In this course, in order to understand the safety management of steel structures, students will obtain the knowledge on the causes of fracture phenomenon in steel structures and on the approach of fracture mechanics necessary for the prevention of occurrence of fractures and countermeasures against them. In addition, students will obtain a deeper understanding on the causes of fracture damage cases, countermeasures and their effectiveness against them, by conduction group discussions and presentations.
This class is aiming to provide necessary technical knowledge for the safety management of infrastructures, and to enhance students' ability of communication and their ability to solve problems.
By the end of this course, students will:
1) Be able to explain about the fracture types in steel structures such as brittle fracture or fatigue fracture.
2) Be able to explain about the causes of fracture phenomenon in steel structures and the countermeasures against them.
3) Be able to explain about the approach for fracture control from fracture mechanics.
4) Be able to explain about fatigue design methods of steel structures.
Steel structures, fractures, causes, countermeasures, control, fatigue, fracture mechanics
✔ Specialist skills | Intercultural skills | ✔ Communication skills | Critical thinking skills | ✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
In this course, the instructor gives lectures to provide the necessary knowledge, and assign group discussions and presentations to enhance students' understanding.
Course schedule | Required learning | |
---|---|---|
Class 1 | Failure cases and problems in steel structures | Explain the fracture cases in steel structures |
Class 2 | Stress analysis of components with a crack | Explain the features of stress analysis method of components with a crack. |
Class 3 | Fracture mechanics approach | Explain briefly about the fracture mechanics approach against fracture control of steel members. |
Class 4 | Brittle fracture and fracture toughness of steel members | Explain the features of brittle fracture in steel members and fracture toughness. |
Class 5 | Governing factors of fracture phenomenon and their effects | Explain the causes of fracture phenomenon of steel members. |
Class 6 | Evaluation of fracture toughness | Explain the evaluation method of fracture toughness of steels. |
Class 7 | Survey of causes of fracture cases | Survey on the causes of an actual fracture case in steel structures. |
Class 8 | Fatigue phenomenon in bridges | Explain the features of fatigue phenomenon in steel bridges. |
Class 9 | Group discussions on causes of fatigue fracture cases | Conduct group discussions on the causes of fatigue fracture cases in actual steel structures. |
Class 10 | Countermeasures against fatigue phenomenon | Explain the countermeasures against fatigue fracture cases in steel structures. |
Class 11 | Group discussions on countermeasures against fatigue fracture cases | Conduct group discussions on the countermeasures of fatigue fracture cases in actual steel structures. |
Class 12 | Fatigue design methods | Explain the fatigue design methods of steel structures, especially the fatigue design method based on nominal stresses. |
Class 13 | Fatigue design method based on local stesses | Explain the fatigue design method based on local stresses. |
Class 14 | Analysis of actual heavy traffic loads and maintenance case studies | Explain the analysis methods of actual heavy traffic loads and maintenance methods based on them |
Class 15 | Fracture phenomenon during earthquakes | Explain fracture types and their features in steel structures during earthquakes |
Not specified. Necessary information will be provided by the instructor.
Fracture and Fatigue Control in Structures (J. Barsom and S.Rolfe, Butterworth-Heinemann) ISBN-10: 075067315X, ISBN-13: 978-0750673150
Students’ performance will be evaluated by assignments/quizzes (50%), and final report (50%).
None.