Global Structural Analysis of Buildings

A practical reference on the design and assessment of building structures which helps readers to check the safety and overall performance of buildings in minutes. It is suitable for practising civil and structural engineers in engineering firms, consultancies and building research organisations.
The global structural analysis of buildings can be carried out following two routes. First, sophisticated and complex computer packages based on the finite element method can handle even huge structures with a great number of elements. Second, analytical methods can also deal with whole structures leading to simple closed-form solutions, with the additional benefit of providing fast checking facilities for the computer based methods. This book follows the latter route. As well as describing and solving the complex theoretical problems of bracing systems with real-world examples, the author presents simple procedures and closed-form formulae which make it possible for the practising structural engineer to carry out a general structural analysis of the bracing system of building structures in minutes. "Global Structural Analysis of Buildings" is a practical reference for professional civil and structural engineers in construction firms, consultancies and building research organizations. The theoretical aspects of the book should appeal to postgraduates, lecturers and researchers of structural analysis and design.