Computer Analysis of Structural Frameworks - Softcover

Balfour, James A. D.

9780893972523: Computer Analysis of Structural Frameworks

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0893972525 ISBN 13: 9780893972523

Publisher: Nichols Pub Co, 1986

Structural analysis is conducted during the preliminary design of civil structures, such as bridges airplanes, to ensure their feasibility. Once the outline design is complete, the structure is analyzed in detail to assess its strength and stiffness. This procedure, structural analysis, is therefore inextricably bound up with structural design. It is one of the tools that the designer uses to ensure economy and safety of the final structure. Of the many different ways in which computer technology has affected the engineering profession, it is in the field of structural analysis that the impact has been most profound. The computer's ability to handle vast amounts of arithmetic with speed and accuracy has made computationally intensive methods viable. This book offers an overview of this critical field. The authors use short computer programs to perform each of the standard procedures used in commercial structural analysis programs. The programs are written in BASIC and are designed to run on any computer from a desktop microcomputer to a mainframe machine. Each program is clear and complete in itself. Also presented are a number of structural analysis programs for a number of different framework types. This second edition illustrates the simplicity and flexibility of the stiffness method by considering problems in the field of structural dynamics. The text is designed for students and professionals in civil, mechanical, structural, and aeronautical engineering.

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From the Back Cover:

This book gives structural engineers and students the background knowledge necessary to make safe and efficient use of commercial frame analysis programs by enabling them to: Prepare input data knowing broadly how it will be used by the computer Interpret the computer output Select the most suitable computer program for the job in hand Know when and why a structure is beyond the capabilities of a particular program Devise cross checks when problems arise The book aids understanding by providing a series of short computer programs, written in basic and designed to run on any computer from a desktop micro to a mainframe, to perform each of the standard procedures used in commercial structural analysis programs. The new edition features programs upgraded to tackle larger problems and includes a new chapter on structural dynamics. The two utility programs and six analysis programs make up an integrated structural analysis suite are available on disk from the author.

About the Author:

James A. D. Balfour BSc, PhD, CEng, MICE worked as a bridge engineer with the Scottish Development Department before joining the Department of Civil Engineering at Heriot–Watt University, Edinburgh. He spent some years on secondment at the University of Malawi, where he was head of the Department of Civil Engineering.

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