Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton

Knowledge and understanding
Having successfully completed the module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Stress, strain and their interdependence.
• Procedures for calculating stress and strain in rods and beams.
• Single degree of freedom systems subjected to harmonic loads.

Cognitive (thinking) skills
Having successfully completed the module, you will be able to: - Analyse the effect on static and dynamic response of changing the dimensions and material properties of simple structures.
- Hypothesise and provide evidence for causes of discrepancy between theoretical and experimental results.

Practical, subject specific skills
Having successfully completed the module, you will be better able to:

- Use accelerometers, strain gauges and associated measurement equipment.
- Construct free body diagrams.

Key transferable skills
Having successfully completed the module, you will be better able to:
·Process and interpret measured data in an Excel spreadsheet.
·Write clear technical reports.

The aims of this module are to
- provide students with a firm foundation in solid mechanics
- introduce students to forced vibration of single degree of freedom systems

·To introduce the student to how structures carry loads, the principles of stress and strain and calculation procedures for stress and strain in simple structures.
·To discuss the role of spring, mass and damper elements in controlling the response of a structure to harmonic loads.
·To convey an appreciation of the difference between static and dynamic response of structures.

1. How structures carry loads. Normal stress and strain and their relationship, Young's modulus, Poisson’s ratio. Shear stress and strain, shear modulus.
2. Statically determinate systems. Stress and strain in pressure vessels, rotating rods and rods/columns under their own weight.
3. Bending of beams: Shear force and bending moment diagrams, normal stress and strain due to pure bending, first and second moments of area, deflection of beams.
4. Mass, spring and damper elements. Second moment of inertia. Equivalent stiffness and mass. Application to free vibration of rods and beams.
5. Response of single degree of freedom systems to harmonic forces: define transient and steady state response, frequency response functions, mass, stiffness and damping controlled regions, practical applications.
6. Vibration isolation: define force and displacement transmissibility, practical examples of displacement transmissibility.

Two lectures and one examples class per week.

Two laboratories are held by the lecturer, typically in classes of about 10. Each laboratory demonstrates a number of specific topics covered during the lectures and in particular their relevance to the subject of structural response. Advice, assistance and feedback are available during the sessions. Students are encouraged to process their results in spreadsheets during the laboratories to facilitate immediate interpretation and interactive discussion. A written report of each laboratory is required for formative and summative assessment.

Students are provided with exercise sheets which they work through in examples classes. One to one assistance is given by the lecturer who gains feedback on the students' understanding. Worked solutions are available online. Previous examination papers and model answers are also available. The assessed coursework provides opportunities for practising technical report writing, carrying out methodical data processing and interpretation of results through in-depth understanding of the lecture handouts.

Secondary text

Structurs of Why Things Don't Fall Down, 1978, J E Gordon, Penguin
0140219617

An Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Part 1, M. Clifford et al, Hodder Education