Structures - A Studio Approach

Understanding how gravity loads and wind and earthquake loads flow through a building is of utmost importance to all structural engineers and architects. Paradoxically, this critical idea is practically not addressed in any textbook on the market. Meant as a companion to the author’s Structures: A Geometric Approach , this textbook fills that need with qualitative techniques as well as quantitative tools that use state of the art visual representation of forces and deformations in structures. Structures: A Studio Approach reaches out to both structural engineers and designers by presenting structural engineering topics in an interdisciplinary studio environment. Using many graphical techniques, it offers a very rigorous approach, but also enables creativity. Cutting edge finite element as well as parametric modeling tools are used, and state of the art visual representations of force flow help both groups of students realize that understanding three dimensional load flow in a building is a requirement for channeling that flow in a structurally efficient and visually expressive manner. Ultimately, the reader is able to develop a unique structural sensibility; an ethos that places structural design on an equal footing with the design of program, skin, massing and site. Acknowledgements 6 Contents 7 Chapter 1: Introduction 8 Chapter 2: Loads 11 Chapter 3: Dead Load Flow 33 The Müller-Breslau Method 47 Müller-Breslau Method and Shear at a Point 55 Projects 70 Chapter 4: Dead Load and Live Load 77 Iterative Design Ideas 77 Gravity Loads on Inclined Members 85 Live Loads 97 Project 108 Chapter 5: Earthquake Loads 112 The Nature of Earthquakes 112 Measuring Earthquakes 112 The Building ́s Response 113 Chapter 6: Trusses 148 Chapter 7: Flexible Diaphragms 164 Chapter 8: Rigid Diaphragms 191 Shear Walls 191 Rigid Diaphragm Supported by Symmetrically Placed Shear Walls 193 Rigid Diaphragm Supported by Asymmetrically Placed Shear Walls 196 The Direct Stiffness Method 208 Chapter 9: Load Flow in Significant Buildings 242 Chapter 10: Frame Refinement 287 Chapter 11: Shells in the Studio 315 Design 323