The course aims to provide the students with the necessary notions and tools to understand and interpret the mechanical behavior of structures in relation to the assessment of their safety. The subject contents are presented in three sections, respectively devoted to: mechanical behavior of structural elements, methods of structural analysis for stress and displacement calculation, fundamentals of solid mechanics. Structural analysis is carried out by means of professional software, which is described both from the theoretical and the practical point of view.

By the end of the course the students will learn the fundamental notions about the mechanical behavior of structures and materials, in terms of strength and deformability, the basic concepts of structural safety. The students will understand the simplest models of evaluation of the structural response, being able to select the relevant geometrical and mechanical parameters, as a function of the considered actions. In addition, the students will be able to understand and assess properly the results obtained from the calculations, included those obtained with the computer.
The students will be able to schematize and solve a framed structure with professional software, and to provide the results in terms of internal forces and displacements of the structure. Finally, the students will be capable of assessing the strength of sections and the stability of structural elements.

Wide usage of mathematical methods and concepts is made all along the course. A sound knowledge of calculus (concepts of function, derivative, integral, differential equation, vector and matrix) is required. It is assumed that the student is acquainted with the concepts of force system equilibrium, is able to calculate the external reaction forces and to draw the diagrams of internal reactions of statically determinate planar structures.

0. Introduction (3 hours):
a. Introduction to the course, exams, teaching tools;
b. Introduction to the structural analysis code Nolian;

1. Behavior of structural elements (18 hours):
a. Kinematics of the beam. Phenomenological introduction to the constitutive law of the beam element, geometric properties of sections;
b. The elastic line of the beam, examples and remarkable cases;
c. Failure due to instability of the elastic equilibrium;
d. Failure due to limit capacity of cross sections;

2. Methods of structural analysis (18 hours):
a. Force method and displacement method;
b. Examples of calculation of simple statically indeterminate structures;
c. Displacement method applied to beam systems;
d. Application and use of computer codes for structural analysis.

3. Elements of continuum mechanics (21 hours):
a. State of strain, state of stress, linear elastic constitutive law;
b. Principles of structural safety;
c. The solid of de Saint-Venant: assumptions, cases of elementary and complex loading (normal force, bending moment, shear, torsion), examples of calculation of the stresses.

The course will take advantage of a dedicated web 2.0 server for the improvement of the study at home. The server will provide interactive applications, periodic tests for self-assessment, a social forum for the interaction among students, professors or assistants, and a framework for wiki collaborative activities.

Slides and handouts will be available on the course webpage.

Bibliography:

(In English)
A. Carpinteri, Structural Mechanics Fundamentals, CRC Press, 2013, ISBN 9780415580328

(In Italian)
Principal textbooks:
A. Carpinteri, Scienza delle costruzioni, Vol. 1, 2a ed., Pitagora Editrice, Bologna, 1995, ISBN 88-371-0529-0
A. Carpinteri, Scienza delle costruzioni, Vol. 2, 2a ed., Pitagora Editrice, Bologna, 1993, ISBN 88-371-0560-6

Others:
F.P. Beer, E.R. Johnston, J.T. DeWolf, Meccanica dei solidi – Elementi di scienza delle costruzioni, 2a ed., McGraw-Hill, Milano, 2002, ISBN 88-386-6045-X
M. Salvadori, R. Heller, Le strutture in architettura, 2a ed., Etas, Milano, 1991, ISBN 8845305023

Exercises:
M. Bertero, S. Grasso, Complementi ed esercizi di scienza delle costruzioni, Levrotto & Bella, Torino, 1984, ISBN 8882180484
E. Viola, Esercitazioni di scienza delle costruzioni, Pitagora Editrice, Bologna, 1985-1994

Multiple choice quiz carried out at Laib (Computer laboratories) for the assessment of acquired knowledge, comprehension, and skills. Optional additional oral exam is reserved to students with a quiz score of 25/30 at least.