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CE624A: NONLINEAR STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

Course Description

Course Objectives:
Over the past several decades, the development and application of performance-based engineering and design
approaches resulted in a paradigm shift in the thinking, practice, and education of structural engineers.
Consequently, nonlinear structural analysis is becoming increasingly important for designing new structures
and for performance evaluation of deteriorating infrastructure systems. The objective of this course
is to provide a thorough background of nonlinear structural analysis along with exposure to some of the
commonly used modern modelling and analysis techniques. The course will help prepare the students with the
requisite knowledge to comprehend relevant research work, analyse and design laboratory experiments, and
design and evaluate the performance of real-world structures.

Course Description:
The course deals with the theory, computer implementation, and applications of methods of nonlinear analysis
of structural components and systems considering the effects of material and geometric nonlinearities. The
emphasis of the course will be on the modelling of structural materials (e.g., steel and concrete), formulation
of nonlinear 1D elements, and methods of nonlinear static and dynamic analysis of 2D frame structures. Home
assignments will include computer implementation of the material and element models and the solution
methods presented in the lectures using MATLAB/Octave. Nonlinear finite element programs (e.g., OpenSees,
DRAIN2DX, and ABAQUS) will also be used for the purpose of verifying MATLAB/Octave implementation
and solving complex problems.

Course Content

  1. Review of direct stiffness method
  2. Introduction to nonlinear structural analysis
  3. Elementary plasticity theory and some commonly used uniaxial material models
  4. Principles of computational plasticity
  5. Member section analysis
  6. Nonlinear beam-column elements
  7. Geometrically nonlinear analysis
  8. Solution strategies for nonlinear structures
  9. Nonlinear structural dynamics
  10. Application to hybrid simulation

Course Audience

Postgraduate and undergraduate students in civil, mechanical and aerospace engineering disciplines with a strong background in solid mechanics, structural analysis and structural dynamics