2024 Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate major in Civil Engineering
Fracture Control Design of Steel Structures
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Civil Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Eiichi Sasaki
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-6 Tue / 5-6 Fri
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- CVE.A431
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 4Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 14, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
In this course, in order to understand the safety management of steel structures, students will obtain the knowledge on the causes of fracture phenomenon in steel structures and on the approach of fracture mechanics necessary for the prevention of occurrence of fractures and countermeasures against them. In addition, students will obtain a deeper understanding on the causes of fracture damage cases, countermeasures and their effectiveness against them, by conducting group discussions and presentations.
This course is aiming to provide necessary technical knowledge for the safety management of infrastructures, and to enhance students' ability of communication and their ability to solve problems.
Course description and aims
By the end of this course, students will:
1) Be able to explain about the fracture types in steel structures such as brittle fracture and fatigue fracture.
2) Be able to explain about the causes of fracture phenomenon in steel structures and the countermeasures against them.
3) Be able to explain about the approach for fracture control from fracture mechanics.
4) Be able to explain about fatigue design methods of steel structures.
Keywords
Steel structures, fractures, causes, countermeasures, control, fatigue, fracture mechanics
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
In this course, the instructor gives lectures to provide the necessary knowledge, and assign group discussions and presentations to enhance students' understanding.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Failure cases and problems in steel structures | Explain the fracture cases in steel structures |
| Class 2 | Stress analysis of components with a crack | Explain the features of stress analysis method of components with a crack. |
| Class 3 | Fracture mechanics approach | Explain briefly about the fracture mechanics approach against fracture control of steel members. |
| Class 4 | Brittle fracture and fracture toughness of steel members | Explain the features of brittle fracture in steel members and fracture toughness. |
| Class 5 | Governing factors of fracture phenomenon and their effects | Explain the causes of fracture phenomenon of steel members. |
| Class 6 | Evaluation of fracture toughness | Explain the evaluation method of fracture toughness of steels. |
| Class 7 | Survey of causes of fracture cases | Survey on the causes of an actual fracture case in steel structures. |
| Class 8 | Fatigue phenomenon in bridges | Explain the features of fatigue phenomenon in steel bridges. |
| Class 9 | Group discussions on causes of fatigue fracture cases | Conduct group discussions on the causes of fatigue fracture cases in actual steel structures. |
| Class 10 | Countermeasures against fatigue phenomenon | Explain the countermeasures against fatigue fracture cases in steel structures. |
| Class 11 | Group discussions on countermeasures against fatigue fracture cases | Conduct group discussions on the countermeasures of fatigue fracture cases in actual steel structures. |
| Class 12 | Fatigue design methods | Explain the fatigue design methods of steel structures, especially the fatigue design method based on nominal stresses. |
| Class 13 | Analysis of actual heavy traffic loads and maintenance case studies | Explain the analysis methods of actual heavy traffic loads and maintenance methods based on them |
| Class 14 | Fracture phenomenon during earthquakes | Explain fracture types and their features in steel structures during earthquakes |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Not specified. Necessary information will be provided by the instructor.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Fracture and Fatigue Control in Structures (J. Barsom and S.Rolfe, Butterworth-Heinemann) ISBN-10: 075067315X, ISBN-13: 978-0750673150
Evaluation methods and criteria
Students’ performance will be evaluated by assignments/quizzes (50%), and final report (50%).
Related courses
- CVE.A310 ： Steel Structures
Prerequisites
None.