iday, 10 December 2010

Interview Questions for Structural Engineers

1. Draw Deflected Shape, Shear Force and Bending Moment Diagram for all above
structures
2. What is effect of Creep in Reinforced Concrete Beams?
3. Compute maximum soil pressure for 3m x 3m size isolated pad footing with Force =
1000kN and Moment about one axis 600kNm
4. Define Ductility?
5. Please describe the methods to find Flexural tensile strength of concrete?
6. What is reason behind keeping limit on maximum shear strength of Concrete?
7. How to arrive at structural working load capacity of axially loaded pile?
8. Compute maximum compression in Pile for Group of 9 Piles ( 3 Row x 3 Columns)
spaced at 3m c/c, Force transferred on Pile Cap, F = 1000t (Down) , Moments, Mx =
400tm My = 200tm

Posted by Er. Hemant Gor at 21:01 0 comments

Wednesday, 21 October 2009

Initial Sizing of Steel Beam Section
The first step of preliminary / detailed design of structure is initial sizing of main structural
members. This blog gives quick method of selecting steel section for Beam/Girder. The design of
beam requires to satisfy the strength and serviceability provisions of codes. 

The Minimum Second Moment of Inertia of Beam Section I ( in cm^4) required is 

I = 0.5 x Ratio x K x L x M

Here,

M is Mid Span Beam Bending Moment is kNm

L is Span of Beam in m

K is constant based on loading and end supports, it is based on Bending moment diagram of span
The value of K is taken from Table 1. ( Reference Table 3.1 of BS 8110-2:1985)

Ratio is Span / Allowable Deflection. It means Allowable Deflection = Span/Ratio

The value of "Ratio"  can be 250,360,400,500  or 600 based on what is going to be put on
Beam/Girder

Table 1 Values of K for various Bending Moment Diagram

for allowable deflection = Span/400, The I

required for Beam=0.5x400xK L M
I= 200K L M

I is in cm^4 unit. 

Posted by Er. Hemant Gor at 12:15 0 comments

Saturday, 29 August 2009

Bridge Superstructure

Bridge Superstructure

The loads coming over bridge superstructure are taken by following actions in individual
members

 Bending ( Flexure and Shear in Member)

 Axial elongation or axial shortening ( Tension or Compression in Member)
 Combination of Bending and Axial Deformation (Flexure, Shear and
Tension/Compression)

Girder Bridges

In this structural form the loads are taken fully by bending of superstructure. In this type of
superstructure the loads are taken by members as flexure and shear. The design of superstructure
is governed by flexure, shear and deflection criteria. Girder bridges can be anyone of following
type

 Solid Slab ( Span 4m – 12m)

 Voided Slab ( Span 8m-16m)
 T Girder ( Girder and Slab) ( Span 12m-25m)
 Box Girder ( Single or Multi Cell) (25m – 60m)

The girder can be simply supported between two adjacent piers or continuous over more than
one pier. The Continuous girder provide following advantage over simply supported girder

 Shallower depth superstructure compared to simply supported girders

 Reduce number of expansion joints

 Reduce number of Bearing required to support superstructure

 The continuous girders have redundancy

The continuous girders are not used under weak soil foundation. The settlement of support (Un-
even settlement) will generate additional moments and shear in superstructure in case of
continuous girder.

In Girder only extreme fibres are only stressed to maximum limit.

Truss Bridges

In this structural form the loads are taken by axial deformation of individual members. In truss
bridges the loads are taken by members as axial tension or axial compression. Under axial
tension/compression action all fibre of section are stressed to same limit. Hence truss bridges are
best structural form for long spans. The truss bridge can be through type or deck type based on
traffic movement.

The truss bridges are of following type

 Pratt Truss
 Warren Truss
 Modified Warren Truss
 K Bracing Truss

Posted by Er. Hemant Gor at 07:40 0 comments

Saturday, 22 August 2009

Bridge Classification

Bridges are broadly classified based on following three criteria

1. Material of Construction
2. Structural Form
3. Construction Technology

Bridge Classsifcation based on Material of Construction

 Reinforced Concrete
 Prestressed Concrete ( Post-Tenions / Pre - Tension)
 Composite
 Steel
 Masonary

Bridge Classification based on Structural Form

 Girder Bridges ( Slab / Girder and Slab ( T Beam) / Box Girder (Single Cell/Multi Cell))
 Truss ( Through Type / Deck Type)
  Cable Supported Bridges ( Cable Stayed / Suspension / Extradosed Bridges)
 Arch Bridges ( Arch Bridges / Bow String Arch Bridges)

Bridge Classification based on Construction Methodology

 Balanced Cantilever Bridges

 Incremental Launched Bridges

Posted by Er. Hemant Gor at 07:41 0 comments

Wednesday, 12 August 2009

Bridge Bearing Layout

The bearing has following main two functions

 Transfer superstructure load ( Vertical / Transverse ) to substructure

 Allow thermal movement

For bridge span more than 40m POT bearings/ POT PTFE bearings are used.
Figure 1 shows bridge bearing layout for simply supported span

Figure 2 shows bridge bearing layout for two span continuous bridge
Figure 3 shows bridge bearing layout for four span continuous bridge

Posted by Er. Hemant Gor at 21:20 0 comments

Saturday, 8 August 2009

Economical Span of Bridge

Fixing length of typical span in design of bridges across river/elevated road/metro project is very
important structural design decision. The cost of building one typical span can be broadly
divided into following two components
 1. Cost of Substructure
2. Cost of Superstructure

The cost of substructure is covers cost of bridge bearing, pier cap/pier head, pier and foundation
(Open/Pile/Cassion). To take decision on most economical length of typical span, initial design
and cost estimate is done for four to five different span lengths.
A graph is plotted with span length as abscissa and cost as ordinate. The graph is completed
using cost of superstructure and substructure for all different spans. Figure 1 shows typical graph
of Span versus cost. Point A on this graph correspondence to the economical span for the bridge
project.

Figure 1 Span Versus Cost for Superstructure/Substructure

Posted by Er. Hemant Gor at 09:36 0 comments

Wednesday, 5 August 2009

Continuous Beam / Bridge Span Arrangement

In case of continuous beam /girder bridges the end span is kept 80% of internal span. This span
arrangement leads to uniform sagging momnet in mid span compared to sagging momment
obtained in all equal span arrangement. Figure 1 shows bending moment diagram for two span
arrangement, a) Last span equal to 0.8 times internal span b) All spans equal under uniformly
distributed load.
One of bridge designed in Middle East had span arrangement of 40m - 50m - 50m -40m and this
arrangement lead to uniform depth of box girder with least consumption of post-tenisoned
tendon.

Figure 1 Bending Moment Diagram for uniformly distributed load on all four spans

Posted by Er. Hemant Gor at 11:54 0 comments

Labels:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_i10MiAfl4pY/SnsJSd3v8EI/AAAAAAAACEA/efmmWnGW3o8/s16
00-h/bending+moment.jpg
Home
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)