Ease of availability analysis software & need to get quick solutions for structural problems has made entry level structural engineering professionals too much dependent on software.

So much so that many believe learning the analysis software is equivalent to learning structural analysis & design, which is not correct.

If you are pursuing structural engineering as a profession or are a student, there are certain basics that you need to have clarity on before starting on any analysis or design program.

[1] Structural Analysis

✔ Structural system or structural frame showing the member & joints
✔Types of joints & supports (pinned, fixed)
✔Qualitative deflected shapes
✔Reactions
✔Member Forces – Axial
✔Bending Moment Diagrams
✔ Shear Forces Diagrams

💡 (Recommended book: Structural Analysis by HC Hibler)

[2] Structural Design

a) Concrete Design

✔ Basics of concrete grade, cover & material properties
✔ Bending theory: Concrete stress block, moment capacity
✔ Shear Design: shear resistance by concrete & reinforcement
✔One way shear checks, punching shear check
✔ Compression Members: Buckling Analysis, compression checks
✔Torsion check
✔ Deflections & other serviceability check

Additionally, the structural codes should be referred for design & detailing.
💡 (Recommended book: Concrete Design by Devdas Menon)

(b) Steel Design

✔Steel grade, Types of steel section
✔Section classification
✔Member design:

o  Tension members (Gross section yielding, rupture, block shear)
o  Columns (buckling checks) – hot rolled sections, built-up sections
o  Bending members: (bending stress, lateral torsional buckling)
o  Shear check, stiffeners

✔Connection Design

o  Bolts: Shear capacity, bearing capacity, tension capacity
o  Welds: Pure shear stress, normal stress
o  Type of welds
o  Various type of connection & their principle

✔Serviceability checks

💡 (Recommended book: Design of steel structure by S S Bhavikatti)

This covers points related to structural analysis and structural design (steel & RCC), though it is not comprehensive & it should be enough to get started.

This is a post on structural engineering basics, please share any points which should be added to the list. Any comments or suggestion are welcomed.