HigherEd 2.0

I’ve had many questions about the content of the final exam, so here is some guidance about what is important as you begin to study.

This is a three hour exam, so you should expect at least 5 problems, perhaps 6.
There will be at least one shear and moment problem, and at least one friction-tip-slip problem.
The […]

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Today we covered the linkage between centroid and moment of inertia, and I hope you got the main point: we are usually interested in the cross section’s moment of inertia calculated on a centroidal coordinate system. At the end of class, we saw how the parallel axis theorem can be useful in dealing […]

 Module 24, November 29 2006: Download

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As we discussed in class yesterday, the average on Exam 2 was 78.9%. This is a reasonable result, and there is a balance between very good scores and not so good scores. Everything you need to know about the exam results and statistics can be found here.
If you did not do very well […]

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This module examines the idea of “section” properties, which for structural engineering problems almost always means “cross section” properties like centroid. There’s a clear difference between the calculations for “mathematical” sections, which almost always rely on actually doing the integrals, and those for “engineering” sections, which can usually be pieced together as the sum […]

 Module 23, November 27 2006: Download

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I know it’s late in the semester, but it’s important to have just a bit more practice ahead of the final exam on shear and moment diagrams. There will, without doubt, be a question on the final exam about shear and moment, so doing this homework is like studying for the exam. Also, […]

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Our evaluation scheme for the contest is simple. Each group will download, view, and evaluate the podcasts of 5 other groups, according to the following. If you are Group i, then you will grade Groups (i+1) through (i+5). For instance, Group 6 will grade Groups 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. […]

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This module covers wedges and screws, and it is clear that the issues involved with self-locking are very similar to those of the tip-slip-impending motion problems from earlier in the chapter. Maybe you can review this while checking out the Ohio State-Michigan game, or having a lazy sunday before beginning the weeklong break.

 Module 22, Nov. 17 2006: Download

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They’re here! The podcast contest submissions have arrived and are ready for judging. You will receive by email your judging assignments, and each GROUP will evaluate the submissions of 5 other groups. You will fill out one evaluation form per group. Here’s how you do it.

Download the and view the […]

 

 Group 1. Yucca Mountain Repository [7:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Group 2. Pearl Bridge [7:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Group 3. The Hoover Dam [6:06m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Group 4. Delta Works [5:36m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Group 5. Three Gorges Dam [6:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Group 6. Hurricane Katrina [6:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Group 7. Venice Flood Control [6:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Group 8. Green Structural Design [7:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Group 9. Bridging the Bering Strait [7:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Group 10. The Big Dig [5:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Group 11. The Panama Canal: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Group 12. The SMART Tunnel [5:39m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Group 13. Bridging the Gibraltar Strait: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Group 14. The Guggenheim [6:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Group 15. Anti-Terror Design and the WTC Rebuild [5:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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There are not many slides here, but I think these three basic problems reveal quite alot about friction, tip, and slip. The most important part is to remember the relevant impending motion condition and its associated equation. This equation supplements the available equilibrium equations to give you the total number of equations necessary to […]

 Module 21, Nov. 15 2006: Download

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Let’s hope this podcast does a better job encapsulating the basics and applications of friction than the non-recorded parts of today’s session did. The key points here are the issues of friction equality and inequality, FBDs and their profound importance in revealing the friction mechanisms, and the geometry of the structure and its role […]

 Module 20, Nov. 13 2006: Download

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