Determine the shear forces and bending moments in a beam under various loading conditions.
Coursework 1: Experimental Testing Portfolio
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Programme: |
BSc (Hons) Construction Management & Degree Apprenticeship |
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Level: |
5 |
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Module: |
Design and Structures |
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Academic Year: |
2024/2025 |
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Session: |
Term 2 |
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Coursework title: |
Coursework 1: Experimental Testing Portfolio |
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Submission Deadline: |
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Word Count: |
1500 Words |
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Learning Outcomes: |
1,3 |
In this coursework, you will prepare a report regarding your experimental testing session on the 3rd of February 2025. Using the collected data as your start point, you are expected to complete both Shear Force and Bending Moment calculations for each experiment.
Aim:
To determine the shear forces and bending moments in a beam experiment and relate your practical (measured) results to the theoretical (expected) results.
Objectives:
As a result of completion of this laboratory assignment, the student should be able to:
- Determine the shear forces and bending moments in a beam under various loading conditions.
- Compare experimental measurements of shear forces and bending moments with those calculated based on theory.
Your coursework will be divided into two main sections that reflect the stages of professional technical report practice. In Section A, you will begin with an introduction to the report, providing an overview of the shear force and bending moments, including a description of the experiments. This will establish the foundation for a rationale behind the experiments. Then, you will present your Shear Force experimental testing process as well as the results and discussions of the shear force experiments.
Section B will focus on the bending moment experiments. You will explain the testing procedure as well as presenting results and discussions of the results.
Please see the important points below:
- The students are expected to use their own data which was collected during the experimental testing on the 3rd February 2025.
- The report should be submitted in .doc or .pdf format.
- Students have to use the template of the report on Moodle. The coursework should follow the sections provided in the template. Students have to add critical reflections, comments and appropriate calculations to explain the results. The report must be original, and the students have to add the appropriate references to the reports.
- You can use figures from the “Shear Force and Bending Moment Experiments – Guidelines” on Moodle (under “Experimental Testing” section); however, you should not copy and paste any text from there. Please use your own words while you are writing up your report.
- The coursework will be assessed according to the “COURSEWORK 1 - ASSESSMENT RUBRIC” which can be seen on the course page on Moodle.
- The word length of the report should be around 1500 words (+/- 10%). This word count excludes Abstract, Tables, Table and Figure Titles, your calculations, and References.
- The maximum length of the report is 15 pages, including references, figures and tables (approximately 1500 words).
Example Answer
Abstract:
The purpose of this report is to present the experimental testing results of shear force and bending moments in beams subjected to various loading conditions. The results obtained during the testing session on the 3rd of February 2025 are compared with theoretical predictions. This report includes a detailed analysis of the shear force and bending moment experiments, the testing procedure, data analysis, and a comparison between experimental and theoretical outcomes.
Section A: Shear Force Experiments
Introduction:
Shear forces are internal forces within a beam that act perpendicular to the axis of the beam and cause the material to shear. Bending moments, on the other hand, are the internal forces that cause the beam to bend under the application of loads. These two forces are fundamental in structural analysis, especially when designing load-bearing beams in construction. This section covers the experimental procedure for determining shear forces in a beam and compares the results with theoretical calculations.
Shear Force Experimental Procedure:
The shear force experiment involved applying a series of concentrated loads to a simply supported beam. The setup consisted of a beam supported at two points with known distances between them. Various loads were applied at predetermined points along the beam, and the shear force at each point was measured using load cells and strain gauges.
Continued...
