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Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.

Print Price: $13.50

Format:
Paperback
144 pp.
approximately 20 b/w line illustrations, 111 mm x 174 mm

ISBN-13:
9780199671939

Publication date:
September 2014

Imprint: OUP UK


Structural Engineering: A Very Short Introduction

David Blockley

Series : Very Short Introductions

Have you ever wondered how it's possible to build a skyscraper, a big bridge, a jumbo jet, or a cruise liner?

Everything has structure. Structure is the difference between a random pile of components and a fully functional object. Through structure the parts connect to make the whole. Natural structures vary from the very smallest part of an atom to the entire cosmology of the universe. Man-made structures include buildings, bridges, dams, ships, aeroplanes, rockets, trains, cars and fair-ground rides and all forms of artefacts, even large artistic sculptures. The wide range of different industries in which structural engineers work includes construction, transport, manufacturing, and aerospace.

In this Very Short Introduction, David Blockley explores, in non-technical language, what structural engineering is all about, including examples ranging from the Shard in London and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to jumbo jets like the A380 and the Queen Elizabeth cruise liner.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Readership : Ideal for students of engineering, architecture, and science, as well as interested general readers.

1. Form and function: two sides of the same coin
2. Does form follow function? Resilience, purpose and delight
3. From Stonehenge to Skyscrapers: Back for the future
4. Understanding structure: freedom by degrees
5. Movers and shakers: structural dynamics
6. Resilience: How safe is safe enough?
Further reading
Index

There are no Instructor/Student Resources available at this time.

David Blockley is an engineer and an academic scientist. He has been Head of the Department of Civil Engineering and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Bristol. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of Structural Engineers, and the Royal Society of Arts. He has written four other books including The Penguin Dictionary of Civil Engineering (2005) and Bridges:The science and art of the world's most inspiring structures (2011).

Special Features

  • Looks at what structural engineering is and how it fits into other branches of engineering.
  • Examines the close relationship between architectural and structural form.
  • Explores how structures work including issues such as safety and logistics.
  • Considers it affects the material world around us.
  • Includes a number of different structures from civil, mechanical, aeronautical, and aerospace engineering.
  • Part of the bestselling Very Short Introductions series - over six million copies sold worldwide.