TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 What is Structural Engineering PROJECT 1 Experiment with Structural Shapes CHAPTER 2 Structural Forces and Materials PROJECT 2 Experiment with 8 Material Strengths 14 CHAPTER 3 Bridges PROJECT 3 16 Build and Testa Cable Stayed Bridge CHAPTER 4 Foundations PROJECT Experiment with Soil Strengths and Foundations 24 CHAPTER 5 Horizontal Systems PROJECT 5 Make Your Own Reinforced Concrete CHAPTER 6 PROJECT 6 Vertical Systems 32 Experiment with Columns 34 CHAPTER 7 Lateral Systems PROJECT 7 36 Experiment with Lateral Loads is Glossary 46 Read More Makers Space Tips Internet Sites Index Author Bio
CHAPTER 1 WHAT IS STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING Have you ever traveled in a tunnel through a mountain or under city streets Have you ever gazed at a skyscraper swaying in the wind Have you peered over the edge of a bridge Then you've taken a look at structural engineering A structure is anything designed to resist or support a force or load Structural engineers usually design buildings and bridges They also work on projects such as airplane bodies and equipment supports Structural engineering is an ancient science Age old builders may not have had today's methods to calculate forces and test materials But they understood the concepts The results of their understanding are seen in ancient pyramids and arched bridges Many are still standing after thousands of years
Often parts of a structure are easy to see In a bridge each steel beam or concrete slab is part of the structure The structure of a building is often harder to see The beams columns and braces that support it can be hidden under flooring or behind walls But each piece has a purpose FACT All structures use the same structural engineering principles The Guggenheim Museum in Spain looks like a complex structure But its design principles are the same as those used in a simple cottage The Pont du Gard in France is 2 000 years old The Romans built the structure to deliver water Today it is used as a bridge resist a force that opposes or slows the motion of another force or object
