Approximate analysis and design.

Structural engineering often involves mathematical analysis in an attempt to predict structural

behaviour. There are many tools at our disposal ranging from simple rules of thumb to highly
complex mathematical analyses. In a work based situation an engineer developing a full design
will have the time to use the most appropriate tools but when >working up= schemes (or sitting
the part 3 examination) this luxury does not exist. In this situation an engineer needs to quickly
gain a fairly accurate idea of the principal member sizes but does not need to design every
element in its entirety. You should bear in mind that approximate does not mean inaccurate one of the primary skills of a chartered structural engineer is to be able to judge whether any
particular analysis is appropriate for the problem in hand and to be aware of its limitations.
Therefore your preparation for the examination should include honing your skills of
approximate analysis.
Rules of thumb
There are many rules of thumb which have been developed over the years, some of which are
included in standard engineering textbooks. You may think it worthwhile to photocopy
appropriate pages from these books to develop your own file of useful information. Make sure
you are completely familiar with any information that you take into the examination. You
certainly will not have time to interpret information during the exam and this is an area where
preparation could pay significant dividends.
Simple (statically determinate) analysis
You should be completely familiar with basic analytical techniques used for statically
determinate structures. It is surprising how quickly a fairly complex design can be developed
using a few simple formulae.
Complex (statically indeterminate) analysis
Complex analysis provides the greatest challenge, as the techniques are often highly theoretical
and time-consuming. However statically indeterminate elements are common in structures and
if they are required in your design you will need to be able to tackle the analysis (obviously it
would be desirable to avoid complex analysis if at all possible). In practice much of this work is
now done by computer but it is nevertheless important that an engineer has a feel for the
solution and approximate analysis (or full analysis of a simplified structure) can provide useful
checks.
There are many tables giving moments and deflections for indeterminate structures including
continuous beams and frames. Also sub frames are widely used to simplify the analysis of
complex frames.
It is also possible to get fairly accurate moments for some frames by making a few simple
assumptions (see notes that follow).