The University of Auckland

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Course name CIVIL416 Structural Mechanics 3

Points 2
Semester 1
Lecturers Barry Davidson, Room1.1107, ext. 88164, bj.davidson@auckland.ac.nz
(Wed 10.00-11.00 and 12.00-13.00)
John Butterworth, Room 1.1113, ext 88154, jw.butterworth@auckland.ac.nz
(Tue 8.00-9.00, Thur 8.00-9.00)
Practical Computer work requiring the use of a structural analysis program.
Small scale shake table testing.
Assessment 50% 3 hr exam.
15% 1hr test (approx. date May 5)
35% coursework (4 or 5 assignments)

Philosophy and Purpose To provide:

1. An understanding of the principles of the Direct Stiffness Method, the basis
of most structural and finite element analysis programs.
2. Experience in the use of a structural analysis program so that structural
models that implement the principles of (1) can be examined.
3. An introduction to the dynamic behaviour of structures, with the objective of
providing understanding and tools for predicting the response of structures to
the effects of vibrating machinery, traffic, wind and especially earthquakes.
4. The basics of earthquake engineering, including the effects of structure
properties such as regularity and symmetry on seismic response, and the
roles of ductility, damping and isolation in mitigating earthquake damage.
The background to the seismic design provisions in the NZ Loadings
Standard.

Syllabus 1. Discrete methods of analysis versus the classical continuum approach.

Review of the fundamental concepts of equilibrium, compatibility and
constitutive relationships.
2. Development of the direct stiffness method and its application to linear
analysis of skeletal structures such as trusses and frames. Techniques to deal
with the lack of fit, temperature effects, internal releases and prescribed
displacements. A brief overview of the development for floor slabs, walls
and frames will be included.
3. Dynamics of single degree of freedom systems: free vibration of undamped
and damped systems, resonance, response to arbitrary force or ground
motion, response spectra for seismic loading.
4. Dynamics of multi degree of freedom systems: free, undamped vibration of
multi-storey ‘shear’ buildings, natural modes and frequencies,
transformation to ‘normal’ coordinates, mode superposition and spectral
modal analysis, equivalent static force method and background to loading
code provisions, seismic isolation, response of continuous systems.

References Cook, R.D. “Concepts and Applications of Finite Element Analysis”,

John Wiley 1981. (Excellent for basic understanding of the Direct Stiffness
Method)
Chopra, A. K. “Dynamics of Structures”: Prentice Hall 1995
Wilson, E. L. “Three Dimensional Static and Dynamic Analysis of Structures: A
Physical Approach with emphasis on Earthquake Engineering”, CSI 1998.