B6327 - Principles of Structural Analysis and Reliability

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to provide the students with the basic concepts related to structural analysis and reliability. The principles of safety evaluation and risk assessment of civil structures will be introduced. Definition of loadings, strengths and structural safety will be given in a probabilistic framework. Methods for the structural analysis of simple systems will be given, including frames and trussed systems. At the end of the course the student will be able to analyse simple structural systems obtaining the internal forces’ distributions, necessary for the design and verification process.

Course contents

The course provides an overview on the methods of structural analysis and reliability assessment of structures with particular attention on offshore structures.

1 PRINCIPLES OF STRUCTURAL DESIGN

- The design process and the role of the structural engineer

- The framework of the current technical codes (Italian codes and Eurocodes, USA specifications).

- Basis of structural design: safety-checking formats (admissible stresses and ultimate limit states)

- Materials

2 CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

-Loads path to the ground

- Vertical-resisting systems

- Horizontal-resisting systems (bracing systems, shear wall systems, pendular systems and moment-resisting frames).

3 STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

-Fundamentals of hand-methods of structural analysis of simple structures: statically determined structures, statically undetermined structures: equilibrium and compatibility , Cross method,

-Numerical methods of structural analysis: linear and non-linear analysis

4. BASICS OF STRUCTURAL RELIABILITY

-Reliability measures

-Fundamentals of probability theory

-Loads and strengths as random variable

-The fundamental reliability case

-calibration of partial safety factors within the semi-probabilistic method based on limit states

Readings/Bibliography

Classe notes related to some topics will be provided to the students.

Suggested books:

- E. Torroja, “La concezione strutturale”, UTET
- J. Heyman, 1998, “Structural analysis. A historical approach”, Cambridge University Press

-Trahair, N. S., Bradford, M. A., Nethercot, D., & Gardner, L. (2017). The behaviour and design of steel structures to EC3. CRC Press.

-Der Kiureghian, A. (2022). Structural and system reliability. Cambridge University Press.

-Melchers, R. E., & Beck, A. T. (2018). Structural reliability analysis and prediction. John wiley & sons.

Other reference books

- G. Ballio, F.M. Mazzolani, “Strutture in acciaio”, Hoepli (in Italian, english version available online).

-Pozzati P. e Ceccoli C., Teoria e Tecnica delle strutture, ed. UTET, Torino, vol. II (1977).

-Belluzzi O., Scienza delle costruzioni, ed. Zanichelli, Bologna, voll. II e III.

Teaching methods

In regular classes, problems concerning the modelling and the design principles of building structures are discussed. Structural solutions and details will be shown and discussed. Guidelines for different structural problems reported in national and international codes will be considered. Some classes will be devoted to solve simple structural systems using simplified analytical methods and FE software.

Assessment methods

Final mark will be given according to a series of written tests (typically homeworks, and a final term) and an oral examination. The oral examination is for the students that would like to improve the grade of the written part. During the oral will be verified the personal preparation of the student and his knowledge on the main theoretical aspects of the course.

They aim to establish the knowledge and skills achieved by the student as well as to evaluate his/her technical language with reference to the topics discussed. A positive exame requires demonstration of adequate reasoning capacities and problem solving in relation to the key-concepts discussed in the course. The student should know and understand all basic theoretical concepts illustrated in the lectures.

Teaching tools

Blackboard, power-point presentations uploaded on Virtuale web-site

Office hours

See the website of Michele Palermo