Fazlur Rahman Khan

Fazlur Khan’s insight into the structural behaviour of skyscrapers and the associated development of tubular systems revolutionised their design.

SNF Cultural Centre

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre is a significant project which will become the new home of the National Opera and National Library of Greece when complete in 2017.

Emily Roebling

Emily Roebling’s combined tenacity, engineering knowledge and management capabilities saw her lead the delivery of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Vibrate-It App

Expedition engineers have been busy developing an app which can be used to test the dynamic performance of structures. The app is designed to quickly and easily assess the dynamic performance of structures, providing an idea tool for students to make

MakeAScape

Make A Scape – An adventure in engineering   Make A Scape is an apocalyptic structural engineering game for iPad. The Sketch People have wasted their resources and destroyed their environment. Use structural engineering principles to help them rebuild their

Buckling failure of a pin ended column of intermediate slenderness

This video shows the buckling failure of a pin-ended, steel column of intermediate slenderness under an axial compression load. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: Column buckling Geometric effects vs material effects Column buckling lengths and shapes

Buckling failure of a fixed ended slender steel column

This video shows the buckling failure of a fixed-ended, slender, steel column under an axial compression load. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: Column buckling Geometric effects vs material effects Column buckling lengths and shapes Influence of

Buckling failure of a pin ended slender column

This video shows the buckling failure of a pin-ended, slender, steel column under an axial compression load. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: Column buckling Geometric effects vs material effects Slenderness Influence of end restraint on buckling

Elastic buckling failure of a pin ended slender column

This video demonstrates elastic buckling of a pin-ended, slender, steel column under an axial compression load. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: Column buckling Elasticity Geometric effects vs material effects The column behaves elastically returning to its

Lateral torsional buckling of a plate girder in bending

This video demonstrates lateral torsional buckling of an aluminium alloy plate girder subjected to four point bending. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: Lateral torsional buckling The importance of providing adequate lateral and torsional restraint to beams

Local flange buckling of a plate girder in bending

This video shows an aluminium alloy plate girder being load tested in bending. The test specimen and load test have been designed to demonstrate local flange buckling. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: Local buckling effects in

Local web buckling of a plate girder in bending

This video shows an aluminium alloy plate girder being load tested in bending. The test specimen and load test have been designed to demonstrate local buckling in the web of the section. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding

Bending failure of a prestressed concrete beam

This video demonstrates a four-point bending test on a pre-stressed concrete beam. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: The concept of pre-stress applied to concrete beams How pre-stress can be used to create beams of increased stiffness

Bending failure of an over reinforced concrete beam

This video demonstrates a four-point bending test on an over-reinforced concrete beam. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: Brittle failure in reinforced concrete. How the quantity of reinforcement in a beam can affect the failure mode. The

Bending failure of an under reinforced concrete beam

This video demonstrates a four-point bending test on an under-reinforced concrete beam. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: Ductile failure in reinforced concrete. How the quantity of reinforcement in a beam affects the failure mode. The beam

Elastic Bending of an under reinforced concrete beam

This video demonstrates a four-point bending test on an under-reinforced concrete beam. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: Elastic behaviour in reinforced concrete. The beam demonstrates elastic behaviour, returning to its un-deflected position as the load is

Shear failure of a reinforced concrete beam with no shear links

This video demonstrates a four-point bending test on a concrete beam having no shear reinforcement. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: Shear failure in reinforced concrete beams The importance of providing shear reinforcement As the load is

The bridge as structure – Bridge Engineering with Ian Firth Pt 3

World-leading bridge engineer Ian Firth gives a personal insight into how bridges are designed. This is the first in the Industry Insights series of videos: the key things people who are experts in a particular field would like to share

The bridge in context – Bridge Engineering with Ian Firth Pt 2

World-leading bridge engineer Ian Firth gives a personal insight into how bridges are designed. This is the first in the Industry Insights series of videos: the key things people who are experts in a particular field would like to share

What is a bridge? – Bridge Engineering with Ian Firth Pt 1

World-leading bridge engineer Ian Firth gives a personal insight into how bridges are designed. This is the first in the Industry Insights series of videos: the key things people who are experts in a particular field would like to share

Bending failure of a glulam beam grain perpendicular to beam axis

This video shows the bending failure of a simply supported glulam beam arranged with the grain perpendicular to the beam axis. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: The strength properties of timber The influence of grain orientation

Bending failure of a softwood beam grain parallel to beam axis

This video shows the bending failure of a simply supported, Class C24 softwood beam arranged with the grain parallel to the beam axis. The test specimen is free of defects. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: The

Bending failure of a softwood beam with a defect near the bottom

This video shows the bending failure of a simply supported, Class C24 softwood beam arranged with the grain parallel to the beam axis. In this test, the specimen has a defect (or knot) near the bottom of the beam. Learning

Block failure of a double shear timber to steel connection in tension

This video shows the tension failure of a Class CL24 softwood timber member which has been bolted to two mild steel plates. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: Bolted timber-to-steel connections Brittle tension failure in timber The

Compression failure of a timber block perpendicular to the grain

This video shows the compression failure of a Class GL28 glulam timber block loaded perpendicular to the grain. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: The strength properties of timber The influence of grain orientation on sample strength

Tensile failure of a double shear timber to steel connection in tension

This video shows the tension failure of a Class CL24 softwood timber member which has been bolted to two mild steel plates. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: Bolted timber-to-steel connections Brittle tension failure in timber Splitting

Compression failure of a timber block parallel to the grain

This video shows the compression failure of a Class CL28 softwood timber block loaded parallel to the grain. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: The strength properties of timber The influence of grain orientation on sample strength

Buckling failure of a pin ended column of low slenderness

This video shows the buckling failure of a pin-ended, “stocky” steel column under an axial compression load. Learning Outcomes: Viewers will gain an improved understanding of: Column buckling Geometric effects vs material effects Plasticity Influence of end restraint on buckling

Bare Essentials of Prestressed Concrete 4: Where in the beam do the prestressing cables go? (extended version)

  World-leading concrete expert Professor Chris Burgoyne introduces viewers to pre-stressed concrete. This is the third in the Bare Essentials of Concrete series: the key things people who are studying construction or who are working in construction need to understand about

Bare Essentials of Prestressed Concrete 4: Where in the beam do the prestressing cables go?

Where in the beam do the prestressing cables go? – BE of PreS Conc: Dr Burgoyne Pt 4 (Ext version) – YouTube World-leading concrete expert Professor Chris Burgoyne introduces viewers to pre-stressed concrete. This is the third in the Bare Essentials

Bare Essentials of Prestressed Concrete 3: The effect of creep on prestressed concrete

World-leading concrete expert Professor Chris Burgoyne introduces viewers to pre-stressed concrete. This is the third in the Bare Essentials of Concrete series: the key things people who are studying construction or who are working in construction need to understand about concrete.

Bare Essentials of Prestressed Concrete 2: Achieving the high levels of compression in the beam

World-leading concrete expert Professor Chris Burgoyne introduces viewers to pre-stressed concrete. This is the third in the Bare Essentials of Concrete series: the key things people who are studying construction or who are working in construction need to understand about concrete.

Bare Essentials of Prestressed Concrete 1: What is prestressed concrete?

World-leading concrete expert Professor Chris Burgoyne introduces viewers to pre-stressed concrete. This is the third in the Bare Essentials of Concrete series: the key things people who are studying construction or who are working in construction need to understand about concrete.

Bare Essentials of Reinforced Concrete 5: Resisting Shear

World-leading reinforced concrete expert Professor Tim Ibell introduces viewers to reinforced concrete. This is the second in the Bare Essentials of Concrete series: the key things people who are studying construction or who are working in construction need to understand

Bare Essentials of Reinforced Concrete 4: Durability of reinforced concrete

World-leading reinforced concrete expert Professor Tim Ibell introduces viewers to reinforced concrete. This is the second in the Bare Essentials of Concrete series: the key things people who are studying construction or who are working in construction need to understand

Bare Essentials of Reinforced Concrete 3: The compatibility of steel and concrete

World-leading reinforced concrete expert Professor Tim Ibell introduces viewers to reinforced concrete. This is the second in the Bare Essentials of Concrete series: the key things people who are studying construction or who are working in construction need to understand

Bare Essentials of Reinforced Concrete 2: How does does a reinforced concrete beam resist bending?

World-leading reinforced concrete expert Professor Tim Ibell introduces viewers to reinforced concrete. This is the second in the Bare Essentials of Concrete series: the key things people who are studying construction or who are working in construction need to understand

Bare Essentials of Reinforced Concrete 1: What is reinforced concrete?

World-leading reinforced concrete expert Professor Tim Ibell introduces viewers to reinforced concrete. This is the second in the Bare Essentials of Concrete series: the key things people who are studying construction or who are working in construction need to understand

Bare Essentials of Concrete 5: The water in the mix

World-leading concrete expert Professor Nick Buenfeld introduces viewers to concrete. This is the first in the Bare Essentials of Concrete series: the key things people who are studying construction or who are working in construction need to understand about concrete.

Bare Essentials of Concrete 4: How strong is concrete?

World-leading concrete expert Professor Nick Buenfeld introduces viewers to concrete. This is the first in the Bare Essentials of Concrete series: the key things people who are studying construction or who are working in construction need to understand about concrete.

Bare Essentials of Concrete 3: Concrete under the microscope

World-leading concrete expert Professor Nick Buenfeld introduces viewers to concrete. This is the first in the Bare Essentials of Concrete series: the key things people who are studying construction or who are working in construction need to understand about concrete.

Bare Essentials of Concrete 2: Aggregate and Cement

World-leading concrete expert Professor Nick Buenfeld introduces viewers to concrete. This is the first in the Bare Essentials of Concrete series: the key things people who are studying construction or who are working in construction need to understand about concrete.

Bare Essentials of Concrete 1: What is concrete?

World-leading concrete expert Professor Nick Buenfeld introduces viewers to concrete. This is the first in the Bare Essentials of Concrete series: the key things people who are studying construction or who are working in construction need to understand about concrete.

PushMePullMe 3D

PushMePullMe3D allows you to build, push and pull your own structures in glorious 3D powered by our latest real-time structural solver.

UCL Drawing Gym

The UCL Drawing Gym is an initiative by Trevor Flynn and University College London that helps engineers improve their sketching and visualisation skills. The website provides free access to a range of video lessons covering oblique, isometric, axonometric and perspective sketching. The

Bridge Builder Games

We’ve collated bridge building games from around the web. Test your initiative and engineering skills

Bending Failure of an Over-Reinforced Concrete beam

This video shows the brittle failure of an over-reinforced concrete beam

Bending Failure of an Under-Reinforced Concrete Beam.

This video shows how a reinforced concrete beam fails when the correct amount of longitudinal (or flexural) reinforcement is provided. Longitudinal steel bars are provided to resist the tensile forces in the bottom of the beam due to bending (or

Shear Failure of a Simply Supported Concrete Beam

This video shows how a reinforced concrete beam fails when no shear reinforcement is provided

Introduction to Soil Mechanics

The first video in the Bare Essentials of Soil Mechanics videos – everything a civil engineer really needs to know about soil mechanics.

The Particulate Nature of Soil

The second video in the Bare Essentials of Soil Mechanics videos – everything a civil engineer really needs to know about soil mechanics.

The Effect of Gravity on Soil Strength

The third video in the Bare Essentials of Soil Mechanics videos – everything a civil engineer really needs to know about soil mechanics.

The Effect of Particle Size and Shape on Soil Strength

The fourth video in the Bare Essentials of Soil Mechanics videos – everything a civil engineer really needs to know about soil mechanics.

The Effect of Water on Soil Strength

The fifth video in the Bare Essentials of Soil Mechanics videos – everything a civil engineer really needs to know about soil mechanics.

WWF Living Planet Centre

The Living Planet Centre for WWF-UK is an exciting multi-purpose building combining the charity’s offices with a public education and exhibition space housed within an exemplar sustainable development.

Engineering Mastermind

Engineering Mastermind is a quiz that tests your engineering knowledge. Sign up to collect awards and compete against friends and classmates to become an Engineering Mastermind!

West Point Bridge Designer

Test your engineering initiative and knowledge in the ultimate bridge construction game.

Driven Piles

This video shows piles being driven into the ground onsite.

Gustave Eiffel

Gustave Eiffel, famous for his design of the Eiffel Tower.

Liquid and Plastic Limit Tests

This video demonstrates how to carry out Atterberg Tests to determine both the liquid limit and plastic limit of soils.

Rossa Rollercoaster

This is a documentary created by National Geographic on the Formula Rossa Rollercoaster constructed in Abu Dhabi.

The London Velodrome

The London 2012 Olympic Velodrome – a highly efficient structure achieved through an integrated design approach.

Measuring Footprints

Calculators to measure individual environmental impacts, or footprints.

Impacts of Construction

Engineers are asked to consider the impacts of construction on the environment, in particular with respect to greenhouse gas emissions.

Materials Selection Tools

Material selection is an essential part of the job of a design engineer.

Sketching: Victoria Martin

Victoria Martin talks about how she uses sketches to develop designs.

Hoover Dam

The Hoover Dam was the largest dam of its time and remains a world famous structure.

Sketching: Fred Labbe

Fred Labbe explains why drawing is vital to his work.

Sketching: Chris Wise

Chris Wise is widely known for his hands on attitude to design and is justifiably vocal about the need for engineers to embrace drawing as a means of communication.

Sketching: Ben Godber

Sketches by Ben Godber accompanied by the poetry of Ian Dury.

Bolted steel connection – failure by plate tearing

Video showing failure by plate tearing of a bolted steel connection.

Tensile failure of high-tensile steel re-bar

Video showing the tensile failure of a high-tensile steel bar.

Design a High Profile Metro Station

Students take part in an exercise that focuses on the design of a high-profile Metro station. The local railway authority Metropolitana di Napoli (MDN) is implementing an expansion programme – part of which involves the extension of the principal east-west

Interactive Map of Bridges

Follow the links on this google map to find the bridge projects featured in the Bridge Builders Teaching Pack, workshops and interactive fact file.

Airport Adaptation Workshop: Rio 2016 Olympics

The passenger numbers at Rio International Airport are expected to almost double at the time of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. In this workshop, student are asked to propose a series of temporary modifications to the airport that would accommodate the surge in

PMPM Worksheets

Access resources for teaching basic structural mechanics using Push-Me-Pull-Me. Downloadable PDF worksheets comprise mini-tutorials and student questions.

Simply Supported – Under-Reinforced

Water Tower

Thames Cable Car

The Thames Cable Car pack is a new undergraduate teaching resource based on the Emirates Airline Thames crossing. Students take on the role of a structural design consultancy that has been asked to develop the concept design for a cable car to

Teaching Sustainability to Engineers

This project, produced by Think Up, with support from the Royal Academy of Engineering and the JBM, identifies nine principles for enhancing the way sustainability is taught to undergraduate civil engineers. It highlights tools, free online resources and suggestions for

World Tour of Structures

Workshop to help students develop their awareness of basic structural forms and their behaviour.

The Bridge Busters: Bridge design

This University of Cambridge project provides an insight into the forces acting on bridges and how these affect the choices that are made.

The Big Lid: Stadium Roof Design

The Big Lid: This University of Cambridge project pack provides an opportunity to investigate the physics and mathematics involved with designing stadium roofs.

Build Your Own Babel

The University of Cambridge tall buildings project pack provides a teaching resource for KS4 students in Design Technology. There are three activities in the pack, encompassing the maths, physics and design technology of tall building design: Design Specification – brief research

Build a Paper Robot

This project requires a large team of participants to build a 2.4-metre tall humanoid robot from paper and string, capable of moving in order to perform a number of specific tasks. The aims of this project are: To explore the

Antarctic Research Station Design Workshop

This workshop recreates a design competition that Expedition Engineering entered back in 2004 to design a new Antarctic laboratory for the British Antarctic Survey. The aim of the workshop is to explore the cycle of conceiving, testing and reviewing that

About Undergraduate

This area of Workshed is dedicated to providing resources specifically for people who teach undergraduate engineers. Here you will find suggestions for how to use the resources in Workshed in class, downloadable lesson plans for interactive workshops and links to

Materials Interactive Fact File

The Materials Fact File is a downloadable PDF that can be used as a starting point for learning about the materials commonly used in bridge construction. Scroll over the images in the Fact File to link to interactive resources from

Bridges Interactive Fact File

The Bridges Fact File is a downloadable PDF that can be used as a starting point for learning about the common bridge types.

Bridge Investigation Project

In this project students carry out a research project about a particular bridge, using a range of different source materials, and present the findings of their research.

Bridge Building Competition

In this exciting group work activity, teams of students compete to build and test to destruction a bridge built from paper and string.

Bridge Builders Teacher Pack

Bridge building is one of the clearest and most eye-catching examples of the work that engineers do. The development of bridge design maps closely to technological, economic and social development and the development of interconnected societies; yet even as long

About the Forum

The Staffroom has been developed to provide resources to help teach young people about engineering. We are always looking for suggestions for new materials to included here. Follow the link to visit the forum on Think Up’s website, designers of

About School Staffroom

Staffroom gives school teachers guidance and resources for using Expedition Workshed to help teach Science, Maths, and Design and Technology. Workshed uses highly engaging visual stimuli to teach learners about engineering principles. Originally conceived as a resource to support undergraduate

Tensile failure of ordinary concrete – Brazilian test

This film shows the Brazilian test, which is designed to measure the tensile strength of concrete.

Compression failure of ordinary concrete – cube test

Video showing the behaviour of a concrete cube in compression.

Peter Rice

Peter Rice provides commentary over a series of slides featuring projects that span his career.

Toughened glass – failure under incremental load

Video showing toughened glass failing under application of an incremental load.

TOUGHENED GLASS – FAILURE UNDER IMPACT LOAD

Video showing toughened glass failing under application of an impact load

Float glass – failure under incremental load

Video showing float glass failing under application of an impact load.

Float glass – failure under impact load

Video showing float glass failing under application of an impact load.

Steel University

This website provides free award-winning e-learning resources on steel technologies for students and steel industry supply chain employees.

The Engineer’s Toolbox

Over the past ten years we have compiled a list of rules of thumbs, data about important materials, approximate costs and approaches to design. We call this the Engineer’s Toolbox.

Anderson Inge’s Sketchbook: Drawing for Engineers

In this video Anderson Inge talks about sketching for engineers & architects.

Fabric-Formed Concrete Structures

This fascinating video shows the method of fabric formed concrete.

Tristram Carfrae

Tristram Carfrae was the Project Director for the Beijing Olympics Watercube. He is a leading structural designer from Arup.

Sir Duncan Michael

Sir Duncan Michael is a former chairman of Arup and Trustee of the Ove Arup Foundation. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Derek Sugden

Professor Derek Sugden CEng MICE MIStructE Hon FRIBA is a founding partner of Arup Associates.

Chris Wise

Chris Wise is widely known for hands-on engineering projects, both as design lead and also for his close working collaboration with some of the world’s leading architects.

Sir Alan Harris

Sir Alan Harris was a pioneer of British prestressed concrete.

Thomas Telford

Thomas Telford is revered as the founder of modern civil engineering.

Sydney Opera House

Archive footage and information about the structure and construction of the Sydney Opera House, thought by many at the time to be ‘unbuildable’

SANAA Serpentine Pavilion

Every year the Serpentine Gallery supports the construction of a temporary pavilion, this page describes the pavilion constructed in 2009.

Pompidou Centre

Archive footage and information about the construction of the Pompidou Centre, one of the most famous examples of high-tech architecture

Millennium Bridge

The Millennium Bridge in London is the first Thames crossing since Tower Bridge in 1894 and a complex piece of engineering.

Gehry Serpentine Pavilion

This video explores the technical challenges of building Frank Gehry’s complex 2008 Serpentine Pavilion.

California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences is an educational and research centre for the life sciences and is currently the greenest building in the world.

Britannia Bridge & Development of the Box Girder

In this video, engineer Chris Wise talks about how the design and construction of the Britannia Bridge – the project which led to development of the box girder.

Bird’s Nest Stadium

This short video reveals how the Bird’s Nest stadium depicts heaven by reflecting the ancient Chinese traditions of pottery and basket weaving.

Amsterdam Library

The Amsterdam Public Library is situated in the redeveloped Oosterdokseiland area of Amsterdam. The building program includes a library, theatre, cafe and office space.

Bolted steel connection – failure by plate shear

Video showing failure by plate shear of a bolted steel connection.

Bolted steel connection – failure by bolt shear

Video showing tensile failure by bolt shear of a bolted steel connection.

Tensile failure of a mild steel reinforcement bar

Video showing tensile failure of a mild steel reinforcing bar.

Compression failure of a pin-ended column

Video showing the behaviour of a reinforced concrete column in compression. Such columns are one of the most common structural elements used in concrete construction.

Ordinary Concrete Cylinder – Compression Test

Video showing compression failure of an ordinary concrete cylinder

Compression failure of high-strength concrete – cylinder test

This video shows the behaviour of a high-strength concrete cylinder in compression.

Compression failure high-strength grout – cylinder test

This video shows a high-strength grout cylinder being compressed to its rather spectacular failure point.

Sir Thomas Bouch

Thomas Bouch was the Design Engineer on the Tay Bridge, which collapsed in 1879.

Robert Stephenson

Robert Stephenson, although often overshadowed by his father George, Robert was responsible for the famous Rocket locomotive.

Joseph Locke

Joseph Locke was responsible for a number of noteworthy bridges and tunnels between 1805- 1860.

Sir Joseph Bazalgette

Joseph Bazalgette developed the London Sewers in response to ‘Great Stink’ of 1848.

Sir John Hawkshaw

John Hawkshaw was responsible for the Severn Tunnel

Sir Benjamin Baker

Benjamin Baker (1840 – 1907) is best known for taking on the most daring of all the Bridges that rose from the Victorian age through maverick approaches.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

The most famous engineer of them all, Isambard Kingdom Brunel was a towering genius of his time. Famed for his bridges, dockyards, and especially for the first major British railway, the Great Western.

Catastrophe

Catastrophe is an interactive app that lets you manipulate structural forms – helping you understand how structures respond to being loaded.

Push Me Pull Me

Push Me Pull Me is an interactive app that lets you manipulate structural forms. The tool helps you understand how structures respond to being loaded.