Semester

Course name: MCE 518 Structral Department: Mechanical

Stability Engineering 2

Credit
Methods of Education (ECTS)
Lecture Recitation/ Lab Project/ Homework Other Total
(Etud) Field
8
Study
42 42 40 42 20 186
Language English
Compulsory/Elective Elective
Prerequisites None

Introduction to potential energy methods for single degree-of-freedom elastic

systems, Instabilities in struts and columns, Multiple degree-of-freedom elastic
Course Contents systems, Instabilities in beams, Instabilities in rigid framed structures, Instabilities in
plates

The Structural Stability module aims to give students a rigorous grounding in the
behaviour of structural components and systems that suffer from failure due to
geometric, rather than material, nonlinearity; the principal features being that failure
Course Objectives primarily occurs in the elastic range and due to buckling. It is a course based on
fundamental mechanics that is designed to give the theoretical background to the more
practical design-based modules.

A rigorous grounding in the theory of structural stability and nonlinear structural

behaviour;
An appreciation of the potential failure modes that can occur due to geometric
nonlinearity;
The techniques to classify post-buckling phenomena;
The techniques to analyse geometrically perfect and imperfect systems for
structural stability;
Learning Outcomes and
An appreciation of the differences between linear and nonlinear buckling
Competences
analysis;
An understanding of how basic structural components and systems behave when
they are subject to instability;
The techniques to analyse basic structural components and systems that are
susceptible to instability;
An appreciation of the fundamental basis of design rules concerned with
structural instability.

1-J.M.T. Thompson and G.W. Hunt, Elastic instability phenomena, 1984 (Wiley)
Textbook and /or 2-J.M.T. Thompson and G.W. Hunt, A general theory of elastic stability, 1973 (Wiley)
References 3- H.G. Allen and P.S. Bulson, Background to buckling, 1980 (McGraw-Hill)
4- Z.P. Bazant and L. Cedolin, Stability of structures, 1991 (Dover)

If any, mark as (X) Percentage (%)

Midterm Exams X 40
Quizzes
Assessment Criteria
Homeworks
Projects
Term Paper
 Laboratory work
Other
Final Exam X 60
Week Topic
Introduction to potential energy methods for single degree-of-freedom
1
elastic systems
2 Axioms connecting potential energy to equilibrium and stability
3 Determination of bifurcation points and classification of stability of
equilibrium for post-buckling responses for geometrically perfect systems
4 Imperfect systems: determination of imperfection-sensitivity
Instabilities in struts and columns: direct equilibrium and energy
5 formulations; Euler load and the elastica; effective length concept
Approximate methods of analysis; Rayleigh and Timoshenko methods.
6
Design of real columns using the Perry-Robertson formulation.
Course Plan
7 Midterm exam
Multiple degree-of-freedom elastic systems; General Theory approach;
8
diagonalised systems; elimination of passive coordinates;
Non-trivial fundamental paths; an introduction to mode interaction
9
through a case study
10 Instabilities in beams: direct equilibrium and energy formulations
11 Critical moment for lateral-torsional buckling
12 general loading cases and effective lengths
13 Instabilities in rigid framed structures: stability functions
Instabilities in plates: critical and post-buckling in plated structures under
14
compression and shear
Instructors