Structural Engineering
GRADUATE STUDY
Recent studies have emphasized design applications. Full-scale and model structural elements and complex structural systems are being tested at the Ferguson Structural Engineering Laboratory. Reinforced concrete research involves studies in areas such as columns, beam-column joint details, anchorage of reinforcement, and repair of damaged members subjected to seismic loading. Model and full-scale prestressed concrete, steel plate girders, and composite highway bridges are studied. The lateral and local stability of structural steel beams, the behavior of bolted and welded beam-column connections, and the ultimate strength of tubular joints in offshore structures are investigated. Fatigue studies are conducted on full-size bridges, plate girders, cable-stay anchors, prestressed girders, and steel-composite beams and columns.
Parallel-chord wood floor trusses have been investigated, along with the ultimate load capacity of wood joist floor systems. Masonry research involves static and dynamic testing of structural elements and subassemblages. An extensive program in polymer concrete, rapid-setting concrete, and high-strength concrete is in progress.
Extensive use is made of computer-based procedures for extension of limit design concepts. In addition, experimental data are correlated with the results of modern, computer-aided analysis techniques. Current analytical studies deal with subjects such as nonlinear dynamic response; soil-structure interaction; post-buckling response of steel columns; geometric nonlinearities in light-frame wood systems, three-dimensional modeling of fatigue cracks in steel weldments; fluid-structure interaction in the seismic response of dams; and numerical methods for analyzing foundations.
Additional analytical studies are being carried out on computational techniques such as improved equation solvers, sequential substructuring, quadratic reduction, and the development of analysis and design programs for mini- and micro-computers. Research topics related to offshore engineering range from fluid- structure interaction and wave forces, to dynamic response of offshore platforms and analysis of piles and pile groups.