TESTIMONIALS

Professor David Brohn’s visual approach to teaching structural mechanics has transformed my understanding of structural behaviour. The course brilliantly connects theoretical concepts with practical applications through clear visualisation of bending moments, shear forces and deflected shapes.

The “golden rules” emphasised throughout the lectures such as “if a part remains straight after deflection, there is no bending moment” and “at a simple support, the bending moment is always zero” provide invaluable conceptual anchors that help develop engineering intuition beyond calculations.

The systematic progression from simple beams to complex frames built my knowledge logically, whilst the practice exercises reinforced key concepts. I particularly valued the visual correlation between loading conditions and resulting forces, which helps immediately identify critical design areas.

This course will enhance my professional practice by enabling quick identification of structural behaviour patterns without relying solely on computer analysis. The visual thinking methods will prove invaluable for efficient design verification and structural optimisation.

To fellow civil and structural engineers, I strongly recommend this course as an essential foundation. The conceptual understanding gained provides crucial “sanity checks” when reviewing software outputs and develops the engineering judgement that distinguishes exceptional structural engineers.

For IStructE exam preparation, the course directly supports success by developing the exact skills needed for the institution’s challenging design questions. Similarly, for the Certificate of Structural Behaviour exam, the focus on fundamental principles provides the conceptual framework necessary to approach structural design questions with confidence and clarity.

Thank you for providing such an excellent and valuable learning experience.

After finishing my civil engineering degree in 2016, with limited analysis skills. This course has reignited my passion for structural engineering. I’ve loved practicing the problems everyday, and learning the behavioral aspects of structural engineering. The book, the videos and the practice problems are all great. Thank you!

Dear David Brohn (MBE FIStuctE),

Thank you for your amazing book, which I will never forget throughout my future career path. I am Nay Myo Htet Paing, an MSc Civil Engineering Structures graduate from the City, University of London and also currently volunteering at IStructE London Young Members Group. Your book has provided me with a solid foundation in understanding qualitative analysis. This is the first-ever book I invested myself in, and I must say that I have gained so much confidence in my self-learning. The unique approach presented in the book has allowed me to understand concepts in ways that other textbooks have never done before.

So far, I have successfully completed the Analysis of Statically Determinate Structures section from your book, and I am confident that I will accelerate my self-learning progress with your Understanding Structural Behaviour online course and the Structural Model Kits.

Thank you once again for your invaluable contribution to my education. I look forward to continuing to learn from your expertise and insights.

I am modestly proud to announce that I have achieved the ‘Certificate in Structural Behaviour’ from The Institution of Structural Engineers UK and am now eligible to utilize the GIStructE designation.
It is imperative to highlight that the examination poses a significant challenge, particularly for engineers unfamiliar with the Qualitative approach to structural analysis. I wholeheartedly endorse ‘Understanding Structural Analysis’ by David Brohn MBE PhD CEng FIStructE as the primary study material for the examination, as well as for all civil engineers seeking to deepen their understanding of the subject matter, regardless of their intent to pursue certification.

I got my certificate in structural behaviour after passing the structural behaviour exam issued by The Institution of Structural Engineers. This certificate is an internationally recognised mark of competence that proves you have the skills valued by employers: fundamental knowledge and understanding of structural behaviour, including trusses, beams, plasticity, and dynamics.
Many thanks to David Brohn MBE PhD CEng FIStructE , Mark Moppett and The Structural Exam for helping me explore the importance of this skill.

The structural behaviour course sets a very high standard as it is one of the best courses I’ve ever taken (probably my most favourite one of any course I’ve completed and also helped me pass the Certificate of Structural Behaviour Exam by IStructE).

Brilliant book. I’ve attached the contents page and and example page of the book. The format is excellent; every page has 4 windows with diagrams and is accompanied with text to explain it. All ideas are walked through in a number of windows; for instance, statical indeterminacy is explained through 55 diagram windows and their accompanying text. Astonished by how easy the content is digested in this manner. Pages have an abundance of space too, which is great for jotting thoughts down in pencil. Must buy.

On a personal note, I wanted to say that I agree with you completely concerning the need for improving students and graduates understanding for the calculations they (or the software they use) produce. This is something that is perhaps even more necessary now than when your book was first published and is something I try to support in my own teaching.

Computers have changed the way structures are designed. Before computers, engineers were forced to think through the static systems, including simplifying them, so that calculations could be carried out. The engineer had so to follow the forces all the way through the structure, and with it having a detailed knowledge of the course of the forces. The use of computers has made it possible to model entire structures, have them calculated and get a lot of results that is difficult to overview and see through.

So, even if many young engineers are even extremely skilled at using calculation software, it becomes easy to put numbers in and take numbers out, whereby the static understanding of the structures actual behaviour easily disappears. Understanding how structures works is very important, not only to ensure reasonable behaviour, but also that the structures have the necessary safety. Therefore, it is important that the young engineers are provided with knowledge and intuition of the behaviour of structures, so that, for example, simply by looking at a structure, they can determine whether it is a sound structural principle. That is why courses in understanding structural behaviour are very important.