Course detail

Statics of Building Constructions 2

FA-SC2-KEAcad. year: 2022/2023

The course extends the students' knowledge of the way of designing load-bearing structures of buildings. The course deals mainly with the spatial stiffness of buildings, both in terms of loading and force distribution and in terms of the design and calculation of appropriate bracing elements. An important part of the course is the choice of a suitable structural system for a specific building, its transparent sketching and optimum loading according to the EC methodology. The practical design and calculation of compressed and tensioned elements as well as the elaboration of selected structural details are also part of the course.

Language of instruction

English

Number of ECTS credits

2

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

Ing. Zdeněk Vejpustek, Ph.D.

Department

Department of Engineering (US)

Offered to foreign students

Of all faculties

Learning outcomes of the course unit

  • The student will understand what spatial stiffness of a building is, what constitutes it and what its specific characteristics are.
  • The student will be able to draw the elements that provide spatial stiffness of a building in clear sketches.
  • The student will be able to identify the crucial elements that provide spatial stiffness to existing buildings, what their function are and how they can be replaced.
  • The student will understand what loads are applied to buildings in the transverse (horizontal) direction and be able to quantify them based on EC standards.
  • The student will be able to correctly incorporate the effects of transverse (horizontal) forces into the building structure and describe their transfer from the roof to the foundation.
  • The student can find the crucial/decisive details of the building structure. The student can solve these details conceptually and understand how they affect structural design.
  • The student can calculate the load bearing capacity of simple elements (compressed and tensioned) from different materials based on the EC methodology.

Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Co-requisites

Not applicable.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The teaching consists of seminars that present the main theoretical information about building structures and the method of their structural analysis. The seminars focus on the understanding of the theoretical knowledge together with its application in the seminar work. The correctness of the application of this knowledge is regularly verified during discussions over the presentation of the students' work. Seminar work is assigned at the beginning of the semester and consulted on an ongoing basis. The theoretical knowledge used in the seminar work will be verified during the final defence of the seminar work. The focus of the course is teacher-led discussion of the theoretical and practical problems within the seminar paper, ensuring students' understanding of the issues.

Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes

Seminar work and its theoretical defence is evaluated. Seminar work consist 60 % of whole evaluation, theoretical defence 40 %. The deadlines for submission are determined by the teacher in the form of a written assignment at the beginning of the semester and are binding.

Course curriculum

  1. Construction of buildings. Design, static calculation, spatial stiffness and main load-bearing elements - importance, aims and methods.
  2. Graphical representation of the load-bearing structure of buildings and the method of representation of elements providing spatial stiffness of the building. Analysis of building structures within the framework of the Limit State theory.
  3. Types of loads and their extended description. Load combinations, coefficients and methods for advanced combinations for specific purposes.
  4. Method of calculating wind loads and how wind pressure and suction is distributed on structures.
  5. Method of transferring transverse (horizontal) forces in a structure. Analysis of the positions and loads applied to the bracing elements and walls in the structure as a whole.
  6. Bracing. Types, specifics and usage. Typical bracing elements according to the material used.
  7. Methods for calculating the load bearing capacity of bracing according to type and material used.
  8. The fixing of bracing elements and walls. Details for the execution of bracing.
  9. Specifics of compression members and theory for calculations. Methods of providing spatial stiffness for compressed elements.
  10. Compressed columns - practical procedure of static calculation for basic types of materials.
  11. Tensioned elements - practical procedure of static calculation for basic types of materials.
  12. Structural details, their role and methods how to incorporate them into the static calculation.
  13. Summary of basic knowledge. Discussion. Presentation of student static designs.

Work placements

Not applicable.

Aims

The aim of the course is to understand what spatial stiffness of buildings is, what elements provide it and how they can be dimensioned. This includes the student's ability to determine the loads according to the relevant EC standards, to correctly place them in the structure and to analyse the distribution of transverse forces in the structure (loading of individual bracing elements including post-processing of details). The aim is to learn how to conceptually correctly approach the analysis of the spatial stiffness of the building structure and how to clearly communicate the results of this analysis to other professions. The aim is also to stimulate creative and critical thinking in the context of discussions over the solutions of the seminar papers.

Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences

Student must attend 70 % of seminars. During the semester, student continuously completes at least 3 consultations of the seminar work. Replacement of compulsory attendance at semionars is solved individually by prior agreement with the lecturer.

Recommended optional programme components

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

SALVADORI, Mario. Why buildings stand up: The Strength of Architecture. London: W·W·Norton & Company New York, 1980. ISBN: 0-393-01401—0. (EN)
LEVY, Matthys; SALVADORI, Mario. Why Buildings Fall Down: How Structures Fail. New York: W·W·Norton & Company, 2002. ISBN: 978-0393311525. (EN)
MARSHAL, Duncan; WORTHING, Derek; HEATH, Roger; DANN, Nigel. Understanding Housing Defects. UK: Estates Gazette, 2013. ISBN: 9780080971124. (EN)
EN 1990 Eurocode: Basis of structural design (EN)
EN 1991-1-1 Eurocode 1: Actions on structures - Part 1-1: General actions - Densities, self-weight, imposed loads for buildings (EN)
EN 1991-1-3 Eurocode 1: Actions on structures - Part 1-3: General actions - Snow loads (EN)
EN 1991-1-4 Eurocode 1: Actions on structures - Part 1-4: General actions - Wind actions (EN)
EN 1992-1-1 Eurocode 2: Design of concrete structures -Part 1-1 : General rules and rules for buildings (EN)
EN 1993-1-1 Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures -Part 1-1: General rules and rules for buildings (EN)
EN 1995-1-1 Eurocode 5: Design of timber structures -Part 1-1: General -Common rules and rules for buildings (EN)

Recommended reading

Not applicable.

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme BX_A+U Bachelor's

    branch ARCH , 1. year of study, summer semester, elective

  • Programme NE_A+U Master's, 1. year of study, summer semester, compulsory-optional
  • Programme NX_A+U Master's, 1. year of study, summer semester, elective

Type of course unit

 

Exercise

26 hours, optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Ing. Zdeněk Vejpustek, Ph.D.