BACKGROUND INFORMATION

When the development of the computer arrived in the mid-1980s, powerful software for structural analysis and design was developed. As quickly as the implementation of computer systems took off, the standard structural and design software quickly replaced good old hand drawings and calculations.

Although coming with many benefits, this took the emphasis away from skills in hand analysis and design, to relying on creating calculations created by the computer model. As a result, a skills gap was created in some fundamental areas within the field of structural analysis and the behaviours of structures.

How was this theory proved?

David devised a test for understanding the structural behaviour of a group of graduates from the Arup Partnership. The test was conducted over a 10-year period, over that time there was a clear deficiency in this skill, which at the time hadn’t received a proper definition. To correct this deficiency, a training course was commissioned by Arup, which produced hundreds of graduates over the 10-year period.

Experienced engineers are now recognising they possess the skills of understanding structures, that younger engineers are likely to not have acquired, due to their learning and practice on the computer in the design office. As a result, it was recognised that there is a need to identify a formal way of teaching such skills to replace that informal acquisition.

The Institution of Structural Engineers set up a working party to investigate the issues raised by the published reports that endorsed the views put forward by David Brohn. In response to this, David published the textbook Understanding Structural Analysis’ and courses to accompany, which explains how the understanding of structural behaviour could be used to develop conventional theories of structural analysis.

Feedback from the textbook and training courses produced confirmed that this knowledge enables individuals to develop a deeper understanding of structural behaviour, structural modelling and the use of the computer in the design office.

The use of the computer in structural engineering

Analysing the results of a test in the understanding of structural behaviour showed clearly that a visual schema was crucial to obtaining a qualitative solution. David Brohn started to research the matching of an intuitive graphical user interface to computer software for structural analysis. QSE Ltd was formed in 1986 to exploit this work.

Since then, an extensive range of PC compatible software was developed by QSE for the professional structural engineer. However, the design of the interface was so successful that the same software was a virtual standard in Universities in the UK.

A student version of QSE Plane and QSE Space are included free with the 3rd edition of ‘Understanding Structural Analysis‘.

The future is now

Experienced engineers now recognise that they possess skills of understanding that, because of the universal use of the computer in the design office, the newer generations of engineers that will replace them will not necessarily acquire. The post-graduate period in the design office where these skills were developed on the drawing board and calculation pad have all but disappeared, leading to a recognition of the need to identify a formal way of teaching such skills to replace that informal acquisition.

The feedback that David Brohn has received from both the training courses for academics and structural engineers confirm that these courses are able to substantially change the direction and emphasis of those who attend them. It also identifies that they are able to train for the development of an understanding of structural behaviour, structural modelling and the use of the computer in the design office.

References

  1. Brohn, D.M. (1973) A test of Structural understanding. Paper presented verbally at the Conference Concrete Objectives for Education, Cement and Concrete Association, Slough, December.
  2. Brohn, D.M. (1976) The assessment of graduate skills in the discipline of Structural Engineering. Assessment in Higher Education, Bath University, 1, 69-85.
  3. Brohn, D. M. and Cowan, J. (1977) Teaching towards an improved understanding of structural behaviour, The Structural Engineer, 55, 9-17.
  4. Brohn, D.M. and Cowan, J. (1977) Discussion on the paper ‘Teaching towards an improved understanding of structural behaviour’, The Structural Engineer, 55, 49-515.
  5. Brohn, D.M. (1977) The Analysis of Indeterminate Structures – A System for self-instruction. Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic.
  6. Brohn, D.M. (1977) The Use of the Computer as a self-instructional aid. International Conference on computer applications in developing countries, Bangkok, August 1977.
  7. Brohn, D.M. (1978) The Use of the Plane Frames Program as an aid to Learning in Structural Analysis. Symposium on computer assisted learning in Civil and Structural Engineering, Swansea, September 1978.
  8. Brohn, D.M. (1981) The Use of the Plane Frames Program as an aid to Learning in Structural Analysis, Computers and Education, 5, 37-44.
  9. Brohn, D.M. (1978) The role of a Visual Schema in the teaching and assessment of structural analysis. Conference on the Teaching of Analysis and Design of Structures, University of Nottingham, September 1978.
  10. Brohn, D.M. (1981) Teaching structural engineering – a new paradigm. Working party on the qualitative analysis of structural behaviour, Meeting 21 May 1981.
  11. Brohn, D.M. (1981) A new paradigm, Institute of Psychosynthesis, Bournemouth, 16 November 1981.
  12. Brohn, D.M. (1982) Structural engineering – a change in philosophy. The Structural Engineer, 60A, 117-120.
  13. Brohn, D.M. (1982) The development of intuitive skills in structural engineering. The Education of the Engineer for Innovative and Entrepreneurial Activity. Proceedings of the annual conference of the European Society for Engineering Education, Delft, 23- 25 June 1982, 181-186.
  14. Brohn, D.M. (1983) Academic priorities in structural engineering – the important of a visual schema. The Structural Engineer, 61A, 17-19.
  15. Brohn D. M. (1984) Understanding Structural Analysis. Granada, London, 1st Edition.
  16. Brohn D. M. (1990) Understanding Structural Analysis. Blackwells, London, 2nd Edition.
  17. Institution of Structural Engineers. Qualitative Analysis of Structures, Institution of Structural Engineers, London,
  18. Brohn D. M. (2021) Viewpoint – Structural behaviour revisited. The Structural Engineer, 34-38.