Building Structures

Loads and load paths. Natural loads. Useful loads. Accidental loads. Loading summary. Reaction loads. Load paths. Internal forces. Columns and beams. A simple frame. Slabs. Load paths. Structural element behaviour. Structural elements. Concept of stress and stress distribution. Axial stresses. Bending stresses. Shear stresses. Combined stresses. More advanced concepts of stress. Principal stresses. Role of shear stresses in beams. Effect of beam cross section. Biaxial bending. Composite elements and pre-stressing. Summary. Structural materials. Types of material behaviour. Actual structural materials. Soil as a structural material. Non-structural effects. Safe structures and failure. Basic concepts of safety. Types of structural collapse. Plastic behaviour. Axial instability. Plastic behaviour and axial instability. Structural geometry and behaviour. Geometry of structures. Behaviour of structural systems. Trusses and frames. Cables and arches. Three dimensional structures. prevention of axial instability. Behaviour of a simple building. Basic structure and loading. Structural action and stability. Real structures. Durham Cathedral. Palm House - Kew Gardens. Zaruela Hippodrome - Madrid. CNIT Exposition Palace - Paris. Federal Reserve Bank - Minnesota. Bank of China - Hong Kong. Structural conception. Structures in buildings. Conceptual load paths. Load path geometry. Overall structural behaviour. Choci of materials and elements. Element connection. Structures and building construction.