'The computer has come to stay, we must live with it and this book teaches us how to do so whilst remaining masters of the proceedings' Sir Ove Arup. (Understanding Structural Analysis. Introduction to the first edition)
'Brohn's magnificent text presents a radical departure...Such an approach has much to recommend it' Times Higher Education Supplement (Understanding Structural Analysis. First Edition)
Welcome
Plaudits for the textbook, 'Understanding Structural Analysis'
We have had a number of positive and supportive messages regarding this textbook in recent months. But the one that covers all the bases is on Amazon from whom the book may be bought.
4.0 out of 5 stars - A must buy for structural engineers and students alike, 17 April 2011 by Daniel Nelson (Surrey, UK): Understanding Structural Analysis (Paperback):
This is not your typical structures book that you read to be able design structural elements using a bunch of equations and formulas where you don't even know where they have come from. This book instead gives you a deep understanding of structural analysis from basic principles using clear examples and diagrams, and in our time where the process of analysis and design of structures are done by computers more than ever, understanding structures and qualitative analysis is very important in order to ensure the validity of computer calculations. This book, along with Understanding Structures by Derek Seward were my bibles during my time in university while studying structural engineering, and are still the most useful of the bunch at work. An absolute joy to read, shame about the price though.(Still good value with the software download!)
A good deal for Academics
Over the last two years we have been running pilot studies with a number of academic institutions, following the initiative of the Institution of Structural Engineers to provide support for the teaching of an understanding of structural behaviour.
These academic institutions have adopted the textbook, 'Understanding Structural Analysis' as it is the only text that addresses this issue and they are implementing exercises using the QSE software which comes with the book.
The Current Offer
We are offering a substantial discount for bulk purchases of the text by academic institutions, over 25 copies, together with an agreement to have the QSE software loaded on their Intranets.
In an agreement with with Adrian McCreadie VIA University College Teknisk-Merkantil Hoskole of Denmark, they have bought the books to issue to the undergraduates and we have agreed that for a number of years, subsequent groups of undergraduates will be able to download the software for their personal use.
But we are very flexible and if would like to discuss another approach, just get in touch.
I believe that you can halve the engineering time spent on projects just thinking clearly first.
In the Response column of the Guardian (14th November 2007), Chris Wise, ex-Arup now founder / director of Expedition Engineering commented on the type of engineers we need to solve the crisis of global warming. The observations are so apposite to the philosophy behind the Structural Modelling courses that they are worth quoting at length.
'We have more than enough engineers. We need magical conjurors'
'....We helped the world get into this mess and we are going to make it our mission to get it out again. This need is poorly served by specialised research universities and corporate engineering practice, rooted as it is in the postwar era and a scientific tendency to avoid responsibility. Nowadays sums are so easy that many engineers try to analyse their way to an answer, diligently solving the wrong problem rather than think their way to a solution. That is the root of the shortage of engineering expertise. I believe that you can halve the engineering time spent on projects just thinking clearly first.'
The world of the structural engineering design office has undergone a complete revolution in the last 20 years. From a time when nearly all calculations for analysis and design were carried out by hand we now see an office where virtually all of the final stages of the design process are completed in seconds at the click of a mouse button.
This places a particular emphasis on the modelling procedures prior to the computer analysis and this requires a new approach to the training of young engineers.
With over 20 years experience in the development of this approach, we believe that we have an effective and reliable system combining texts and short training courses.
David Brohn PhD CEng FIStructE
