Modeling for Structural Analysis

Graham Powell presents a common-sense approach for structural engineers working in the modern world where structural analysis is typically done by computer, and where modeling (setting up a useful analysis model) and interpretation (using analysis results to make design decisions) can be more important than analysis theory and computational methods. The book uses physical explanations to describe, among other things, the Direct Stiffness Method; practical methods for modeling inelastic behavior; how to model P-Δ and P-d effects; and why buckling occurs. The book emphasizes behavior, and how this behavior can be modeled for analysis. It shows that structural analysis is at best approximate and explains how "capacity design" can be used to improve performance, laying out the foundation for Performance Based Design (PBD).