Structural Engineering Assignment on Application of Finite Element Computational Methods
Question
Task: Prepare a structural engineering assignment, highlighting the finite element computational methods of designing and their effective applications in civil engineering. Using at least four peer reviewed articles to back up your research.
Answer
Executive Summary
Structural engineering has grown to be the fundamental requirement for every engineers and it is critical for every civil engineer to understand ways in which Structural engineering assignment can be used to enhance their performance. With the advances in structural engineering, the use of software has become an important way of performing structural analysis. This makes it important for engineers to master the skill required to use the structural engineering applications which will deliver major benefits to the engineers as well as deliver highly accurate results. This will, in turn, deliver major benefits for all stakeholders who will benefit from the use of Finite Element Computational Methods to perform accurate structural analysis.
Introduction
Civil engineering has recorded huge changes during the past two decades and the profession has seen the adoption and use of computer technologies to perform engineering calculations and design analysis. Unlike the past when civil engineers performed analysis by manual calculations, today civil engineers will perform the analysis using powerful software on computers that analyze the civil engineering designs and deliver highly accurate results. As a result, the design of Civil Engineering Structures has become highly predictable with an accuracy rate of up to 95%. This has resulted in civil engineers being able to perform a highly accurate analysis of structural designs which have in turn increased the structural strength resulting in stronger and taller buildings (Sarhosis et al., 2016). There are various Finite Element Computational Methods and each civil engineering tool will have a combination of the elements which deliver a unique set of computation algorithm and capable of being used to perform specific calculations and analysis. It’s also common for engineers to use a combination of tools which allows them to prepare engineering designs after which the designs can be analyzed to determine their structural integrity and weaknesses. It is also common to find engineers needing to re-design and re-analyze civil engineering projects which help address weaknesses which need to be addressed and redesigned the drawings and designs to ensure engineering designs meet the each continues engineering safety standards (Rao, 2017).
Literature Review
Civil engineering involves the constructions of housing and commercial structures. It is the most important form of infrastructure as it delivers shelter from the elements for the public and businesses. This has resulted in various authors publishing well-researched literature related to civil engineering topics. Each focuses on delivering an accurate outline of the civil engineering topic thus allowing civil engineers determine precise calculation related to the structure which will ensure the engineers secures maximum information and inputs which can be used to design the best structures.
(Melchers & Beck, 2018) Focus on structural reliability analysis and prediction, which involves entering the design statistics on structural analysis software and including algorithms which allow the software to analyze the design to determine the structural strengths under various conditions and pressures. The most common Structural analysis software include Staad Pros and Etabs which use wireframe structure designs to determine precise pillar and beam positions and layouts based on which the final analysis is performed. Melchers & Beck focus their research on the accuracy rates delivered by structural analyses software and provide various examples of calculations the software can be used to perform. With the structural analysis software, Melchers & Beck outline the simplicity involved in performing structural analysis and more importantly the high level of accuracy that can be achieved by engineers while performing the structural analysis.
The structural design also plays a huge role in civil engineering and being able to have a software application which can be used to design and make changes to design is very important towards successful structural design and construction. (Nawari & Kuenstle, 2015) Focus on the structural designing tools on their book Building information modeling: Framework for structural design which was published in 2015. This literature allows users to determine the role and accuracy that can be achieved while using design software as well as they simplify involved in correcting errors that may be identified on the design. Civil engineering will in many situations involve the drawing of rough sketch based on which the civil engineers will prepare a layout design and specify where reinforced pillars and beams will be positioned. The design is then analyzed by the structural engineer while plots the design and using a different algorithm to analyze the model. The design will then weather be approved or will fail based on which the structural engineer will provide recommendations relating to the failure and where additional support will be required. This revision of designs may require to be done on multiple occasions thus ensuring the design meets the civil engineering safety standards before being approved for final drawing and construction. Traditionally the structural design drawings had to be redone manually from scratch which was labor intensive and greatly increased the risk of further design errors. With structural design applications like AutoCAD, engineers can quickly make modifications to the designs thus ensuring the design meets the analysis specifications.
Safety is a concern for all civil engineering projects making this a topic which (Strauss et al., 2019) have explored extensively on the case study literature review Safety analysis and reliability assessment of engineering structures–The success story of SARA. On this literature, the expert has highlighted important safety factors which are enhanced through the use of structural analysis and design tools. Safety remains as being the primary factor influencing structural engineering assignment thus it is essential for all safety guidelines to be followed in order the individuals and the public to remain safe while using the facilities. While disasters can never be prevented completely, structural analysis tools can be used to improve safety levels considerably. This makes it a priority for engineers to use modern digital technologies to perform their analysis as well as drawing the structures as there are various points which must be evaluated to ensure structural safety is enhanced. The literature explores how technology and computer software has enabled engineers to perform an in-depth analysis of structural designs using various disaster and pressure combinations. This allows them to secure accurate results of the designs ability to withstand environmental calamities and disaster. In addition to this, the software also allows the engineers to determine important factors associated with materials such as aggregate, sand and cement as well as the reinforming schedules required for the project. With all the results packed into single engineering software, engineers can save thousands of dollars which would otherwise be spend hiring civil engineering specialists to perform the analysis via manual calculation. The applications have also been identified to determine the precise amounts of materials required to maintain structural integrity while maintaining flexibility. This is due to the risk of making structures over ridged through the overuse of materials such as steel reinforcing. The application, therefore, delivers a 5% margin above the exact requirement thus ensuring the materials are not wasted and the structure retains an acceptable amount of flexibility.
Virtual Reality is a topic explored by (de Carvalho et al., 2017) where the authors explore how civil engineering software has allowed engineers to design structured and even given them the ability to walk inside the building and assess potential layouts even before the design has been approved. This is especially important while marketing engineering designs as it allows the engineers to deliver a virtual reality scene of the entire design and also allow the client to visit the structure or building allowing them to get a feel of the building before approving the design. De Carvalho et al explore how this has allowed engineers to determine important points linked to structural engineering assignment layouts which have helped them resolve the engineering complications associated with the designs before approval of designs. Modifications can be made as per the engineers and clients’ needs thus addressing both the engineering as well as the final user’s needs.
Research Question, Aim/Objectives, and Sub-goals
How has specialized engineering software helped improve design accuracy, speed, and reduced costs?
The main objective of this assignment will be to assess the impact of engineering software on structural design and development. Structural design has played an important role in determining structure layouts, materials as well as the strength and time required to construct. These statistics have also allowed engineers determine specific details linked to engineering logistics such as the precise amount of materials, as well as the cost of construction which has helped engineers develop designs faster as well as allow them to provide important information related to precise cost as well as safety of a structure even before its construction has started. This information helps empower both the civil engineers as well as property owners as they are well informed regarding the dangers, costs and expected returns associated with a structure before starting the constructions.
This is an important requirement for every engineer to have which makes it important for the engineers to consider adopting and using structural analysis and design software to perform their analysis in order to secure the required data based on which the engineers can prepare highly accurate design layouts which will address all consumer needs. The adoption and use of structural analysis software is therefore a major priority for all engineers and clients thus it’s important for each to focus their attention towards emphasizing on the use of the software which will help deliver design analysis results which can be used by the engineer to model their structures and deliver more accurate and financially viable reports.
Theoretical Content/Methodology
The research shall primarily be performed using bother qualitative as well as quantities research methods. Each of these data collection and research methods will help collect information from different sources which can then be used to perform the research and report the findings.
Quantitative Research
The bulk amount of materials for this project would be collected via quantities research were by data will be collected from online resources and surveys, this will help determine precise project requirements which would them be used to determine a wide perspective of topic related to civil engineering as well as deliver the finding of more researchers (Nayebpashaee et al., 2016). The finding from various engineers will be combined to help determine common trends in research which would then be used as the foundation to determine precise project requirements. With a large number of engineers collecting information and publishing their findings, the resources have grown to become an important resource for researchers who will be able to secure important statistics based on which further research can be performed. Qualitative research will help gather information from a wide perspective and group of engineers which will deliver considerable data based on specific research can be performed on the project to determine unique needs.
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research involves the collection of data and inputs from primary sources which will allow the researcher to collect real-time statistics and data related to a topic. This is an important requirement in research as it allows the business to collect information from directly from the ground and engineers which would help verify the previous finding and allow for further research to be performed. The qualitative research involved the collection of data and information using interviews, questionnaires and case studies each of which will deliver a unique type of information based on which the researcher can perform further analysis. To secure accurate results it’s important for the researcher to collect the majority of information by performing qualitative research based on which they can collect information through which they can perform qualitative research and reporting.
Experimental Set-up
Being a civil engineering project, it is essential for the research to perform analysis and data collection using live field subjects. The research shall be performed by visiting small, medium and large construction sites and information collected from the employees and managers regarding the effects structural engineering software has had on their profession. Due to the vast availability of construction projects across the country, localized projects will be prioritized as they are likely to deliver the same results as the national and international projects using the structural analysis software. The experimentation shall be performed on different projects types which will deliver a wider perspective of data which will allow for close analysis and counter verification of the information collected from quantitative research.
Results, Outcome, and Relevance
The project is aimed at determining the levels of accuracy delivered by structural engineering assignment softwares. This will help both engineers, as well as projected developers, gain important insights linked to their projects thus allowing for accurate calculation of materials and other materials using during research rejects. In addition to materials, the software also helps determine precise statistics with relation to the accuracy of structural integrity which can be used by engineers to design taller and stronger structures. The amount of time invested is another important topic which shall be discussed as the software help reduce project analysis and change needs considerably. Combined there are various points which deliver a huge benefit to civil engineers thus making it important for engineers to understand each application needs to determine precise project deliverables?
Project Planning and Gantt chart
The project is expected to be performed in stages where research shall be performed to determine the structural engineering needs based on which the project will be planned. This project will involve the collection of data from different sources and research is performed using quantitative research techniques which will help collect the basic information related to structural engineering assignment and techniques. This information will then be used to determine the most important tools each of which will then need to be analyzed to determine their role in the structural engineering as well as the amount of use in the civil engineering sector.
Conclusions
Civil engineering has been classified as being among the most important professions simply due to property owners relying on civil engineers to perform the desired analysis and determine projects viability and safety. In the past, this was all performed using manual analysis and calculations but modern technologies and software allow for in-depth research to be performed for any structure and help determine important statistics. structural engineering assignment is, therefore, an important requirement for all projects but it’s also important to understand the ways in which the structural analysis helps the engineer, as well as property owners, make accurate calculations and predictions. The structural analysis and design software specifications will be closely analyzed to determine their precise use and also help determine who is capable of using the applications to perform their research.
References
de Carvalho, G.L., Cavalcanti, A.C., de Souza, F.A. & da Silva, L.V., 2017. The Integration of Graphic Disciplines in Civil Engineering Courses through Computer Graphics. Journal of Mechanics Engineering and Automation, 7(1), pp.94-100.
Melchers, R.E. & Beck, A.T., 2018. Structural reliability analysis and prediction. John Wiley & Sons.
Nawari, N.O. & Kuenstle, M., 2015. Building information modeling: Framework for structural design. CRC Press.
Nayebpashaee, N. et al., 2016. Finite element simulation of residual stress and failure mechanism in plasma sprayed thermal barrier coatings using actual microstructure as the representative volume. Surface and Coatings Technology, 291, pp.103-14.
Rao, S.S., 2017. The finite element method in engineering. Butterworth-heinemann.
Sarhosis, V., Bagi, K., Lemos, J.V. & Milani, G.e., 2016. Computational modeling of masonry structures using the discrete element method. IGI Global.
Strauss, A. et al., 2019. Safety analysis and reliability assessment of engineering structures–The success story of SARA. ce/papers, 3(2), pp.38-47.
