Fundamentals of Aerospace Structures

Catalog description

This course focuses on intermediate-level topics in stress analysis relevant to aerospace structures. Topics include: buckling under centric and eccentric loadings with and without lateral loads applied; torsion of solid circular and noncircular cross-sections; torsion of thin-walled multi-celled members; flexural shear flow in and shear center of thin-walled multi-celled members; bending stresses in beams with unsymmetric cross-sections; stresses under combined loadings; and three-dimensional states of stress. The laboratory component of this course provides testing and measurement experience related to buckling of columns under a variety of loadings and support conditions; and to the determination of the shear center and bending response of beams with unsymmetric cross-sections. Recommended background: differential equations (MA 2051 or equivalent), introductory aerospace structures (AE 2410 or equivalent. Students may not receive credit for both AE 3420 and AE 3712.