Construction is the largest industry in the world. Within a Civil Engineering context, ‘construction' may refer to bridges, dams, earthworks, foundations, offshore structures, pipelines, power stations, railways, retaining structures, roads, tunnels, waterways and water/wastewater infrastructures. within a Mechanical Engineering context, on the other hand, ‘construction' may refer to airframes, aircraft fuselages, boilers, pressure vessels, motor coaches, railroad carriages, cranes, elevators and ships.<br><br>Anything constructed needs to be designed first. Structural Engineering deals with the analysis and design aspects required to ensure a safe, functional and economical end product. During the design process the designer may constantly interact with specialists such as architects and operational managers. Once the design is finalized, the implementation involves people to handle aspects such as statutory approvals, planning, quality assurance and material procurement. The entire exercise can be undertaken in a highly-coordinated way if everyone involves understands the terminology or ‘project language'. To understand this language fully, it is necessary to appreciate the principles of structural analysis and design.<br><br>Participants in this course will gain a basic knowledge of structural engineering that includes the principles of analysis of structures and their application, the behaviour of materials under loading, the selection of construction materials, and the design fundamentals for Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) and steel structures. The emphasis will be on the determination of the nature and quantum of stress developed under loads, and the way structures offer resistance to it. Being the most widely used construction materials, RCC and steel will be covered in detail, though masonry and timber are also introduced.