Incorporating Software Usage in Teaching Structural Analysis Courses in Civil Engineering

This paper illustrates an approach of software integration in teaching structural analysis courses in civil engineering.The authors describe key facets of their methodology to enhance the students understanding of the engineering notions and to motivate them exploring alternative solutions to practical problems.Two particular cases, involving instruction of undergraduate and graduate level classes, are here depicted.Software packages for technical computing (MATLAB) and finite element analysis (ANSYS) served for development of classroom demonstrations and assignments in a matrix analysis of structures undergraduate course.Transient dynamic finite element program (LS-DYNA) and pre and post-processor (LsPrePost) were employed for illustration of wave propagation concepts taught in an impact strength of materials and crashworthiness graduate class.To help students acquiring the necessary skills to effectively use these software applications and to understand the process by which commercial software is correctly used, Matlab training sessions, ANSYS invited lectures and LS-DYNA tutorials were incorporated in the development of the courses.These approaches helped students to interactively become acquainted with the engineering concepts and to go beyond the information presented during class.Furthermore, the necessity to validate the assignments results obtained using the software packages stimulated students to reconsider and deepen the understanding of the theoretical concepts.