Structural Engineering

Core modules:

Research and Professional Skills

This module fosters best practice in engineering-related research/professional skills and delivers a range of training activities to meet the needs of professional engineers dealing with research and technological development.

15 credits

Structural Analysis

This module is designed to give you fundamental knowledge and skills related to the analysis and design of concrete and steel structural elements. Significant emphasis in this module is on the fundamental understanding of how structural members work and of the analysis behind the design codes. This helps the engineer develop a feel for the behaviour of beam and column elements that is often missing when design is based solely by using codes of practice or by the direct application of prescribed equations. This understanding will become more vital for efficient and sustainable structures into the future.

15 credits

Advanced Geotechnics

The module will provide you with greater understanding of geotechnical design in practice, advancing formative geotechnical engineering courses but critically, extending to the interpretation, analysis and forensic review of failed geotechnical systems and the governing soil-structure interaction relations.

Aspects of uncertainty and risk will be developed pertaining to ultimate and serviceability limit states, understanding soil constitutive behaviour and advanced modelling approaches (physical and numerical). Investigative forensic analysis will be conducted by you, in the context of a design project, benefiting from site investigation, physical modelling (centrifuge) observations, verified by numerical analysis that integrate suitable soil constitutive behaviour.

15 credits

Structural Dynamics and Applications to Earthquake Engineering

This module is designed to provide you with a systematic knowledge and understanding of structural dynamics and its applications in Civil Engineering. On successful completion of this module, you will be able to perform calculation and analyse vibration response of single-degree-of-freedom and multi-degree-of-freedom systems and apply simple structural dynamics theory to solve practical problems in earthquake engineering.

15 credits

Advanced Concrete Design

This module aims to give those with a basic background in the design of reinforced concrete structures an understanding of selected advanced topics in the field, including the use of new concepts, construction techniques and materials. The module also provides a revision of some of the fundamental principles of reinforced concrete design. In particular, it deals with short and long-term deflections, creep, shrinkage, ductility, section analysis, prestressing, shear and cracking.

15 credits

Structural Analysis and Design for Fire

The module will provide an overview of the fire hazard in buildings and measures necessary for life safety and containment of losses. The response of steel and composite structures will be covered in greatest detail, and concrete and timber framing will also be discussed. Traditional design approaches and new design strategies will be discussed, including design for fire parts of Eurocodes 1, 2, 3 and 4. The evidence from recent research including full-scale fire testing at Cardington will be covered. Both intermediate and advanced methods of analysis, and the influence of various parameters, will be discussed. Likely future developments will be reviewed, including measures to ensure robustness in fire.

15 credits

Multistorey Steel Building Design

This module addresses the structural design of medium rise multi-storey steel-framed buildings. Consideration will be given to how such buildings are designed and constructed with particular emphasis on composite construction, frame stability and joint design. Module content will be based around design using Eurocodes 3 and 4 but with a focus on understanding the rationale behind the code provisions rather than a clause-by-clause coverage of the standards.

15 credits

Design of Earthquake Resistant Structures

The aim of this module is to teach the principles of modern seismic design of structures, the methodology of the European design code (Eurocode 8) and the main concepts of seismic performance of structures. The module will be delivered through lectures and computer-lab sessions in which you will be working on a project.

15 credits

Advanced Engineering Research Study

This module represents a major element of the Masters programme, with the aim of enabling you to learn skills in scientific investigation and in running and presenting a project. You are required to submit a comprehensive (bound) report describing the individual work that you have done during the summer semester.

60 credits