Structures cannot be created without engineering theory, and design rules have existed from the earliest times for building Greek temples, Roman aqueducts and Gothic cathedrals -- and later, for steel skyscrapers and the frames for aircraft. This book is, however, not concerned with the description of historical feats, but with the way the structural engineer sets about his business. Galileo, in the seventeenth century, was the first to introduce recognizably modem science into the calculation of structures; he determined the breaking strength of beams. In the eighteenth century engineers moved away from this 'ultimate load' approach, and early in the nineteenth century a formal philosophy of design had been established -- a structure should remain elastic, with a safety factor on stress built into the analysis. This philosophy held sway for over a century, until the first tests on real structures showed that the stresses confidently calculated by designers could not actually be measured in practice. Structural engineering has taken a completely different path since the middle of the twentieth century; plastic analysis reverts to Galileo's objective of the calculation of ultimate strength, and powerful new theorems now underpin the activities of the structural engineer.

This book deals with a technical subject, but the presentation is completely non-mathematical. It makes available to the engineer, the architect and the general reader the principles of structural design.

This text introduces the basic equations of the theory of structures. Conventional presentations of these equations follow the ideas of elastic analysis, introduced nearly two hundred years ago. The present book is written against the background of advances made in structural theory during the last fifty years, notably by the introduction of so-called plastic theory. Tests on real structures in the twentieth century revealed that structural states predicted by elastic analysis cannot in fact be observed in practice, whereas plastic ideas can be used to give accurate estimates of strength. Strength is discussed in the first part of this book without reference to equations of elastic deformation. However, the designer is concerned also with stiffness, for which elastic analysis is needed, and the standard equations (suitable, for example, for computer programming) are presented. Finally, stability is analyzed, which again is essentially an elastic phenomenon, and it is shown that a higher factor of safety is required to guard against buckling than that required to guarantee straightforward strength. The emphasis throughout is on the derivation and application of the structural equations, rather than on details of their solution (nowadays best done by computer), and the numerical examples are deliberately kept simple."

This volume provides a concise, historical review of the methods of structural analysis and design - from Galileo in the seventeenth century, to the present day. Through it, students in structural engineering and professional engineers will gain a deeper understanding of the theory behind the modern software packages they use daily in structural design. This book also offers the reader a lucid examination of the process of structural analysis and how it relates to modern design. The first three chapters cover questions about the strength of materials, and how to calculate local effects. An account is then given of the development of the equations of elastic flexure and buckling, followed by a separate chapter on masonry arches. Three chapters on the overall behaviour of elastic structures lead to a discussion of plastic behaviour, and a final chapter indicates that there are still problems needing solution.

A good grasp of the theory of structures - the theoretical basis by which the strength, stiffness and stability of a building can be understood - is fundamental to structural engineers and architects. Yet most modern structural analysis and design is carried out by computer, with the user isolated from the processes in action. This book provides a broad introduction to the mathematics behind a range of structural processes. The basic structural equations have been known for at least 150 years, but modern plastic theory has opened up a fundamentally new way of advancing structural theory. Paradoxically, the powerful plastic theorems can be used to examine 'classic' elastic design activity, and strong mathematical relationships exist between these two approaches. Some of the techniques used in this book may be familiar to the reader, and some may not, but each of the topics examined will give the structural engineer valuable insight into the basis of the subject. This lucid volume provides a valuable read for structural engineers and others who wish to deepen their knowledge of the structural analysis and design of buildings.

This volume provides a concise, historical review of the methods of structural analysis and design--from Galileo in the seventeenth century, to the present day. Through it, students in structural engineering and professional engineers will gain a deeper understanding of the theory behind the modern software packages they use daily in structural design. This book also offers the reader a lucid examination of the process of structural analysis and how it relates to modern design. The first three chapters cover questions about the strength of materials, and how to calculate local effects. An account is then given of the development of the equations of elastic flexure and buckling, followed by a separate chapter on masonry arches. Three chapters on the overall behavior of elastic structures lead to a discussion of plastic behavior, and a final chapter indicates that there are still problems needing solution.

This text introduces the basic equations of the theory of structures. Conventional presentations of these equations follow the ideas of elastic analysis, introduced nearly two hundred years ago. The book is written against the background of advances made in structural theory during the last fifty years, notably by the introduction of so-called plastic theory. The emphasis throughout is on the derivation and application of the structural equations, rather than on details of their solution (nowadays best done by computer), and the numerical examples are deliberately kept simple.

A good grasp of the theory of structures--the basis by which the strength, stiffness and stability of a building can be understood--is fundamental to structural engineers and architects. Yet most modern structural analysis and design is carried out by computer, with the user isolated from the processes in action. This book provides a broad introduction to the mathematics behind a range of structural processes--to help today's structural engineers and practicing architects gain a better intuitive understanding of the subject. The basic structural equations have been known for at least 150 years, but modern plastic theory has opened up a fundamentally new way of advancing structural theory. Paradoxically, the powerful plastic theorems can be used to examine "classic" elastic design activity, and strong mathematical relationships exist between these two approaches. This lucid volume is valuable for anyone who wishes a deeper knowledge of the structural analysis and design of buildings.