Structural systems and conceptual design of cantilevers
Name
890136898-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
13.11 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
56993fca7fa30686f839912019ff1232
Author(s)
Han, Lingxiao, M. Eng. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Advisor(s)
Pierre Ghisbain and Jerome. J. Connor.
Date Issued
2014
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Cantilevers are a popular way to express form and create unique feature spaces. From a design perspective, cantilevers are amazing feats for the built environment, and structurally, present many opportunities. However, conceptual cantilever design can be a difficult task for Architects and Structural Engineers because there are many structural systems or strategies designers could choose to carry loads to supports. This thesis begins with examples of built cantilevers which are distilled into five categories of structural systems. These structural systems serve as the beginning of the design process. In addition to choosing a structural system, there are many parameters of a cantilever that can be altered that all impact the overall structural performance to varying degrees. This thesis proposes to study these parameters to better understand how they relate to one another through analytical derivations of global deflection and member forces. Secondly, with these analytical relationships, this thesis attempts to quantitatively measure the effectiveness of each structural system through an optimization sequence that takes into account both material use and deflection criteria. This method of optimization can then be applied to particular examples and be used as a systematic approach to conceptual cantilever design. A design example is optimized for material weight while satisfying a given deflection criteria, as a way to illustrate the differences between each structural system.
Description
Thesis: M. Eng., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2014.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 109-110).
Subjects
Civil and Environmental Engineering.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Terms of Use
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