CIVE 443/843: Advanced Structural Analysis

Fall Semester 2019

University of Nebraska-Lincoln
MW 1:30 PM – 2:45 PM
Nebraska Hall (NH) W131

Prerequisites: CIVE 341 (Introduction to Structural Engineering) or similar.

Learning This course will enable students:

Targets: 1. To develop skills to idealize, formulate, and analyze determinate and
indeterminate structures (beams, trusses, and frames) using classical and matrix
structural analysis methods.
2. To present modern methods to determine the force distribution and deformed
shapes of structures.
3. To develop skills in interpreting and predicting solutions from structural
analysis.
4. To introduce computer-based applications for the analytical methods as
presented.

Student This course will enable students and prospective graduates to minimally achieve the
Outcomes: following ABET student outcomes (defined Engineering Programs, 2019-2020):
1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by
applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
3. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and
interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
4. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate
learning strategies.

Recommended Kassimali, Aslam. (2012). Matrix Structural Analysis. 2nd Edition, Cengage
Textbook: Learning, Stamford, CT. 640p. ISBN-13: 978-1111426200. (Recommended)

Note that the textbook is NOT required. This textbook is helpful for additional
examples and explanations. All formal assessments are closed-book and closed-
notes.

Alternative The materials required for this course are included in a Cengage Unlimited
Textbook subscription, which can also be used across all courses where Cengage products are
Access: assigned at no additional cost. Students can subscribe to Cengage Unlimited at the
bookstore, or online at Cengage Unlimited. For details, please access:
https://www.cengage.com/unlimited

Instructor: Richard L. Wood (rwood@unl.edu); 362K Whittier, office: (402) 472-1916

Teaching Ms. Yijun Liao (yijun.liao419@huskers.unl.edu); 362C Whittier

Assistant:

CIVE 443/843 Syllabus Fall 2019 - R.L. Wood 1

Office Hours: Tuesday 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM (teaching assistant, Whittier 362S)
Wednesday 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM (instructor, Whittier 362K)
Thursday 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM (teaching assistant, NH w151 - subject to change)
other times are available by appointment, inquire via email

Email Policy: In each email, use “CIVE 443/843” as part of the subject line. This will ensure that
your email is filtered appropriately and responded in a timely manner. Emails may
be sent to either the instructor or teaching assistant.

Course Canvas at UNL (http://canvas.unl.edu) will be used to distribute course material

Documents: (notes, assignments, reference documents, etc.). It is essential for students to have
access to download the appropriate material and verify your e-mail address on the
site.

Grading 1. Homework (approx. one per week, drop of lowest assignment) 25%
Breakdown: 2. Midterm #1 (announced minimally 1 week ahead) 20%
3. Midterm #2 (announced minimally 1 week ahead) 20%
4. Final Exam 30%
5. Attendance, Conduct, Participation, and Quizzes 5%

At the conclusion of the semester, the final grades may be curved if the class
average is less than 70% and/or the highest grade is less than 100%. Throughout
the semester, the mean and the standard deviation will be provided to estimate
performance on each assignment. Any student is encouraged to inquire directly
with the instructor at any time if they have a question on their performance.

Alternative To account for improved performance throughout the duration of the course, final
Grading grades will be weighted alternatively for the benefit of the student. Note this
Scheme: grading scheme is not displayed in the Canvas grade book. Note the maximum of
all grading schemes will be taken for the benefit of the student for the final grade.

Option 1: (reduced midterm #1)

1. Homework (approx. one per week, drop of lowest assignment) 25%
2. Midterm #1 (announced minimally 1 week ahead) 10%
3. Midterm #2 (announced minimally 1 week ahead) 30%
4. Final Exam 30%
5. Attendance, Conduct, Participation, and Quizzes 5%

Option 2: (increased weight on the final exam)

1. Homework (approx. one per week, drop of lowest assignment) 25%
2. Midterm #1 (announced minimally 1 week ahead) 10%
3. Midterm #2 (announced minimally 1 week ahead) 10%
4. Final Exam 50%
5. Attendance, Conduct, Participation, and Quizzes 5%

CIVE 443/843 Syllabus Fall 2019 - R.L. Wood 2

Grading Scale: In this course, the following grade scale will be adopted.

Upper Bound (%) Lower Bound (%) Letter Grade Conversion

100.00 98.50 A+
98.49 93.00 A
92.99 90.00 A-
89.99 87.00 B+
86.99 83.00 B
82.99 80.00 B-
79.99 77.00 C+
76.99 73.00 C
72.99 70.00 C-
69.99 67.00 D+
66.99 63.00 D
62.99 60.00 D-
59.99 below F

Non-Letter For pass/no pass enrollments, “pass” is defined as a grade equal to or greater than a
Grade Policies: C. A score of C- or lower equates to a “no pass.” Additionally for pass/no pass
enrollments, homework submissions are encouraged, but not explicitly required.

For audit enrollments, students with excessive absences will not be credited an
“audit” grade on their transcripts. Excessive unexcused absence count is defined as
equal to or greater than five classes.

Notes: 1. All assignments are due at the start of class on the due date assigned, unless
otherwise noted. Late work will only be accepted within two days of the due
date, in the absence of prior approval for extraneous circumstances. Late work
will be deducted 25% per calendar day. Note assignments not turned at the start
of class or at the announced submission time will be indicated as late and will
be deducted 25%.
2. Turnitin will be the anti-plagiarism software used within the Canvas platform.
Submitting a Turnitin-enabled assignment is almost identical to submitting a
regular Canvas assignment. When a paper is submitted through Turnitin, it is
compared against three vast databases. An "Originality Report” is generated
which will show which elements of a student's paper matches content from
Turnitin's databases. The three primary sources are 1) current and archived
web, 2) student papers, and 3) content partnerships.
3. As indicated on the schedule, there will be two midterm exams and one final
exam. The subject matter for each exam will be announced in class at least one
week before.
4. If a student misses an exam, the instructor must be notified as soon as possible.
For compelling (and documented) reasons, the instructor reserves the right to
provide a make-up exam, change the weight of other exams, or assign a term

CIVE 443/843 Syllabus Fall 2019 - R.L. Wood 3

 project in determining the course grade.
5. All exams will be closed-book and closed-notes. One single-sided 8.5 x 11
inches sheet of notes or an “equation sheet” are permitted for each exam.
Equation sheets from previous exams (unedited) will be permitted in
subsequent exams. No examples or complete sentences are permitted. If you
are typing your equation sheet, be mindful of the variables, subscripts, etc. The
equation sheet must be of your own effort (no sharing). No electronic devices
of any kind, other than a calculator, will be permitted for an exam or quiz. Bags
must be placed on the floor adjacent to your chair and not on the table.
6. Disputes regarding grades must be performed within two days of returning
the exams. For exam or grades disputes, a written document must be turned
into the instructor by the deadline.
7. Any unclaimed exams will be discarded two weeks after they have been
returned to the class.
8. The instructor may choose to use unannounced quizzes at the start or end of
class. These quizzes are implemented such that students stay current with the
class material. Quizzes are typically closed book and notes.
9. Attendance, participation, class attention, and quizzes will be assessed/taken
throughout the duration of the course. Unexcused absences and late arrivals
will result in reduced points allocated for “Attendance, Conduct, Participation,
Quizzes”.
10. Select assignments may require the use of MATLAB. MATLAB is provided to
the UNL community free of charge for on-campus or VPN use. For details on
procuring a license, visit: http://procurement.unl.edu/matlab-licenses.
Assignments done in MATLAB must adhere to the same format as described
below and all developed files should have appropriate comments (% syntax).
11. Select assignments will also require the use of structural analysis software. A
trial version limited to academic usage will be provided to the students to install
on their personal computers.
12. Active learning strategies will be used in class that allow students to
participate in class polls, quizzes, and discussions. This will be done as a
classroom experiment and will invoke the use of Mentimeter
(http://www.mentimeter.com). Mentimeter is utilized due to its flexibility and
ease in use as well as its no cost to students. Use of this software requires an
internet or data-capable device (phone, tablet, computer, etc.). If you do not
have one available, please inquire with the instructor within the first week.
13. Class evaluations will be performed online at both Lincoln and Omaha
campuses. To encourage the submission of the evaluations for continuous class
improvement, an extra credit score of 0.5% will be applied to the final grade for
completion of the class evaluation. Details on the documentation for online
submission will be provided towards the end of the semester.

Peer This course will utilize peer instruction to create an active learning classroom
Instruction: environment. Specific to this year, the effectiveness of peer instruction in civil
engineering courses will be formally assessed. This includes both videotaping of
several lessons and an end-of-the-semester assessment to evaluate your opinions of

CIVE 443/843 Syllabus Fall 2019 - R.L. Wood 4

 the value of peer instruction. There is no risk to you in either of these activities, but
your participation is voluntary. Additional details are provided in a separate
handout and you are encouraged to directly contact the instructor if you have any
concerns.

Homework/ Homework preparation and submission guidelines are established to create professional-
Assignment quality detail. Points will be deducted if the format is not followed.
Format: 1. Each assignment is to be solved neatly on engineering graph paper or plain white
computer paper. (Note legal pad or other lined paper is not accepted).
2. Start each problem on a new blank page.
3. Each problem must have the following seven parts: (1) problem statement, (2)
problem sketch, (4) diagrams, (5) solution steps, (6) equations used (with variables
and then substituted values), and (7) final answer.
4. The final answer must be boxed and include appropriate units and sign conventions.
5. Use of a straight edge is compulsory for sketches, figures, and tables.
6. All your work must be shown. The solution steps are just as important as the final
answer and any solution which does not contain the previous steps will receive a
deduction in points.
7. If a paper submission is required, multiple pages should be stapled or bound.
8. Electronic homework submission guidelines are listed below. Note no paper copies
will be accepted, unless otherwise explicitly stated.

Electronic All homework assignments will be submitted electronically through the Canvas
Homework platform. Only electronic submission of the assignments will be accepted, unless
Submission: otherwise disclosed on the assignment. Your file upload must be a single or
collated pdf file. Note multiple files will not be considered for credit.

Note your scan should be professionally presentable, in color, and all your work
must be shown as outlined. Verify and double-check your pdf file before
submission. It is your responsibility to guarantee the quality and contents of the
pdf. Note no paper copies will be collected nor accepted.

Points will be deducted if your homework does not follow this criterion in format
and submission. Scanners are free for students to use at the university library
system as well as at any PrintIT (Wepa) Kiosk (for more information on these
services, please refer to: http://libraries.unl.edu/photocopy and
https://its.unl.edu/services/wepa). If you have questions, please do not hesitate to
contact the instructor.

Paperless No handouts other than any documents handed out on the first day will be provided
Class to the students. This includes lecture notes, examples, and homework problem
Format: statements. Students are permitted to use digital devices for notetaking (i.e.
tablets), but this is not required. It is the students’ responsibility to ensure adequate
material is available for class time.

Exceptions to this policy are exams and quizzes (conducted via paper format).

CIVE 443/843 Syllabus Fall 2019 - R.L. Wood 5

Class Daily class announcements will be projected at the start of the course. This is to
Announcements: update students on the class time schedule, provide reminders for assessments, and
clarifications. Daily announcements, as shown at the start of class, will not be
routinely posted to the Canvas site.

For short notice announcements, emails will be sent to the students through the
digital platform. It is the students’ responsibility to ensure that their email address
is valid and checked in a timely manner.

Academic You are encouraged to work together on your assignments, but copying will not be
Dishonesty: tolerated. For all computer-generated work, be sure you work on separate computer
terminals and do not submit identical assignments. Scores will be minimally
reduced for all suspected parties. Any student who commits this or other acts of
misconduct may be subject to further disciplinary action by the University. This is
in alignment with the Academic Honesty Policy (see Student Code of Conduct,
Section B. Conduct – Rules and Regulations, 1. Acts of Academic Dishonesty). The
regulations in the "Code of Conduct" concerning academic honesty will be strictly
enforced in this class.

Student Code Students are expected to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct. A link is
of Conduct: available here: https://studentconduct.unl.edu/student-code-conduct. If you have
any questions or concerns – inquire with the instructor before submission.

Acts of Students violating the Code of Conduct will be imposed a sanction, depending on
Academic the severity of the offense. Example sanctions may include:
Dishonesty:
1) Reduced grade on an assignment, paper, quiz, or exam
2) Zero on assignment, paper, quiz, or exam
3) Grade of F on a transcript for the course
4) Other

If a sanction is imposed, an electronic “Academic Integrity Report Form” must be

submitted to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards and the
Department Chair(s). Note this required by the UNL Office of the Executive Vice-
Chancellor. A link to this form is available here:
https://studentconduct.unl.edu/forms/Academic%20Integrity%20Report%20Form_Fillable.pdf

Accommodations Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact me (the instructor or teaching
for Students with assistant) for a confidential discussion of their individual needs for academic
Disabilities accommodation. It is the policy of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to provide
Policy: individualized accommodations to students with documented disabilities that may
affect their ability to fully participate in course activities or to meet course
requirements. To receive accommodation services, students must be registered
with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office, 232 Canfield
Administration, (402) 472-3787 voice or TTY.

CIVE 443/843 Syllabus Fall 2019 - R.L. Wood 6

Tentative 1. Introduction, Definitions, and Concepts
Schedule: 2. Review of Classical Methods
3. Linear Algebra
4. Formation of the Global Analysis Equations – Plane Trusses
5. Formation of the Global Analysis Equations – Beams
6. Formation of the Global Analysis Equations – Plane Frames
7. Advanced Topics and Structures

Tentative Course Outline (subject to change):

Recommended
Topic
References
I. Introduction, Definitions and Concepts Chapter 1
a. History of Structural Analysis Handouts
b. Analysis Techniques and Structural Classifications
c. Structure Idealization
d. Fundamental Analysis Relationships
e. Review of select classical methods
i. Moment Area
ii. Slope Deflection
iii. Moment Distribution Method
II. Linear Algebra Chapter 2
a. Linear Algebra: Matrix Operations Handouts
III. Analysis of Plane Truss Structures Chapter 3
a. Coordinate Systems and Degrees of Freedom Chapter 4
b. Member Stiffness and Local Coordinates
c. Coordinate Transformations
d. Member Stiffness and Global Coordinates
e. Assembly of Structure Stiffness → Direct Stiffness and Code Number
Methods
f. Analysis Procedure
IV. Analysis of Beam Structures Chapter 5
a. Member Stiffness: Local and Global Coordinates
b. Assembly of Structure Stiffness
c. Analysis Procedure
V. Analysis of Plane Frame Structures Chapter 6
a. Member Stiffness: Local Coordinates
b. Coordinate Transformations
c. Member Stiffness: Global Coordinates
d. Assembly of Structure Stiffness
e. Analysis Procedure
VI. Advanced Topics and Structures Chapter 7
a. Member Releases - Hinges Chapter 8
b. “Secondary Effects” – Support Displacement, Temperature Change, Member Chapter 9
Misfit Handouts
c. Shear effects (Timoshenko Beam Theory)
d. Matrix Condensation

CIVE 443/843 Syllabus Fall 2019 - R.L. Wood 7