Design of Steel Structures

Catalog description

This is a first course in the design of steel structures intended to develop fundamental abilities to evaluate and design steel tension members, beams, columns, beam-columns, composite beams, and connections. The discussion of design requirements focuses on failure mechanisms and behavior, the evaluation of existing components, and the process of developing economical steel member designs. All discussions are based on the current steel design specifications of the American Institute of Steel Construction, with an overview of historical requirements as appropriate. Students will complete a design project for a multi-story, steel commercial building that synthesizes the course material and creates a realistic context for the course. Weekly assignments are typically derived from the course project, with computer applications being an important component of these assignments.