Faculty of

Environment and
Technology

Academic Year: 2016

Examination Period: November

Module Leader: Kanthasamy Ubamanyu

Module No: UBGLV5-10-2
Title of Module: STRUCTURES A

Examination Date: 15th November 2016

Examination Start time: 09.00 a.m.
Duration of Examination: 01 Hour

Instructions to Students
This paper contains THREE questions in three pages
Candidates must answer All THREE Questions.
Design calculations should be carried out according to the Euro codes.

Materials supplied to the students will be:

Number of Examination Booklets (+any continuation booklets as 1
required) per Examination
Number of sheets of Graph Paper size G3 (Normal) 0

Additional Instructions to Invigilators:

Calculators may be used subject to University regulations Yes
Students are allowed to keep Examination Question Paper Yes
Material supplied to the students: Yes
Extracts of Text book: Understanding Structures, by Derek Seward.
Extracts of British Standard Codes: BS EN 1993-1-1:2005
(must be collected with answer booklet)
Additional Specialized Material: NONE

Treasury tags will be supplied

Page 1 of 3
Question 1 [35 Marks]

1) The column beam arrangement of the floor of an office building is shown in

Figure Q1.1.Consider the arrangement of the slabs indicate in the drawing.
The cross section of the floor is also given in the Figure Q1.2.

Show the detailed work to determine the characteristic values of loads

transferred to the beam B2. Consider an imposed load of 3.0kN/m2 on the
floor.
(Note: Indicate the calculations clearly. No marks will be given only for the
values)
[15 Marks]

Figure Q1.1: General layout of the floor Figure Q1.2: Cross section X-X

2) The beam B2 can be considered as simply supported beam. The beam has
a rectangular cross section of 225mm X 450mm and it is made out of
reinforced concrete. It is required to optimize the beam by minimizing the
maximum moment and Shear force. Hence determine the critical moment
and shear force indicating the locations clearly.
[20 Marks]

Page 2 of 3
Question 2 [30 Marks]

A reinforced concrete column of square cross section has dimensions 300mm

X 300mm. The column supports a characteristic dead load of 700kN and
characteristic imposed load of 550kN. Grade 30 concrete and high strength
reinforcement having a yield strength of 460 N/mm2 was used to suit local
conditions.

a) Determine the amount of longitudinal reinforcement. Also specify

transverse reinforcement (shear links) requirement. [10 Marks]
b) Determine the dimensions of a suitable square pad foundation assuming
it is bears on medium dense sand and gravel mix soil having a
permissible bearing pressure of 200kN/m2. (Round up to the first decimal
point) [10 Marks]
c) It was identified that the soil bearing capacity is reduced by 30% due to
the rising of water table during the rainy season. Determine the carrying
capacity of the column with the same pad footing size calculated in
section b) [05 Marks]
d) Draw the stress and strain diagrams for rectangular cross section of
a section having a breadth of 225mm and depth of 450 mm, when the
section is
i) At first yielding point
ii) Fully plastic [05 Marks]
(Note: The section is subjected to pure bending. Use notations for yield stress
- y, yield strain y)

Question 3 [35 Marks]

1) A simply supported beam of 7 m span carries a characteristic dead load

including self-weight and a characteristic imposed load of 15kN/m and
10kN/m respectively. Check the suitability of a universal beam section
254 x 102 x 28 UB with respect to deflection. Partial factor of safety for dead
load and imposed load are 1.35 and 1.5 respectively. [10 Marks]

2) A universal steel column section of 254x254x89 of grade S275 is subjected

to an axial load of 1700 kN.
a. Determine the class of the section [10 Marks]
b. Check for the compressive resistance of the section [05 Marks]
3) State the axis of buckling for any H section using necessary sketches.
Explain the reason for buckling about that particular axis. [05 Marks]

Page 3 of 3