NUST eLearning

Steel is used for structural applications from the same time as the advent of concrete. While timber is a very primitive construction material as we all know. Steel and timber possess the major advantages such as being lightweight materials than concrete, ability to exercise quality of production at the factory conditions and simple work process involved in construction and erection. Steel is widely used in construction of building frame, bridges, tower for telecommunication and electricity transmission, industrial components like, chimney, silo, bunker etc., and water and other liquid storage tanks also. Timber is a primitive structural material, used for building frames, roof supporting structures, small bridges, farm structures, etc. Timber buildings with all the members and components being that of timber are also constructed. Hence, in the civil engineering degree program, design of steel and timber structures is a core course in which the students are trained to perform structural design of steel and timber components subjected to different types of loads and stress resultants. For the steel and timber structural frame, unlike concrete, the joints cannot be highly rigid and monolithic. Hence structural connections are of unique importance to be designed for any steel and timber structural frame. There are standard cross sectional sizes and shapes of steel members used as beams and columns. Likewise, there are standard dimensions, thickness and shapes of steel sheet materials used for roofs, platforms, and floors. Timber members are generally cut to the required/designed shapes mostly rectangular, square, or circular cross sections. Code books stipulate the design procedures to be adopted for the structural design of components and structures.

Course Objective

To introduce and apply basic design principles and characteristics of steel and timber and thus to enable students to perform structural design of steel and timber structural components according to recognized design code.