Principles of Structures

This book provides an introduction to the conceptual design of structure for students of architecture and civil engineering. Using a highly visual approach and presenting concepts in a concise way, it provides an understanding of the fundamentals of structures and clear definition of technical terms, whilst avoiding extensive mathematical formulation. The book consists of two main parts. The first introduces the basic concepts essential to the understanding of structural behaviour. The second part is a survey of structural systems and their main structural features. Throughout, the central theme is the close link between form and structure, and between geometry and the flow in the structure.

Preface; Part I Basic concepts; Introduction: The design process; Structure; Forces in structure – equilibrium; Computation of internal forces – examples; Force–displacement relations in structures; Properties of materials and their employment in design; Part II Characteristics of structures: Stability, rigidity, classification of structures; Planar bar structures; Cables and arches; Introduction to spatial structures; Shells; Tension structures; Further reading; Index of Keywords

Ariel Hanaor was born in Israel in 1943. He received his first and second degrees in structural engineering from the Technion, and PhD from the University if Melbourne, Australia. He has wide ranging industrial and academic experience as a structural engineer in four continents. Dr Hanaor has published extensively in the technical literature and is a memebe of the editorial board of the International Journal of Space Structures, as well as of several professional institutions. Special interests include research into the design and behaviour of space structures, and the teaching of structural design and analysis.