Talk:Structural Engineering

About Structural Engineering
Structural engineering is a vast subject. It concerns other branches of engineering too. Even aeronautical degree programmes do study simple statics and bending of beams, torsion, etc. I suppose the best way to start this module is to describe in vague what structural engineering is and what is a structural engineer's duty/responsibility. And then we can move on to basic mechanics and so on...
 * --deostroll 06:58, 4 February 2006 (UTC)

About the first edit...

 * I left the matter refering to concrete as such. May be it should serve other people who wish edit as a reminder about what this subject ought to describe in the future versions. Concrete is only one part of structural engineering! Meanwhile anyone is welcomed to edit this module themselves or suggest how this module should actually go about this subject.
 * I would also like people to consider following questions (because even I doubt them)
 * Can a bridge be considered as a structural system?
 * Is it correct to say that strucutral engineering activites consists of analysis and design?
 * How should this article/module touch subjects like strucutral analysis and design? Shouldn't they be separate modules?
 * How should this article/module touch subjects like strucutral analysis and design? Shouldn't they be separate modules?

--deostroll 08:31, 4 February 2006 (UTC)

It would be better if you add diagrams and drawings for clearing the subjects. And do you consider clarifying what is "statically determinate structure"?

Structual analysis and design
There is no design without structural analysis. However I think they are two different subjects... I'm not sure why they have a category with both. (see structural analysis and design)

On the definition of structural engineering
The quote "Structural Engineering is the art of moulding materials we do not wholly understand into shapes we cannot precisely analyze, so as to withstand forces we cannot really assess, in such a way that the community at large has no reason to suspect the extent of our ignorance" is incorrectly attributed to James E. Amrhein. Amrhein himself has confirmed that he frequently uses the quote, but is not the original author (see January 2009 issue of STRUCTURE Magazine). This quote is a slight revision from the definition in the 1967 textbook Structural Analysis Volume One by Dr. E.H. Brown. Brown's definition was "The art of moulding materials we do not really understand into shapes we cannot really analyze, so as to withstand forces we cannot really assess, in such a way that the public does not really suspect." Mr. Amrhein is not even responsible for making the modification to its longer and less repetitive form; that credit probably belongs to Dr. A.R. Dykes (see May 1978 issue of The Structural Engineer).