Structural Engineering
What gives an engineer confidence to project and build something as large and graceful as the Golden Gate Bridge (the creation of late Purdue professor Charles A. Ellis) knowing that it has to withstand the demands of gravity, wind, and earthquakes?
The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California
Why did Gaudi think of the Sagrada Familia “upside-down” before he started building it?
The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain (inverted model on the left, actual structure on the right)
Who decides how much reinforcing steel goes into a reinforced concrete column supporting 100 floors in a skyscraper? And how do they make that decision?
How far apart can we place the supports of steel girders in our bridges?
If these questions spark your interest, if you would like to test to failure structural models in one of the largest laboratories in the country, then structural engineering is the right career choice for you. Join Purdue’s School Civil Engineering and enroll in structural engineering courses to leave a mark that will benefit and inspire many, and last the test of time as the Golden Gate has.
Spotlights
October 25, 2011
The Turkish civil engineer who has been working for many years to save Istanbul from an expected killer quake says the current devastation in Ercis is largely a product of the inability to enforce existing codes to ensure safe structures.
October 10, 2011
Researchers are perfecting a new technique that could speed construction of skyscrapers while also providing enough stiffness and strength to withstand earthquakes and forces from high winds.
September 28, 2011
Hoon Sohn, Curtis Visiting Professor of Civil Engineering at Purdue University, is the recipient of this year's Structural Health Monitoring Person of the Year.
July 28, 2011
Prof. Robert Connor is taking advantage of the demolition of a bridge spanning the Ohio River to learn more about how bridges collapse in efforts to reduce the annual cost of inspecting large spans.
March 25, 2011
This two-part seminar on 4/5 & 4/14 is a joint effort between structural engineering teams at Purdue University and Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile.
March 23, 2011
Congratulations to Amit Varma for being named a 2011 Purdue University Faculty Scholar. The program recognizes outstanding faculty members at the West Lafayette campus who are on an accelerated path for academic distinction.
February 15, 2011
CE faculty led in the development of a report summarizing the community vision for the future of earthquake engineering research. This report will be used to define the next generation of research and the role of the cyberinfrastructure and experimental facilities within the NEES network.
February 8, 2011
The 2011 Drag Distinguished Lecture will be held on Friday, Feb. 18th, 4:30pm in FRNY G140, and will feature Paul M. Skelton, PE, with a lecture titled "Moveable Structures."
January 12, 2011
Congratulations to Prof. Mete Sozen, honored by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute with the 2011 George W. Housner Medal for his extraordinary and lasting contributions to public earthquake safety through keystone research and the development and application of earthquake hazard reduction codes, practices and policies.
November 23, 2010
On Friday, Nov. 19th, two teams of CE students placed first and second in an international competition involving students from eight universities in Japan, Turkey & the U.S.
November 17, 2010
CE researchers are studying the effects of fire on steel structures, such as buildings and bridges, using a one-of-a-kind heating system and a specialized laboratory for testing large beams and other components.
October 19, 2010
Civil engineers studying the effects of Haiti's devastating earthquake have concluded that a relatively simple system could be used by officials to quickly decide how to modify existing buildings and construct new ones that would better withstand future quakes.
July 2, 2010
Congratulations to Prof. Mete Sozen for being named an honorary member of the Architectural Institute of Japan.
April 6, 2010
A team of CE students installed sensors last summer on tall light poles to measure how the poles react to stress from high winds.
February 18, 2010
For 35 years, Molly Stetler has supported the faculty and students of the structural engineering group. She is the person behind the scenes making sure that everyone can do what they have come to Purdue to do.
February 12, 2010
Prof. Ayhan Irfanoglu is among a contingent of experts traveling to Haiti on Feb. 28 to assess building damage and gather data to help determine how to build structures in the future that are better able to withstand powerful earthquakes.
January 5, 2010
Congratulations to Professor Emeritus C. Douglas Sutton, recipient of the 2009 Medal of Honor from the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute. The Medal of Honor, PCI's Highest award, recognizes a member's outstanding service to the institute or contributions to the industry over a long period of time.
October 14, 2009
Prof. Amit Varma is leading a team of researchers working with Westinghouse Electric Co. to ensure that a new design for nuclear power plants will stand up to strong earthquakes.
February 6, 2009
The latest seminar in the Drag Distinguished Lecture Series was held at Bowen Lab on Friday, March 27th. Michael D. Engelhardt, the DeWitt C. Greer Centennial Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, gave his lecture titled, "Structural Fire Engineering: Current Issues and Future Trends."
October 23, 2007
Dr. Amit Varma was recently invited to serve as an advisory committee member for the research program and code development effort, "Specification for Safety Related Steel Plate Concrete Structures for Nuclear Facilities."
