2026 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Department of Architecture and Building Engineering Graduate major in Architecture and Building Engineering

Advanced Steel Structure Design

Academic unit or major: Graduate major in Architecture and Building Engineering
Instructor(s): Kazuya Mitsui
Class Format: Lecture
Media-enhanced courses: -
Day of week/Period (Classrooms)
Class: -
Course Code: ARC.S407
Number of credits: 200
Course offered: 2026
Offered quarter: 4Q
Syllabus updated: Mar 5, 2026
Language: English

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

This course provides an overview of the material properties of steel used as building components and design methods for steel building structures.
In Japan, a wide range of steel strengths is used in steel structures, and even steels with the same nominal strength may exhibit different material characteristics. Therefore, this course first explains the applications and production processes of steel materials with varying strengths and performance levels.
In addition, yield criteria and constitutive models, which are essential for understanding the mechanical behavior of steel materials, are introduced.
Finally, limit state design, which is widely adopted in international practice, is explained, and the importance of probabilistic-based design approaches is discussed. Exercises and report assignments will be given as necessary throughout the course, with the aim of enhancing students’ understanding and proficiency.

Course description and aims

By completing this course, the following competencies will be acquired:
1) The ability to explain an overview of seismic design methods for steel-structured buildings in Japan.
2) The ability to describe the types and characteristics of steel materials used in steel-structured buildings.
3) The ability to describe the limit state design method based on probabilistic theory.

Keywords

Architectural structures, steel structures, materials, reliability

Competencies

Specialist skills
Intercultural skills
Communication skills
Critical thinking skills
Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Topics related to the stability of steel structures will be covered, with one theme addressed in each lecture.
Within the course, one session will be dedicated to a guest lecture providing recent topics related to steel structures.
In addition, report assignments on finite element analysis, material constitutive models, and structural reliability will be assigned.

Course schedule/Objectives

	Course schedule	Objectives
Class 1	Relationship Between Steel Production and Chemical Composition 1	To study the types of steel materials used in steel building structures and their significance in structural applications.
Class 2	Relationship Between Steel Production and Chemical Composition 2	To understand the properties of steel materials through the relationship between steel strength and chemical composition.
Class 3	Residual Stress and Alternative Steelmaking Methods to the Blast Furnace	To understand the elastic–plastic behavior of steel materials under cyclic loading.
Class 4	Welding	To study welding technologies used in steel building structures.
Class 5	Yield Criterion of Steel	To study yield criteria such as the von Mises and Tresca yield conditions. A report assignment on finite element analysis will be conducted.
Class 6	Constitutive Law of Steel 1	To study the perfectly elastic–plastic model and isotropic hardening rule.
Class 7	Constitutive Law of Steel 2	To study kinematic hardening and combined hardening rules. A report assignment on material constitutive models will be conducted."
Class 8	Structural Design Exercise	Exercises on structural design.
Class 9	Overview of the Limit State Design Method	To understand an overview of limit state design guidelines and methods for reliability-based decision-making and structural calculations.
Class 10	Limit State Design Method 1	To understand the probability of exceeding limit states based on the relationship between load return periods and occurrence probabilities.
Class 11	Limit State Design Method 2	To understand the setting of performance requirements and design working life.
Class 12	Limit State Design Method 3	To study performance-based design methods adopted domestically and internationally, and to understand limit states defined for structural members, non-structural components, building services, and contents.
Class 13	Limit State Design Method 4	To understand limit state design according to Eurocode 3. A report assignment on reliability indices will be conducted."
Class 14	Recent topics related to steel structures presented by a guest speaker.	To be able to discuss practical topics related to steel structures in engineering practice and to materialize the outcomes of the knowledge acquired throughout the course.

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)

Recommendation for Limit State Design of Steel Structures
Recommendation for the Design and Fabrication of Light Weight Steel Sturctures
薄板軽量形鋼造建築物設計の手引き
Recommendation for Loads on Buildings
North American Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Memebers

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Lecture materials for each class will be distributed via the course website.

Evaluation methods and criteria

Evaluation will be based equally on five components: three report assignments, questions submitted in response to the guest speaker’s lecture, and class attendance.

Related courses

ARC.S301 ： Structural Design I
ARC.S306 ： Structural Mechanics III
ARC.S402 ： Steel Structure

Prerequisites

This course assumes that students have a background in structural mechanics and mechanics of materials, as well as basic knowledge of finite element analysis and programming.