Fall '01 -- MAE415 
Analysis  of Structures

Welcome to the home page for the MAE 415 Class for Fall '01. Please stop by often! All class announcements, homework assignments, due dates etc. will be posted here. If you have a comment or a question about the class please send me email. Such feedback will improve the class for all of us.

Instructor: Dr. Abani K. Patra
              605 Furnas
email :     abani@eng.buffalo.edu
Tel:         645-2593x2240

Office Hours:  WF 2:00-3:00 p.m. or by appointment.
 

TA: J. Tsai, 804 Furnas
Office Hours: TTh 3:30-5:00   804 Furnas

Class: MWF 11:00-11:50

Text: Analysis of Aircraft Structures, An introduction   by  B.K. Donaldson, McGraw Hill, 1993 Edition

References:  Advanced Strength  and Applied Elasticity,  by A.C. Ugural and S. Fenster

Computer software like Mathematica, Maple, Matlab will be used in this class. Students unfamiliar with these packages may wish to review their  usage. A single tutorial will be scheduled.

We will also introduce you to structural analysis packages.


 
 
 

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Watch this space!

Takehome 3 Due Nov 30


 
 
 

Course Objective:
The objective of this course is to enable you to analyze mechanical and aerospace structures. At the end of this course you should have a clear understanding of

used in conducting such analysis.

The topics covered with the associated learning objectives are listed below:

Course Outline:

Module 1: Fundamentals of Stress and Strain

  1. Review of stress,  equilbrium equations in differential form, traction and plane stress
  2. Review of displacement and strain, small and large strains, compatibility conditions
  3. Rotation of  stresses and strains
Module 2: Fundamentals of Material Behavior
  1. Stress strain relationships, linear elastic behavior,
  2. isotropy, orthotropy
Module 3: Overview of the Theory of Elasticity Approach
  1. Theory of Elasticity and boundary value problems
  2. Solutions using stresses and strains
  3. Plane stress solutions, St. Venants principle
Module 4: Work and Energy Methods -- Principles, Unit Load Methods
  1. Work and potential Energy
  2. Principle of Virtual Work
  3. Unit Load Method for Statically Determinate Systems
Module 5:Work and Energy Methods -- Unit Load Methods
  1. Unit Load Methods For Statically Indeterminate Systems
  2. Redundant Forces/moments
  3. Strategy of Release and Reattachment
Module 6: Introduction to Finite Element Methods
  1. Introduction
  2. Bar, Rod and Beam Elements
  3. Assembly and Solution of System Equations
  4. Truss Problems
  5. Mulit-dimensional  Elements*
Grading:
The grading in this class will use a mix of homework, in-class tests, take home tests , "one-minute" papers and an end of semester group project.


Homework + One Minute Papers# 30 %
Take-Home Tests 20 %
In-Class Tests 40 %
Project 10 %
Total 100 %
#  One minute Papers will add up to 1 homework Each module will be accompanied by a homework set.  Homework will generally be due 1 week after the completion of the module in class. Please  try to work the homework as we go along and do not let it pile up. The best 6 homework grades will be used for your final homework grade. No extensions will be provided for your homework due dates. Late HW will be penalised at 10% per day late.  You are encouraged to work on your homework in groups of 3/4 students. I will assist in the process by helping you to form groups very early in the semester. While, you will have to turn in individual homework sets, you will find that a system of splitting up the work among your HW group will greatly speed up the process and make the work-load manageable.

The "one-minute" papers are short classroom exercises to assess either preparedness on prerequisite  material and/or comprehension of new material. Their primary purpose is to provide you and me feed back. They are not to be confused with "pop-quizzes"! Their grades are lumped with the homework  grades. Thus, if you are doing your homework, they will probably never even count towards your final grade.
 
 

There will be 2 in-class tests (NO FINAL). Each test will comprise of  short answer quiz (25%) and a problem section(75%).   Short take-home  tests will be assigned  periodically for a total of 4.
  1.                  Takehome 2 Solutions
  2.                  Takehome 3 Solutions
A single group projecty will be assigned at the end of the semester. Typically, you will be asked to analyse a realistic structure using the techniques you have learnt in this class.
 

Class Schedule:

A tentative class schedule is given below.  The schedule is going to be somewhat flexible and  will be adjusted as necessary if some topics need more or less time in class.
 
 
 
Week 1  A.1: stress -- tensor nature, stress at a point  
  A..2: equilibrium equations, A.3 traction and Cauchy equations, 
A.4:plane stress		  
   Review stresses; Review Matrices; G 2, 1.3:  displacement and strains,   
Week 2 Longitudinal Strains, Shear Strains,  
Week 3 Shear Strains, Rotation of stresses and strains  
Week 4 Principal stresses and strains.  HW1 
Week 6 Material Behavior.  
Week  Orthotropic and Linearly Elastic Materials  HW2.
Week 7 Introduction to Theory of Elasticity  
  Theory of elasticity --displacement formulation, stress function  
  Theory of Elasticity -- wrap up  HW3 
  TEST 01  
Week 9 Delta and Step Functions, Work and Energy Methods  
Week 10 Work and Energy Methods HW  4
Week 11 Unit Load Methods for Statically determinate systems
Week 12 Unit Loads for Statically Indeterminate systems  
Week  13  Introduction to FEM  
Week  14  Elements, Assembly and Solution HW 5
Week     
  TEST 02  
   Projects Due