Understanding structural behaviour

Abstract

The objective of this project was to develop among civil engineering undergraduates, a ’feel' or awareness of how structures behave. Often a student is able to use quantitative techniques to analyse a structure, but he/she lacks a qualitative understanding of structural behaviour. The need to develop qualitative skills gains further importance with the increasing usage of computers in the design and analysis of structures where a student must be capable of recognising whether the computer results are sensible.