Top Design Errors in Structural Stress Analysis
Structural design is a highly specialized area and a sub-discipline of civil engineering. It is a process of analyzing and designing structure a structure of a before the construction process begins. A structural engineer is responsible for examining layout plans and developing the components from the inception. The engineer should ensure that the built structures would be able to withstand the weights and forces that they will face during their usage.
While it is a complicated process, it needs extreme attention in this phase as it deals with ensuring the safety, stability, and performance of the structure. With too many details to cover at the same time, structural engineers are bound to make some mistakes.
Let us explore some of the common errors observed in the architectural design, along with some advice on how to solve them.
No Assumptions on the Expected Results
Before the beginning of the structural design of any component, one of the best approaches is to estimate the result of the considered calculation by having clarity on the following questions:
1. How will the final structure behave and divert?
2. What is the estimated magnitude of internal forces in the design process?
3. Is there any predefined size limits for the structural parts that are to be taken into consideration?
An expert structural engineer is aware of the crucial information mentioned above. In the structural design process, it is always the right approach to review the executed projects before working on the design of a similar structure. By analyzing similar projects, you can gain insights about the result, and you can eventually overcome the mistakes that were experienced in past projects.
Avoiding Technological Help
One of the biggest mistakes in structural design is to ignore the use of the latest technology. Although structural engineers possess adequate knowledge and skills to work with accuracy, mistakes can happen quickly. The usage of Computer-aided engineering (CAE) aid in engineering analysis tasks to avoid human-errors in measurements. CAE includes Finite Element Analysis (FEA), which is a beneficial software for structural engineers. The tool assists in analyzing physical structures that are too complex and helps to optimize the design. The most significant advantage of utilizing the computation design method is it easily modifies the complete structure with a few changes without requiring to rebuild the entire model. It provides error-free calculations and reliable results.
Limiting the Support
Flexibility and rigidity of structural joints define the strength of the built structure. It is always good practice to design the model joints following the behavior of the construction, considering specified loads. Lesser number of supports for the structure can sometimes cause a problem if the supports cannot carry the actual loads on the structure. To overcome this issue, the structural engineer should increase the number of supports required to ensure the safe transfer of loads from one component to the other.
Error in Real Measurements
Civil engineers should be extra cautious when numerical calculations are being conducted as a single unit difference can disrupt the final piece of structure. The measurement miscalculations can result in extreme deflection, such as sudden growth of internal force, reduction in load capacity, and more. Hence, measurement is a critical element that can create a considerable difference in your design calculation and real construction. Usually, structural engineer expert has a set of rules for the building, which includes such factors to avoid measurement errors.
We hope that the suggestions mentioned above will help you avoid common mistakes while working on the construction design of the project. Hence, structural design plays a vital role in construction projects.
If you’re looking for a trusted partner for your next civil and structural engineering projects, consider hiring a team of qualified and skilled engineers offering structural stress analysis services.
