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Utilization of MATLAB in Structural Analysis

Shahnam Navaee, Nirmal K. Das Georgia Southern University

Abstract

In this paper an alternate approach to analyzing structures using MATLAB software is discussed. The procedure is to be implemented in teaching a structural analysis course offered in the Civil Engineering Technology Program at Georgia Southern University in the fall semester of 2002. A series of carefully selected set of problems are designed to familiarize the students to the MATLAB programming tools needed to analyze statically determinate as well as indeterminate structures. The problems designed for this project cover a number of major topics typically discussed in an introductory level structural analysis course such as equilibrium, shear and moment diagrams, and deflections. By performing the exercises selected for this course, the students learn how to utilize MATLAB to perform a variety of tasks related to analyzing structures. These tasks can involve activities such as determining the reactions in a simple statically determinate beam using static equilibrium considerations, or analyzing a more complicated indeterminate frame using the method of slope-deflection. The procedure implemented in this project arms the students with a powerful computational tool they could utilize to verify the accuracy of their developed hand-solutions. This project also helps the students to gain a more in-depth understanding of the structural concepts, since this knowledge is needed in writing MATLAB script files. By performing the exercises designed for this course, the students acquire a better appreciation for the power of computers and their application to solve structural analysis problems. Included in this paper are examples to illustrate the procedure described.

I. Introduction

MATLAB is a powerful computing software which is presently utilized in a number of educational institutions around the country to solve mathematics and engineering-related problems. The name of the software MATLAB stands for “Matrix Laboratory” since the built-in capabilities of this package are specifically designed for efficient handling of matrix and array operations. The effective and easy- to-use computing environment of MATLAB along with availability of a large number of helpful MATLAB built-in functions has rendered it the popular tool of choice for many educators in various engineering fields. Using the MATLAB interactive environment, programs placed in script files can easily be created and edited to perform the desired computations and to generate the needed output. The capabilities of MATLAB can further be enhanced by additional “toolbox” modules that can separately be purchased through The MathWorks, Inc., the company that produces the MATLAB software. These modules are designed to perform a variety of specialized tasks. The solutions presented in this paper are obtained using the basic features of MATLAB without utilizing any specialized MATLAB toolboxes. Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2002, American Society for Engineering Education

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Navaee, S., & Das, N. (2002, June), Utilization Of Matlab In Structural Analysis Paper presented at 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada. 10.18260/1-2--10412