Mechanics of Structures syllabus

Simple Stresses & Strains: Concepts, Types, Stress-Strain Diagram (elastic, plastic, brittle materials), Concept of axial stresses (compression, tension), strains (linear, lateral, shear, volumetric), Elastic constants and their relations, Stresses and strains due to change in temperature, Stresses, strains, and deformations in determinate and indeterminate structures for homogeneous and composite sections under concentrated loads and temperature changes.

Concept of shear force and bending moment, Relationship between shear force, bending moment, and intensity of loading, Shear force and bending moment diagrams for determinate beams under different loadings (concentrated, uniformly distributed, uniformly varying loads, and couples), Point of Contra-flexure & inflexion.

Bending Stresses in Beams: Theory of simple bending, assumptions, derivation of flexure formula, Bending stress distribution diagrams and Moment of Resistance of cross-sections Shear Stresses in Beams: Concept of shear, complementary shear, derivation of shear stress formula, Shear stress distribution for various cross-sections, maximum and average shear stress for circular and rectangular sections.

Torsion of Circular Shafts: Theory of torsion, assumptions, derivation of torsion formula, Stresses, strains and deformations in determinate and indeterminate shafts of solid and hollow sections under twisting moments, Power transmitted by shafts. Principal Stresses and Strains: Concept of principal planes and principal stresses, Normal and shear stresses on an oblique plane, magnitude and orientation of principal stresses, maximum shear stress.

Axially Loaded Columns: Concept of critical load and buckling, Euler’s formula for buckling load with hinged ends, Equivalent length for various end conditions, Rankine’s formula, safe load on column, limitations of Euler’s formula. Direct and bending stresses for eccentrically loaded short columns, Structural components under eccentric loading (retaining walls, dams, chimneys), Effect of lateral force and self-weight, resultant stress diagrams for axial loads, uni-axial and bi-axial bending, Concept of core of section for solid and hollow rectangular and circular sections.Slope and deflection of determinate beams by Macaulay’s method.