Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT)

Professional Certificate of Competency in Structural Design for Non Structural Engineers

Course at a Glance

• Code: CSD
• Course Length: 3 Months
• Course taught in English

In this interactive 3-month live online course, you will:

• Fully understand the role of a structural engineer
• Predict the behaviour of structural members under loading
• Understand the concept of stress functions such as tension, compression, shear and bending
• Perform basic analysis of statically determinate and indeterminate structures
• Analyse the deformation of members under Loading
• Understand the significance of material properties in design
• Undertake the basic design of Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) structures
• Undertake the basic design of steel structures
• Undertake the basic design of masonry structures
• Undertake the basic design of timber structural members

Course Details

Construction is the largest industry in the world. Within a Civil Engineering context, ‘construction’ may refer to bridges, dams, earthworks, foundations, offshore structures, pipelines, power stations, railways, retaining structures, roads, tunnels, waterways and water/wastewater infrastructures. Within a Mechanical Engineering context, on the other hand, ‘construction’ may refer to airframes, aircraft fuselages, boilers, pressure vessels, motor coaches, railroad carriages, cranes, elevators and ships.

Anything constructed needs to be designed first. Structural Engineering deals with the analysis and design aspects required to ensure a safe, functional and economical end product. During the design process, the designer may constantly interact with specialists such as architects and operational managers. Once the design is finalized, the implementation involves people to handle aspects such as statutory approvals, planning, quality assurance and material procurement. The entire exercise can be undertaken in a highly-coordinated way if everyone involves understands the terminology or ‘project language’. To understand this language fully, it is necessary to appreciate the principles of structural analysis and design.

Participants in this course will gain a basic knowledge of structural engineering that includes the principles of analysis of structures and their application, the behaviour of materials under loading, the selection of construction materials, and the design fundamentals for Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) and steel structures. The emphasis will be on the determination of the nature and quantum of stress developed under loads, and the way structures offer resistance to it. Being the most widely used construction materials, RCC and steel will be covered in detail, though masonry and timber are also introduced.

Benefits of Online Learning to Students

• Cost-effective: no travel or accommodation necessary
• Interactive: live, interactive sessions let you communicate with your instructor and fellow students
• Flexible: short interactive sessions over the Internet which you can attend from your home or office
• Practical: perform exercises by remotely accessing our labs and simulation software
• Expert instructors: instructors have extensive industry experience; they are not just 'academics'
• No geographical limits: learn from any location, all you need is an Internet connection
• Constant support: from your instructor(s) and a dedicated Learning Support Officer for the complete duration of the course
• International insight: interact and network with participants from around the globe and gain valuable insight into international practice

Benefits of Online Learning to Employers

• Lower training costs: no travel or accommodation necessary
• Less downtime: short webinars (60-90 minutes) and flexible training methods means less time away from work
• Retain employees: keep staff who may be considering a qualification as a full-time study
• Increase efficiency: improve your engineering or technical employees’ skills and knowledge
• International insight: students will have access to internationally based professional instructors and students

How Does it Work?

EIT Online Learning courses involve a combination of live, interactive sessions over the Internet with a professional instructor, set readings, and assignments. The courses include simulation software and remote laboratory applications to let you put theory to practice, and provide you with constant support from a dedicated Learning Support Officer.

Practical Exercises and Remote Laboratories

As part of the groundbreaking new way of teaching, our online engineering courses use a series of remote laboratories (labs) and simulation software, to facilitate your learning and to test the knowledge you gain during your course. These involve complete working labs set up at various locations of the world into which you will be able to log to and proceed through the various practical sessions.

These will be supplemented by simulation software, running either remotely or on your computer, to ensure you gain the requisite hands-on experience. No one can learn much solely from lectures, the labs and simulation software are designed to increase the absorption of the materials and to give you a practical orientation of the learning experience. All this will give you a solid, practical exposure to the key principles covered and will ensure that you obtain maximum benefit from your course.