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Assignment Briefs 01-20-2025

You are working for a Structural Engineering Design company as a trainee structural engineer. Your line manager ( the senior structural engineer) wants to assist your learning and has set you a number of tasks to complete

Higher National Certificate

Construction and the Built Environment

Unit 19 Principles of Structural Design

Student Name /ID Number

 

Unit Number and Title

Unit 19 Principles of Structural Design

Academic Year

From 1st September 2023 onwards

Unit Assessor

   Various

Assignment Title

Structural Design

Issue Date

1st September 2023

Submission Date

 

Assignment Writer

 

IV Name

 

Submission Format:

Illustrated Report

Software: Word

Font: Aerial size 12

Line spacing: .0

Assignment brief and student declaration to be submitted in the front of the report.

Word count: minimum 3000 maximum 5000 words

Unit Learning Outcomes:

LO1 Calculate bending moments and shear forces for simply supported steel and concrete beams.

LO2 Determine deflection for different types of beams and loading conditions

LO3 Calculate the axial load carrying capacity of steel and reinforced concrete columns

LO4 Explore design methods for steel, reinforced concrete beams and columns.

Assignment Brief and Guidance:

You are working for a Structural Engineering Design company as a trainee structural engineer. Your line manager ( the senior structural engineer) wants to assist your learning and has set you a number of tasks to complete. You will need to apply your knowledge and understanding of the principles of structural design to complete the tasks.

Task 1

Determine the following by calculations and diagrams: bending moments and shear force in simply supported steel beams with point loads and uniformly distributed loads.

Part a)

Calculate the support reactions of beam Figure 1 and draw the shear force and bending moment diagrams identifying the value for the maximum positive and negative values of bending moment. (Tutor to assign individual loading values see Table below for examples*) 

Figure 1

 

 A kN/m

B kN

C kN

1

20

25

20

2

25

30

25

3

30

35

30

4

35

40

35

5

20

30

25

6

25

35

30

Part b)

Calculate the support reactions of beam Figure 2 and draw the shear force and bending moment diagrams identifying the value for the maximum positive and negative values of bending moment. (Tutor to assign individual loading values see Table below for examples*)

Figure 2 

 

 A      kN/m

B  kN

C  kN

1

30

40

35

2

35

25

20

3

20

35

30

4

25

40

35

5

50

25

60

6

40

35

55

Task 2

a) Discuss the statutory requirements for structural design safety.

b) For the situation below (Figure 3) determine all possible valid load combinations and valid partial factors of safety for live loads, dead loads and imposed loads; based on current codes of practice and regulations (Eurocodes).

Figure 3

c) Evaluate how maximum bending moments determine steel beam selection, using current codes of practice and approved documents in terms of economics and safety.

Task 3

a) For the mild steel beam 533 x 165 UB 66 shown below in Figure 4 calculate the maximum deflection and determine if this satisfies serviceability limit state. The loads are all unfactored imposed loads.

 

Figure 4

b)    Using Macaulay’s Theorem determine the maximum deflection of the beam shown in Figure 5. 

 

Figure 5

c) Explain how the deflection of beams can affect structural stability.

d) Investigate the different types of support for beams, analyse how they affect the deflection of a beam and how the deflection affects structural stability in designs.

Task 4

a) Describe the concepts of slenderness ratio and effective length and explain how this affects the load carrying capacity of columns.

b) Investigate the materials used in structural design of beams and columns in fixed structures and analyse their load carrying capacity, size, weight and corrosion resistance properties.

Task 5

The lead structural engineer has asked you to determine the maximum axial load that can be carried for the scenarios below:

Scenario 1

Use a 203x203 UC86 with pinned ends a grade S355.

Scenario 2

250x250 square concrete column.

Grade of concrete C35/45.

Reinforcement 4H25 bars.

Task 6

For the scenario below assess the most effective support method, in terms of ease and speed of construction, economics, safety and environmental factors.  Consider different materials and different joint systems.

A four storey office block has a grid spacing of 5.6 m x 4.4 m.  The floors are 180 mm deep reinforced concrete (rc) with a sand cement screed of 80 mm spanning the shorter distance. 140 mm fair face concrete block walls are built on the 4.4 m spanning beams. Floor to floor height is 3.6 m.

Task 7

Develop a design solution in either steel or concrete, including beam designs and column designs, for the scenario below:

A four-storey office block with a grid spacing of 5.6 m (5 bays) x 4.4 m (4 bays).

The floors are 180 mm deep reinforced concrete (rc) with a sand cement screed of 80 mm.

External Envelope

100 mm facing brick external leaf.

100 mm cavity filled with mineral wool.

140 mm fair face concrete block walls internal leaf.

Floor to floor height is 4.0 m.

Part A

Design reinforced concrete beams to span in each of the grid directions spanning both 5.6 m and 4.4 m. Ensure the beam will satisfy ultimate and serviceability limit state.

Assume the columns are fully restrained.

Part B

Design structural steel beams to span in each of the grid directions spanning both 5.6 m and 4.4 m. Ensure the beam will satisfy ultimate and serviceability limit state.

Assume the steel columns are partially restrained.

Task 8

For the structural designs for the reinforced concrete beams and the structural steel beams as produced in Task 7 provide appropriate drawings and specifications in support of a structural design solution.

Provide details of concrete strength, size of beam and detail the reinforcement required.

Task 9

Evaluate the use of an alternative material in achieving a design solution, discussing the benefits or challenges associated. This report will also appraise the use of composite construction.

Finally, with reference to the beam and column analysis in this assignment assess the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the production of accurate structural design information and the collaborative environment of structural design.

Your report should be suitably titled, contain a contents page, use citations from      researched construction related sources and include around 10 references.

Instructions and guidance to candidates

Note: All information sources and resources, including websites used to complete this assignment must be stated and correctly referenced in the document and/or presentation. No credit will be given for wholesale copying from information sources and checks for plagiarism may be made on your submitted work.

*Please access HN Global for additional resources support and reading for this unit. For further guidance and support on report writing please refer to the Study Skills Unit on HN

Global www.highernationals.com

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Pass

Merit

Distinction

LO1 Calculate bending moments and shear forces for simply supported steel and concrete beams

D1 Evaluate how maximum bending moments determine steel beam selection, using current codes of practice and approved documents in terms of economics and safety.

D2 Assess the most effective support method for a given scenario, in terms of ease and speed of construction, economics, safety and environmental factors.

 

P1 Determine the following by calculations and diagrams: bending moments and shear force in simply supported steel beams with point loads and uniformly distributed loads.

P2 Discuss the statutory requirements to ensure safety in structural designs.

M1 Produce valid factors of safety for live loads, dead loads and imposed loads, using current codes of practice and building regulations.

LO2 Determine deflection for different types of beams and loading conditions

P3 Calculate the deflection for different types of beam under different loading conditions.

P4 Explain how deflection in beams affects structural stability.

M2 Analyse different support methods and their effect on deflection in fixed structures.

LO3 Calculate the axial load carrying capacity of steel and reinforced concrete columns

 

P5 Describe the concepts of slenderness ratio and effective length.

P6 Determine the axial load carrying capacity of steel columns and reinforced concrete columns.

M3 Analyse the load carrying capacity, size, weight and corrosion resistance properties of different materials used for beams and columns in fixed structures.

 

LO4 Explore design methods for steel, reinforced concrete beams and columns

P7 Develop a design solution, including beam design and column design, for a given scenario.

P8 Produce drawings and specifications in support of a structural design solution.

M4 Evaluate the use of an alternative material in achieving a design solution, discussing the benefits or challenges associated with it.

D3 Assess the use of Building Information Modelling in the production of accurate structural design information and the collaborative environment of structural design.

All About Unit 19 Principles of Structural Design Assignment

Structural design is often seen as a blend of science and art, a field where principles dictate possibilities and creativity defines purpose. For this unique approach to the Unit 19 assignment, imagine a world where traditional boundaries of architecture and engineering have dissolved. The task revolves around inventing structures that challenge conventional wisdom, uniting nature, technology, and human ingenuity in unexpected ways.

Rather than focusing solely on materials or forces, this assignment is an exploration of design philosophy. Students are asked to think beyond the visible, to conceptualise structures that evoke emotional responses, solve societal challenges, and adapt to an unpredictable future.

The Core Idea: Structures That Tell Stories

Each structure has a narrative, a purpose greater than its physical presence. For this assignment, the goal is to design a structure with an embedded story:

  • A bridge that symbolises connection between communities torn apart by conflict, built using materials reclaimed from the remnants of war.
  • A building that breathes—utilising living walls, dynamic ventilation systems, and a design that mimics the respiratory functions of organisms.
  • A tower that listens, with integrated acoustic panels and sensor systems that capture and analyse environmental sounds, turning noise into energy or data for urban planning.

Breaking Norms

The assignment encourages exploring materials like biodegradable composites, interactive surfaces, or metamaterials that bend light or sound. It asks students to reimagine what a “structure” means: is it static or does it change? Can it grow like a tree? Can it heal like skin?

By stripping away the conventional structure of an assignment, this approach allows for unrestricted creativity and invites designs that provoke thought, inspire awe, and solve real-world problems with an artistic yet scientific approach.

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