Course Catalog

Description

This course is a branch of applied mechanics that deals with the behaviour of solid bodies subjected to various types of loading. The solid bodies considered in the course include bars with axial loads, shafts in torsion, beams in bending and columns in compression. The concepts of stress and strain including Hook's law, tension and pressure, engineering bending theory, superposition of elementary loadings, energy methods and buckling are introduced to the students. A special focus is on safety assessments using strength hypotheses in relation with the materials characteristics and the corresponding safety factors. An understanding of mechanical behaviour is essential for the safe design of all types of structures. In strength of materials, the study goes on step further by examining stresses and strains inside real bodies, i.e. bodies with finite dimensions that deform under load. To determine the stresses and strains, we use the physical properties of the materials as well as numerous theoretical laws and concepts.