Equipment and experiments are provided for teaching the behavior of structures to undergraduate engineers. Instruction begins with simple linear elastic experiments, progressing through structures exhibiting geometrically non-linear behavior (e.g., beam-column) and post linear conditions involving inelastic material response (e.g., the ultimate load capacity of reinforced concrete beams). All experiments will be done using small-scale structures that can be easily prefabricated and built by students. The overall objectives of these experiments are: (i) to enable the student to gain a better understanding of structural behavior; (ii) to give them an additional experience in experimental work beyond that gained in the first materials behavior laboratory course; and (iii) to serve as a motivational force and as a general enrichment of their educational experience.
