How to Succeed in Structural Steel Design
Overview
As a structural engineering student, the design classes are the pinnacle of your curriculum: all your previous classes (i.e. statics, mechanics of materials, structural analysis, etc.) give you a foundation in the theories you’ll apply to determine loads, deflections, etc. Once you begin your design classes, you’ll learn how to apply those principles in a practical way. Every aspiring structural engineer should take concrete and steel at the very least, and if possible timber and masonry as well. I should note that this article is geared towards students in the US or those who use US-based design guides.
Success in steel design will depend on your ability to use the AISC Steel Construction Manual (SCM):
This manual, often referred to the as “the steel bible” or “the good book”, is nearly impossible to use efficiently without the help of tabs.
As such, I’ve prepared this handy guide for marking it up:
Use a fine-tip marker to make all your labels (otherwise the ink smears.) The pages in the manual are too thin for a highlighter, so you’ll rely on your tabs to find things.
An introductory steel design will include the following topics:
- Tension members (Chapter D, 16.1–26 in the SCM)
- Compression members (Chapter E, 16.1–31)
- Beams (Chapter F, 16.1–45)
- Beam-columns (Chapter H, 16.1–73)
- Connections (Chapter J, 16.1–105)
Studying
Steel design can be an easy, straight-forward class if you study for it the right way. I have the following suggestions for effective steel design study:
- Know not only the equations but also how to derive them. A common pitfall for unscrupulous engineering students is this idea that all you have to do is memorize equations and a step-by-step process to get the correct answer. These students aim to take a short cut by substituting a genuine understanding of concepts with simple rote memorization. If you want to get the most out of your education, you should be able to not only solve the problem and get the right answer, but also explain the purpose of all the checks and calculations and why they’re necessary. Wily professors will weed out the less competent engineering students by making subtle changes in test questions that require you to apply conceptual knowledge.
- Memorize all the properties of steel that appear in the design equations. Learn not only their names, but also their significance. You’ll be better off in the long run if you get in the habit of saying, for example, “critical load” instead of “Pcr.” There’s a list of all the symbols in the SCM right after the table of contents.
- Understand that the SCM is as much a textbook as it is a reference manual. The chapters A-N in the back of the book include detailed explanations of all the steps you need to reach a correct answer. Most professors will give you timed exams, so it’s unwise to rely on these sections when it’s exam time. They are, however, always there when you need them.
- One of the best strategies for exam preparation is writing your own study guide/cheat sheet. A daunting (but rewarding) task is to write your own design flowchart for columns, beams, connections, etc. A design flowchart serves as a handy resource for assignments, and the process of preparing it is a valuable learning exercise.
- Repetition is the mother of all skill. If you can get hands on as many problems as possible and do them over and over again, the design processes will become a second nature to you. Interestingly, AISC publishes a massive list of practice problems for you to use. Any decent textbook will likewise be full of practice problems for you to use to hone your steel design skills.
Additional Resources
Besides the steel manual and your textbook, another resource can be handy for learning the ins and outs of structural steel design:
This manual has several easy-to-read explanations and examples. It’s a handy supplement to other resources from your class. It’s also handy to have when you take the PE Exam.
