacy / Design project
- Design project
- Design project (cont.)
Readings
- [Zalewski] = Zalewski, Waclaw, and Edward Allen. Shaping Structures: Statics . New York, NY: Wiley, 1998. ISBN: 9780471289968.
- [Schodek] = Schodek, Daniel. Structures . 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2000. ISBN: 9780130278210.
- SES #: 1 · TOPICS: Introduction · READINGS: [Zalewski] Chapters 1-2
- SES #: 2 · TOPICS: Compression and tension structures · READINGS: [Zalewski] Chapters 3-4
- SES #: 3 · TOPICS: Designing for axial forces · READINGS: [Zalewski] Chapters 5-7
- SES #: 4 · TOPICS: Truss design · READINGS: [Zalewski] Chapter 14
- SES #: 5 · TOPICS: Forces and forms in beams · READINGS: [Schodek] pp. 60-84
- SES #: 6 · TOPICS: Beam design · READINGS: [Schodek] pp. 229-251
- SES #: 7 · TOPICS: Forces and forms in frames · READINGS: [Schodek] pp. 348-378
- SES #: 10 · TOPICS: Loading · READINGS: [Zalewski] Chapter 8
- SES #: 11 · TOPICS: Stability and indeterminancy · READINGS: [Schodek] pp. 1-17
- SES #: 14 · TOPICS: Indeterminate beams · READINGS: [Schodek] pp. 536-544
- SES #: 15 · TOPICS: Indeterminate beams/frames · READINGS: [Schodek] pp. 324-346
- SES #: 16 · TOPICS: Indeterminate frames · READINGS: [Schodek] pp. 348-377
- SES #: 17 · TOPICS: Lateral load systems · READINGS: [Schodek] Chapter 14
- SES #: 20 · TOPICS: Reinforced concrete design · READINGS: [Schodek] pp. 522-527
- SES #: 21 · TOPICS: Connections · READINGS: [Zalewski] Chapter 9-12
- SES #: 23 · TOPICS: Design for strength and serviceability · READINGS: [Zalewski] Chapters 8, 13
- Zalewski, Waclaw, and Edward Allen. Shaping Structures: Statics . New York, NY: Wiley, 1998. ISBN: 9780471289968.
- Schodek, Daniel. Structures . 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2000. ISBN: 9780130278210.
Prerequisites & course information
Same subject as 1.056[J] Subject meets with 4.462 Prereq: Calculus II (GIR) U (Spring) 3-3-6 units. Institute LAB
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Spring 2009
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- MIT OCW calendar ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.