Elements of Structures

This online course from the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering introduces principles of structural analysis and mechanics of materials for understanding and predicting material behavior under stress.

You will learn fundamental concepts of continuum mechanics, including internal resultants, displacement field, stress, and strain, with applications to three essential types of elastic load-bearing elements: bars in axial loading, axisymmetric shafts in torsion, and symmetric beams in bending.

While emphasizing analytical techniques, the course also introduces computing environments using MATLAB and numerical methods (Finite Elements).

This is the first course in a 3-part series which explores how mechanical engineers use analytical methods and calculations to predict structural behavior. The three courses in the series are:

• Part 1 – 2.01x: Elements of Structures. Elastic response of Structural Elements: Bars, Shafts, Beams.
• Part 2 – 2.02.1x Mechanics of Deformable Structures: Part 1. Assemblages of Elastic, Elastic-Plastic, and Viscoelastic Structural Elements.
• Part 3 – 2.02.2x Mechanics of Deformable Structures: Part 2. Multi-axial Loading and Deformation. Energy Methods.
  Based on the first subject in solid mechanics for MIT Mechanical Engineering students, these undergraduate-level courses will teach you to rely on the notions of equilibrium, geometric compatibility, and constitutive material response to ensure that your structures will perform their specified mechanical functions without failing.

Week 1: Introduction and Preliminaries
Introduction, Review of Forces and Moments, Review on Integration, Introduction to MATLAB.

Week 2: Axial loading I
Equilibrium in 1D. Free body diagrams. Internal force resultant. Normal stress and strain. Compatibility. Structural response for statically determinate bars in axial loading.

Week 3: Axial loading II
Response of inhomogeneous bars with varying cross section. Statically indeterminate problems.

Week 4: Quiz 1 (Axial Loading)

Week 5: Torsion I
Shear stress and strain. Internal torque resultant. Structural Response for statically determinate circular shafts in torsion.

Week 6: Torsion II
Response of inhomogeneous shafts with varying cross section. Statically indeterminate problems.

Week 7: Quiz 2 (Torsion)

Week 8: Bending I
Internal bending moment resultant. Curvature and neutral axis. Stress and strain distribution. Structural Response for statically determinate symmetric beams in bending.

Week 9: Bending II
Response of inhomogeneous beams with varying cross section. Statically indeterminate problems.

Week 10: Quiz 3 (Bending)