Search result: Catalogue data in Autumn Semester 2023

Civil Engineering Master Information
3. Semester
Major Courses
Major in Structural Engineering
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
101-0119-00LStructural Masonry Information W3 credits2GN. Mojsilovic
AbstractKnowledge of the engineering properties of materials for masonry construction.
Technical understanding of the structural behaviour of load-bearing masonry structures subjected to in-plane forces and combined actions.
Develop a technical competence for design procedures for load-bearing masonry structures by means of exercises.
Learning objectiveKnowledge of the engineering properties of materials for masonry construction.
Technical understanding of the structural behaviour of load-bearing masonry structures subjected to in-plane forces and combined actions.
Develop a technical competence for design procedures for load-bearing masonry structures by means of exercises.
ContentHistorical Development of Masonry Construction
Detailing and Execution
Construction Materials
Structural Behaviour and Modelling
Structural Analysis and Dimensioning
Reinforced Masonry
Seismic Behaviour
Lecture notesLecture notes
Literature"Mauerwerk, Bemessungsbeispiele zur Norm SIA 266", SIA Dokumentation D0257, 2015
"Mauerwerk", Norm SIA 266, 2015
"Mauerwerk - Ergänzende Festlegungen", Norm SIA 266/1, 2015
Prerequisites / NoticeAdvanced Structural Concrete
101-0129-00LNon Destructive Evaluation & Rehabilitation of Existing StructuresW3 credits2GE. Chatzi, B. Herraiz Gómez, G. Kocur
AbstractIntroduction to non destructive evaluation tools and quantitative structural analyses and verifications for condition assessment of existing structures and subsequent decisions on their rehabilitation.
Learning objectiveThe goal is for students to familiarize themselves with the handling of assessment and rehabilitation of existing structures from the perspective of a consulting engineer, following a systematic approach as described in current codes and to further learn how to use new non destructive evaluation technologies.
ContentThis course is organized in two main pillars. The first pillar describes the technologies that are available for non destructive evaluation of structures and delves into description of the principle of operation of such methods (e.g. wave propagation, acoustic emission analysis, tomography). The second pillar, overviews the current implementation of condition assessment processes in codes and standards. Complementary to the topic of structural evaluation, the topic of interventions, rehabilitation and retrofitting of existing structures for different construction materials is next addressed.
Lecture notesLecture notes
LiteratureJ. D. Achenbach, Wave propagation in elastic solids, North-Holland Publishing Company, 425p, 1973
J. L. Rose, Ultrasonic Guided Waves in Solid Media, Cambridge University Press, 506p, 2014
N. Ida and N. Meyendorf, Handbook of Advanced Nondestructive Evaluation, Springer, 1617p, 2019
Swiss Standards SIA 269, 269/1 to 269/7
SIA-Document D 0239 « Existing Structures – Introduction » (in German/French)
SIA-Document D 0239 « Existing Structures – Consolidation and Practice » (in German/French)
A. Costa, A. Arêde, H. Varum, Strengthening and Retrofitting of Existing Structures, Springer, 339p, 2018
CompetenciesCompetencies
Subject-specific CompetenciesConcepts and Theoriesassessed
Techniques and Technologiesassessed
Method-specific CompetenciesAnalytical Competenciesassessed
Decision-makingassessed
Media and Digital Technologiesassessed
Problem-solvingassessed
Project Managementfostered
Social CompetenciesCommunicationassessed
Cooperation and Teamworkassessed
Customer Orientationassessed
Leadership and Responsibilityassessed
Self-presentation and Social Influence assessed
Sensitivity to Diversityfostered
Negotiationfostered
Personal CompetenciesAdaptability and Flexibilityassessed
Creative Thinkingassessed
Critical Thinkingassessed
Integrity and Work Ethicsassessed
Self-awareness and Self-reflection fostered
Self-direction and Self-management fostered
101-0159-00LMethod of Finite Elements IIW3 credits2GE. Chatzi, K. Tatsis
AbstractThe Method of Finite Elements II is a continuation of Method of Finite Elements I. Here, we explore the theoretical and numerical implementation concepts for the finite element analysis beyond the linear elastic behavior. This course aims to offer students with the skills to perform nonlinear FEM simulations using coding in Python.
*This course offers no introduction to commercial software.
Learning objectiveThis class overviews advanced topics of the Method of Finite Elements, beyond linear elasticity. Such phenomena are particularly linked to excessive loading effects and energy dissipation mechanisms. Their understanding is necessary for reliably computing structural capacity.
In this course, instead of blindly using generic structural analysis software, we offer an explicit understanding of what goes on behind the curtains, by explaining the algorithms that are used in such software.

The course specifically covers the treatment of the following phenomena:
- Material Nonlinearity (Plasticity)
- Geometric Nonlinearity (Large Displacement Problems)
- Nonlinear Dynamics
- Fracture Mechanics
The concepts are introduced via theory, numerical examples, demonstrators and computer labs in Python (starting Fall 2021).

Upon completion of the course, the participants will be able to:
- Recognize when linear elastic analysis is insufficient
- Solve nonlinear dynamics problems, which form the core for limit state calculations (e.g. ultimate capacity, failure) of structures
- Numerically simulate fracture; a dominant failure phenomenon for structural systems.

See the class webpage for more information:
http://www.chatzi.ibk.ethz.ch/education/method-of-finite-elements-ii.html
Lecture notesThe course slides serve as Script. These are openly available on: http://www.chatzi.ibk.ethz.ch/education/method-of-finite-elements-ii.html
LiteratureCourse Slides (Script): http://www.chatzi.ibk.ethz.ch/education/method-of-finite-elements-ii.html

Useful (optional) Reading:
- Nonlinear Finite Elements of Continua and Structures, T. Belytschko, W.K. Liu, and B. Moran.
- Bathe, K.J., Finite Element Procedures, Prentice Hall, 1996.
- Crisfield, M.A., Remmers, J.J. and Verhoosel, C.V., 2012. Nonlinear finite element analysis of solids and structures. John Wiley & Sons.
- De Souza Neto, E.A., Peric, D. and Owen, D.R., 2011. Computational methods for plasticity: theory and applications. John Wiley & Sons.
Prerequisites / NoticePrerequisites:
-101-0158-01 Method of Finite Elements I (FS)
- A good knowledge of Python is necessary for attending this course.
CompetenciesCompetencies
Subject-specific CompetenciesConcepts and Theoriesassessed
Method-specific CompetenciesAnalytical Competenciesassessed
Problem-solvingassessed
Social CompetenciesCooperation and Teamworkassessed
Personal CompetenciesAdaptability and Flexibilityassessed
Creative Thinkingassessed
Critical Thinkingassessed
Integrity and Work Ethicsassessed
Self-awareness and Self-reflection assessed
101-0189-00LSeismic Design of Structures II Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 18.
All students go on a waiting list. Final registration based on an application letter (information given in the first lecture). Priority will be given to students who completed Seismic Design of Structures I (101-0188-00 G) and are in the primary target group (majoring in Structural Engineering and/or doing project-based coursework for other majors).
W4 credits2GB. Stojadinovic
AbstractIn this course the students will learn how to do performance-based seismic design of building structures. This is a project-based course. The students will, in parallel, acquire the basis knowledge about the seismic behavior and non-linear response modeling of structures, and apply this knowledge in a project focused on design of a new building structure.
Learning objectiveAfter successfully completing this course, the students will be able to:
1. Model and explain the seismic behavior of new structures with moment frame, braced frame and shear wall structural systems.
2. Evaluate the performance of new structures under earthquake loading using modern risk-informed performance assessment methods and analysis tools.
3. Use the knowledge of nonlinear dynamic response of structures to interpret the design code provisions and apply it in seismic design of structural systems.
4. Successfully design such systems to achieve the performance objectives stipulated by the design codes
ContentThis course completes the series of courses on dynamic analysis and seismic design of structures at ETHZ. Building on the material covered in Structural Dynamics and Seismic Design of Structures I, the following advanced topics will be covered in this course: 1) behavior and non-linear response modeling of structural systems under earthquake excitation; 2) displacement-based inelastic design of new building structures; 3) seismic design of moment frame, braced frame and shear wall structures; These topics will be discussed from the standpoint of risk-informed performance-based seismic design.
Lecture notesMoodle is used to manage the course learning material. These include the lecture presentations, additional reading, exercise problems and solutions, example models of structures in OpenSees system for earthquake engineering simulation, and example designs. Lectures are streamed and recorded using the ETH Video Portal.
LiteratureDesign of Reinforced Concrete Buildings for Seismic Performance: Practical Deterministic and Probabilistic Approaches (1st ed.). Aschheim, M., Hernández-Montes, E., & Vamvatsikos, D. (2019). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/b19964

Dynamics of Structures: Theory and Applications to Earthquake Engineering, 5th edition, 2017/2020, Chopra, A. Prentice Hall, Link

Earthquake Engineering: From Engineering Seismology to Performance-Based Engineering, Borzorgnia, Y. and Bertero, V. Eds., CRC Press, 2004

Erdbebensicherung von Bauwerken, 2nd edition, Bachmann, H. Birkhäuser, Basel, 2002
Prerequisites / NoticeETH Seismic Design of Structures I course, or equivalent. Students are expected to understand the seismological nature of earthquakes, to characterize the ground motion excitation, to analyze the response of elastic single- and multiple-degree-of-freedom systems to earthquake excitation, to use the concept of response and design spectrum, to compute the equivalent seismic loads on simple structures, and to perform code-based seismic design of simple structures. Familiarity with structural analysis software, such as SAP2000 or OpenSees, and general-purpose software, such as Python and Matlab, is expected.

Number of participants limited to 18. All students
go on a waiting list. Final registration based on an
application letter (information given in the first
lecture). Priority will be given to students who
completed Seismic Design of Structures I
(101-0188-00 G) and are in the primary target
group (majoring in Structural Engineering and/or
doing project-based coursework for other majors).
CompetenciesCompetencies
Subject-specific CompetenciesConcepts and Theoriesassessed
Techniques and Technologiesassessed
Method-specific CompetenciesAnalytical Competenciesassessed
Decision-makingassessed
Media and Digital Technologiesassessed
Problem-solvingassessed
Project Managementassessed
Social CompetenciesCommunicationassessed
Cooperation and Teamworkassessed
Customer Orientationassessed
Leadership and Responsibilityassessed
Self-presentation and Social Influence assessed
Sensitivity to Diversityfostered
Negotiationassessed
Personal CompetenciesAdaptability and Flexibilityassessed
Creative Thinkingassessed
Critical Thinkingassessed
Integrity and Work Ethicsassessed
Self-awareness and Self-reflection assessed
Self-direction and Self-management assessed
101-0191-00LSeismic and Vibration IsolationW2 credits1GM. Vassiliou
AbstractThis course will cover the analysis and design of isolation systems to mitigate earthquakes and other forms of vibrations. The course will cover:
1. Conceptual basis of seismic isolation, seismic isolation types, mechanical characteristics of isolators.
2. Behavior and modeling of isolation devices, response of structures with isolation devices.
3. Design approaches and code requirements
Learning objectiveAfter successfully completing this course the students will be able to:

1. Understand the mechanics of and design isolator bearings.
2. Understand the dynamics of and design an isolated structure.
Content1. Introduction: Overview of seismic isolation; review of structural dynamics and earthquake engineering principles. Viscoelastic behavior.
2. Linear theory of seismic isolation
3. Types of seismic isolation devices - Modelling of seismic isolation devices – Nonlinear response analysis of seismically isolated structures in Matlab
4. Behavior of rubber isolators under shear and compression
5. Behavior of rubber isolators under bending
6. Buckling and stability of rubber isolators
7. Code provisions for seismically isolated buildings
Lecture notesThe electronic copies of the learning material will be uploaded to ILIAS and available through myStudies. The learning material includes: reading material, and (optional) exercise problems and solutions.
LiteratureThere is no single textbook for this course. However, most of the lectures are based on parts of the following books:

• Dynamics of Structures, Theory and Applications to Earthquake Engineering, 4th edition, Anil Chopra, Prentice Hall, 2017

• Earthquake Resistant Design with Rubber, 2nd Edition, James M. Kelly, Springer, 1997

• Design of seismic isolated structures: from theory to practice, Farzad Naeim and James M. Kelly, John Wiley & Sons, 1999

• Mechanics of rubber bearings for seismic and vibration isolation, James M. Kelly and Dimitrios Konstantinidis, John Wiley & Sons, 2011
Prerequisites / Notice101-0157-01 Structural Dynamics and Vibration Problems course, or equivalent, or consent of the instructor. Students are expected to know basic modal analysis, elastic spectrum analysis and basic structural mechanics.
101-0123-00LStructural Design Information W3 credits2GJ. Pauli, F. Bertagna, P. Block, D. Tanadini
AbstractThe goal of the course is to introduce the civil engineering students to Structural Design, which is regarded as a discipline that relates structural behavior, construction technologies and architectural concepts. The course encourages the students to understand the relationship between the form of a structure and the forces within it by promoting the development of designed projects.
Learning objectiveAfter successfully completing this course the students will able to:
1. Critically question structural design concepts of historical and contemporary references
2. Use graphic statics and strut-and-tie models based on the Theory of Plasticity to describe the load bearing behavior of structures
3. Understand different construction technologies and have an awareness of their potential for structural design
4. Use contemporary digital tools for the design of structures in equilibrium
5. Design an appropriate structural system for a given design task taking into account architectural considerations
ContentThe goal of the course is to introduce the civil engineering students to Structural Design, which is understood as a discipline that relates structural behavior, construction technologies and architectural concepts. Hence, the course encourages the students to develop an intuitive understanding of the relationship between the form of a structure and the forces within it by promoting the development of designed projects, in which the static and architectural aspects come together. The course is structured in two main parts, each developed in half of a semester: a mainly theoretical one (including the teaching of graphic statics) and a mainly applied one (focused on the development of a design project by the students using digital form-finding tools).

Theory:
Graphic statics is a graphical method developed by Prof. Karl Culmann and firstly published in 1864 at ETH Zurich. In this approach to structural analysis and design, geometric construction techniques are used to visualize the relation between the geometry of a structure and the forces acting in and on it, represented by geometrically dependent form and force diagrams.
The course will firstly review the main principles of graphic statics through a series of frontal lectures and discuss the relationship to analytical statics. Graphic statics is then used as an operative tool to design structures in equilibrium based on the lower bound theorem of the Theory of Plasticity. Additionally, the course will introduce contemporary methodologies and tools (parametric CAD software) for the interactive application of equilibrium modelling in the form of short workshops. The students will familiarize with the topic by solving exercises and confronting themselves with simple design tasks.

Design Project:
Specific structural design approaches and design methodologies based on graphic statics and references from construction history will be introduced to the students by means of seminars and workshops. By developing a design project, the students will apply these concepts and techniques in order to become proficient with open design tasks (such as the design of a bridge, a large span hall or a tower). At the end of the semester, the students present their projects to a jury of internal and external critics in a final review. The main criterion of evaluation is the students' ability to integrate architectural considerations into their structural design.
Literature"Faustformel Tragwerksentwurf"
(Philippe Block, Christoph Gengangel, Stefan Peters,
DVA Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt 2015, ISBN 978-3-421-04012-1)

"Form and Forces: Designing Efficient, Expressive Structures"
(Edward Allen, Waclaw Zalewski, October 2009, ISBN: 978-0-470-17465-4)

"The art of structures, Introduction to the functioning of structures in architecture"
(Aurelio Muttoni, EPFL Press, 2011, ISBN-13: 978-0415610292, ISBN-10: 041561029X)
101-0169-00LTimber Structures III Restricted registration - show details
Prerequisite: Timber Structures I (101-0168-00L). Students who have not completed Holzbau I require a special permission from the lecturer.
W3 credits2GA. Frangi, P. Coutinho Palma, R. Jockwer, M. Muster, S. Schilling, R. Steiger
AbstractConsolidation and supplementation of the basic knowledge acquired in Timber Structures I + II. Treatment of current topics and innovations in timber engineering. Structural design and refurbishment of complex timber structures with high requirements for earthquake resistance, sound insulation and fire protection. Description, analysis and discussion of an existing timber structure in groups.
Learning objectiveIn-depth understanding of the theoretical and design aspects of timber construction. Dimensioning, structural design, optimisation and refurbishment of complex timber structures with high requirements for earthquake resistance, sound insulation and fire protection.
ContentMulti-storey timber buildings (general, cross laminated timber, high-rise buildings, fire protection, sound insulation), Post-tensioned timber constructions, building with hardwood, robustness of timber structures, earthquake-resistant timber structures, maintenance and renovation of structures.
Lecture notesAutography Timber Structures
Copies of lecture slides
LiteratureTimber design tables HBT 1, Lignum
Swiss Standard SIA 265
Swiss Standard SIA 265/1
Eurocode 5
Prerequisites / NoticeTimber Structures I + II
101-0120-00LStructural Glass Design and Facade Engineering Restricted registration - show details W3 credits3GV.‑A. Silvestru
AbstractThe course gives an introduction to structural glass design and related façade engineering aspects. It will focus on the properties of the material glass and glass products, as well as on the structural design of glass elements and their supporting systems and connections.
Learning objectiveAfter successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
-Understand and apply the fundamentals of the material glass and glass products, the basic principles for using glass as a load-carrying building material for structural applications and the types of connections used for glass elements;
-Recognize requirements for glass elements depending on their application area and chose the appropriate glass products and assemblies accordingly;
-Structurally design out-of-plane loaded glass elements based on available standards, both by hand calculations and specific software applications;
-Apply selected approaches for the structural design of in-plane loaded glass elements;
-Select suitable supporting systems (post-and-beam façade, curtain wall, etc.) and connections (point fixings, brackets, etc.) for the glass elements and structurally design them.
ContentThis course introduces civil engineering students to structural glass design and related façade engineering aspects. It aims to provide the students the knowledge required in engineering offices to design glass elements but at the same time, the necessary fundamentals for later performing research in this field. To achieve this, the course includes lectures, design exercises and a design project.

Lectures:
The lectures will cover the following contents:
-Production methods and properties of the material glass and glass products and their structurally relevant properties (annealed glass, thermally tempered glass, chemically tempered glass, laminated glass, insulating glass, curved glass);
-Connection principles and types for glass elements (mechanical fixing, adhesive bonding);
-Requirements for glass elements depending on the application area (vertical glazing, overhead glazing, walk-on glazing, barrier glazing);
-Structural design of glass elements based on standards and research results (out-of-plane loaded glass elements and in-plane loaded glass elements);
-Typologies and design of structural systems for transparent façades;
-Requirements and functions for transparent facades.

Design exercises:
The principles and methods presented in the lectures are practiced with the students in design exercises. Hand calculation methods and their limitations as well as the software for structural glass design SJ Mepla are used for out-of-plane loaded glass elements. For in-plane loaded glass elements, the specifics of numerical calculation procedures are exemplified with the software Abaqus.

Design project:
The students will consolidate the knowledge gained in the theory-lectures and in the design exercises by working on a small design task (e.g. a glass canopy, a glass façade, a glass pavilion) in the form of a group work (ideally groups of 2-3 students). Within this task, the students will: conceptually design the structure and selected connection details; identify requirements for the glass elements and define their assembly; structurally design selected glass components, their support systems and their connections. The students will work on the design task in the second half of the semester and will get feedback on their progress in weekly review sessions. At the end of the semester, the groups will submit a project report and give an oral presentation of their projects.
Lecture notesThe lectures are based on lecture slides and handouts.
LiteratureRecommended and supplementary literature:
-Schneider J., Kuntsche J., Schula S., Schneider F., Wörner J.-D.: Glasbau – Grundlagen, Berechnung, Konstruktion; Springer Vieweg, Berlin Heidelberg, 2. Auflage, 2016.
-Kasper R., Pieplow K., Feldmann M.: Beispiele zur Bemessung von Glasbauteilen nach DIN 18008; Ersnst & Sohn, Berlin, 2016.
-Haldimann M., Luible A., Overend M.: Structural Use of Glass; IABSE, 2008.
-Knaack U., Klein T., Bilow M., Auer T.: Facades – Principles of Construction; Birkhäuser, Basel, 2007.
-Watts A.: Modern construction envelopes – Systems for architectural design and prototyping; Birkhäuser, Basel, 2019.
Prerequisites / NoticePrior knowledge of structural analysis, especially steel structures is necessary. Prior basic knowledge on the method of finite elements is recommended.
101-0139-00LScientific Machine and Deep Learning for Design and Construction in Civil Engineering Restricted registration - show details W3 credits4GM. A. Kraus, D. Griego
AbstractThis course will present methods of scientific machine and deep learning (ML / DL) for applications in design and construction in civil engineering. After providing proper background on ML and the scientific ML (SciML) track, several applications of SciML together with their computational implementation during the design and construction process of the built environment are examined.
Learning objectiveThis course aims to provide graduate level introduction into Machine and especially scientific Machine Learning for applications in the design and construction phases of projects from civil engineering.

Upon completion of the course, the students will be able to:
1. understand main ML background theory and methods
2. assess a problem and apply ML and DL in a computational framework accordingly
3. Incorporating scientific domain knowledge in the SciML process
4. Define, Plan, Conduct and Present a SciML project
ContentThe course will include theory and algorithms for SciML, programming assignments, as well as a final project assessment.

The topics to be covered are:
1. Fundamentals of Machine and Deep Learning (ML / DL)
2. Incorporation of Domain Knowledge into ML and DL
3. ML training, validation and testing pipelines for academic and research projects

A comprehensive series of computer/lab exercises and in-class demonstrations will take place, providing a "hands-on" feel for the course topics.
Lecture notesThe course script is composed by lecture slides, which are available online and will be continuously updated throughout the duration of the course.
LiteratureSuggested Reading:
Marc Peter Deisenroth, A Aldo Faisal, and Cheng Soon Ong Mathematics for Machine Learning
K. Murphy. Machine Learning: a Probabilistic Perspective. MIT Press 2012
C. Bishop. Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning. Springer, 2007
S. Guido, A. Müller: Introduction to machine learning with python. O'Reilly Media, 2016
O. Martin: Bayesian analysis with python. Packt Publishing Ltd, 2016
Prerequisites / NoticeFamiliarity with MATLAB and / or Python is advised.
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