CE 312: Design of Steel Structures - Fall 2026

• To learn the basics of analysis and design of steel structures.

• Review of Design Philosophy: Working stress (WS), Ultimate load (UL), Load resistant factor design (LRFD), and Limit state (LS); characteristics load vs. strength; Load combinations; and Partial safety factors
• Elementary Plastic Analysis: Moment-curvature relationship; Plastic hinges; and Collapse load and Mechanism
• Design of Pure Tension and Pure Compression Members: Bolted vs welded members; Theory of elastic buckling with and without imperfection; Long and short column effects; and P-Delta effect
• Design of Beams and Plate Girders: Kirchhoff's plate bending theory; Plate buckling; Torsional and Lateral-torsional buckling; Design of laterally supported and unsupported beams; and Rolled steel vs built-up sections
• Design of Beam-Columns: Combined effect of axial and flexure (P-M interaction), Design of columns subjected to axial force and uniaxial / biaxial moment; and Rolled steel vs built-up sections
• Design of Beam-Column Joints: Strong vs weaker axis connections; Moment-shear connection, Torsion-shear connection; and Bolted vs welded connections
• Design of Column-Base Plate Connections: Bolted vs welded connections; Axial force and uniaxial / biaxial moment; and Uplift and Anchor bolts.

• Design of Steel Structures by N. Subramanian. (primary)
• Structural Steel Design by McCormac and Csernak. (secondary)

• IS 800:2007 (main design code)
• IS 875 (specification of design loads)
• IS 808:1989, 1732:1989, 1173:1978 (dimensions of hot rolled sections)
• IS 2062:2011 (specifications of hot rolled structural steel)

Codes can be downloaded free of charge from the BIS website: https://standardsbis.bsbedge.com/.

• Please ensure that you have a copy of all of these codes BEFORE the first class.
• During the exams, only clean hard copies of the codes will be allowed.

SAP2000 will be utilized for analysis and design during the course. Following are some useful videos on youtube to learn analysis in SAP2000:

• Modeling and analysis of trusses
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOEV-sm2Owk
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTeiPkhfNPU
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGhfhR7zVgM
• Building design playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHTVTvUaTtbDwDkxji2CkU_nhI3zEKMLB

• Please be considerate about everyone's time.
• In all emails pertaining to this course, please have "CE312" in the subject line.
  • (note that there is no space or hyphen or anything between CE and 312)

Cheating cases (assignments/codes/exams/project) will be dealt with in accordance with the Institute norms. It is expected that everyone will uphold the honor code.

Late submissions will not be considered towards grades.

• It is expected that students will attend all the lectures and tutorials. Leave will be granted only in genuine cases with appropriate documentation, when sought ahead of time.
• Attendance will be recorded in all the sessions and the present percentage will be multiplied to the total marks before calculation of the final marks for grading.
• For example, if the total marks are 90/100 and the attendance is 85%, the final marks considered for grading will be \(90\times 85\% = 76.5/100\).

Following will be the weightage of different components of assessment

• Assignments and tutorials will be posted in this Google folder.

It is important to develop the habit of self-learning. A number of reading assignments and self-exercises will be given during the course. These will not be formally graded and it will be expected that students will go through them on a regular basis on their own.

• The project entails designing and building a portable cabin as per the schematic and requirements mentioned here.
• The project will be carried out in groups of 9-10 students.
• A break-up of the tasks for Project 1 are as follows:
  • Task 1: survey to obtain user requirements
  • Task 2: geometrical/space design
  • Task 3: load estimation and preliminary structural analysis
  • Task 4: design of structural members
  • Task 5: design of connections
  • Task 6: preparation of fabrication drawings
  • Task 7: preparation of BOQ and cost estimate
  • Task 8: fabrication of the cabin
  • Task 9: putting the cabin to use and collecting feedback
  • Task 10: submission of final report

• The project entails designing of an industrial shed of plan dimensions 10m width and 50m length and a height of 6m.
• The project will be carried out in groups of 5-6 students.
• A break-up of the tasks for Project 2 are as follows:
  • Task 1: load estimation and preliminary structural analysis
  • Task 2: design of structural members
  • Task 3: design of connections
  • Task 4: design of foundation
  • Task 5: revision of structural analysis model
  • Task 6: preparation of structural drawings
  • Task 7: submission of final report