Masters Degrees (Civil Engineering)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Civil Engineering) by browse.metadata.advisor "Bird, W.W."

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    Internal variable formulation for the plastic analysis of plane frames
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1999-11) Rennie, Myles Peter; Bird, W.W.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Civil Engineering.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study provides a comprehensive investigation into the field of advanced analysis of steel portal frames containing truss elements and frame elements with rigid, semi-rigid or pinned connections. Included in the study is the application of advanced software principles in the area of structural mechanics. General problems addressed in mechanics may concern stress analysis, heat conduction, lubrication, electric and magnetic fields, and many others. The focus of this study is in the field of structural analysis. The advancement of technology is important for the increased efficiency of the analysis process. It leads to a saving of time, which has direct financial benefits and it improves the accuracy of the structural analysis, which results in savings on the cost of the structure. This results in additional pressure on engineers to provide optimally designed structures in less time which in tum leads to an increase in the demand for advanced tools and technology. The two areas addressed in this study, namely advanced analysis and software technology are dealt with separately at first to investigate and extend the application of each and then they are finally combined in the form of the software package, Quark, developed as part of the thesis. Methods to extend the current functionality and accuracy of the analysis algorithms in the structural analysis discipline are investigated and validated. This is followed by a discussion of the theory of Object-Oriented Programming with reference to its application in the field of structural engineering. The philosophy behind, and the features of the software, Quark are discussed next. Finally, after some concluding remarks, possible future developments are discussed.