Examination arrangement

Course content

The course covers advanced topics in steel design beyond the design of beams and columns of standard cross-sections. Topics are: Theory for elastic buckling of in-plane loaded and shear loaded thin plates, examples are flange and web plates of beam sections. Classification of plates into cross-sectional classes, use of plated structures in bridges and beams, capacity model for plates and cross-sections made from thin plates, resistance to transverse load at plate edge (point load), design of stiffeners in beams, buckling and design of plates with longitudinal stiffeners, lateral torsional buckling of beams, torsional buckling and torsional-flexural buckling of columns. Elastic shear lag. Modeling of joints in structural frames and buildings, joint stiffness and strength of welded and bolted joints. Design of steel structures for fire. Design for fatigue, fatigue life.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

The candidate is able to identify stability issues and understand strength requirements for steel members and components in buildings and bridges and explain how this is treated in the steel design standards and construction practice. The candidate knows the basis for the analytical capacity models and the design provisions of the standards on the relevant design points. This includes: theory for elastic plate bending, plate buckling stress for axial, moment and shear loading, post-buckling capacity of plates, stability and capacity of stiffeners and plates with stiffeners, design of girders for concentrated load, shear-lag effects in wide-flanged beams, torsional buckling of columns, lateral torsional buckling of beams with various loading and boundary conditions, behavior and protection of steel structures in fire, design for fatigue, and detailing and design of joints in building frames.

Skills:

The candidate can establish or identify a realistic structural model for a given steel structure, including the behavior of the joints. The candidate can calculate capacity and behavior for steel members and structures of standard cross-sections and more light-weight cross-sections purpose-made for specific applications. The candidate can apply the design procedures and provisions of Eurocode 3 for steel structures, both for member and joint design. The candidate can choose efficient and functioning cross-sections for a given application and loading case, can determine the necessary dimensions of the cross-section and layout of the connections, and perform the resistance verification checks including the stability verifications. The latter includes the members, cross-sections, and the design of stiffeners and necessary bracings in the structure. The candidate can perform a simple check on the fire resistance of beams and columns in buildings and suggest fire insulation means. The candidate can perform fatigue life estimates for members and connection details. The candidate can determine plate buckling stresses and critical bending moments (lateral torsional buckling) by using numerical programs, to support and control analytical solutions.

General competence:

The candidate can design steel structures and their joints for common loading cases, such that they meet the requirements of the Eurocode standards for building structures and bridges. The candidate knows about the existing design standards in the steel design field, knows about the support literature in the field, and knows how to design weight- and cost effective steel structures and document and declare their properties.

Digital competence: The course includes use of digital tools for computing and displaying buckling patterns for unstiffened and stiffened plates (EBPlate) and Lateralt torsional buckling (LTBeam), and Python or Excel for numerical estimation of elevated steel temperature in fire situations.

Sustainability: The course gives elements of knowledge necessary for designing economical and reliable load bearing steel structures with documented properties and with a built-in safety level as required by the national and international steel standards and the building authorities.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures and weekly exercises, laboratory building project with design, construction and testing of a truss structure made from aluminium profiles. 2/3 of the assignments must be approved prior to the examination. The lectures and exercises are in English when students who do not speak Norwegian take the course. If the teaching is given in English the Examination papers will be given in English only. Students are free to choose Norwegian or English for written assessments.

Compulsory assignments

• Exercises, laboratory activities

Further on evaluation

If there is a re-sit examination, the examination form may be changed from written to oral.

Recommended previous knowledge

Basic knowledge in Statics and Mechanics, and Steel design course equivalent to TKT4170 Steel Structures 1, which covers elastic and plastic capacity of beams, dimensioning of beams, columns and beam-columns, and design of simple connections using bolts or welds.

Course materials

Per K. Larsen: Dimensjonering av stålkonstruksjoner, Tapir, or similar English textbook dealing with design of steel structures (eg. ECCS Design of steel structures / Design of plated structures). EN 1993-1-1 Design of steel structures, General rules and rules for buildings, EN 1993-1-5 Plated structural elements, EN 1993-1-8 Design of joints, NS EN 1993-1-2 Structural fire design, NS EN 1993-1-9 Fatigue. Lecure notes. Formula collection "Stålkonstruksjoner - Profiler og formler", Tapir.

Credit reductions