SECTION 3

GENERAL STRUCTURAL THEORY

Ronald D. Ziemian, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, Bucknell University,
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Safety and serviceability constitute the two primary requirements in structural design. For a
structure to be safe, it must have adequate strength and ductility when resisting occasional
extreme loads. To ensure that a structure will perform satisfactorily at working loads, func-
tional or serviceability requirements also must be met. An accurate prediction of the behavior
of a structure subjected to these loads is indispensable in designing new structures and
evaluating existing ones.
The behavior of a structure is defined by the displacements and forces produced within
the structure as a result of external influences. In general, structural theory consists of the
essential concepts and methods for determining these effects. The process of determining
them is known as structural analysis. If the assumptions inherent in the applied structural
theory are in close agreement with actual conditions, such an analysis can often produce
results that are in reasonable agreement with performance in service.

3.1 FUNDAMENTALS OF STRUCTURAL THEORY

Structural theory is based primarily on the following set of laws and properties. These prin-
ciples often provide sufficient relations for analysis of structures.
Laws of mechanics. These consist of the rules for static equilibrium and dynamic be-
havior.
Properties of materials. The material used in a structure has a significant influence on
its behavior. Strength and stiffness are two important material properties. These properties
are obtained from experimental tests and may be used in the analysis either directly or in
an idealized form.
Laws of deformation. These require that structure geometry and any incurred deforma-
tion be compatible; i.e., the deformations of structural components are in agreement such
that all components fit together to define the deformed state of the entire structure.

STRUCTURAL MECHANICSSTATICS

An understanding of basic mechanics is essential for comprehending structural theory. Me-

chanics is a part of physics that deals with the state of rest and the motion of bodies under

3.1