BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY

FORMAL EXAMINATION
BNV5124 Structures 1

BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY

UNDERGRADUATE EXAMINATION

BEng/MEng Civil Engineering

BNV5124 Structures 1

Open Book

Date: October/2022

Duration: 1.5 hours including reading time

Examiner: EHSAN AHMADI

Learning Outcomes Assessed:

1 Appraise the effect of loading and environment on structures.

2 Calculate the effects of structural input data on members, trusses, and

frames, using force and moment diagrams.

3 Analyse the effects of moving loads on structures using influence lines.

4 Analyse statically indeterminate structures using elastic analysis including

implications of redundancy.

Instructions to Candidates:
• Answer three questions in total
• The use of calculators is permitted.
• The use of the Structural Analyser software tool is permitted in Questions
2 and 3.
• Candidates should ensure that all workings are shown clearly
• The use of hand calculations is permitted. It is the responsibility of the
candidates to ensure that any attached images are clear to read
• The work should be submitted as a single PDF or Word file

Materials Provided:
NA

Page 1 of 3
This examination is subject to the Code of Practice – Conduct of Examinations and the Student
Disciplinary Procedure
BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY
FORMAL EXAMINATION
BNV5124 Structures 1
QUESTION 1
A steel beam, shown in Figure 1, has a span 3L and it is supported with a pinned support at point A
and a roller support at point B. It carries a permanent UDL with a characteristic value gk across the
entire length of the beam AC, and two variable point loads with identical characteristic value Qk on
the middle of the span AB and the free point C. The values of L, gk and Qk are given in Table 1.

Figure 1
For this beam:

a. Identify the relevant Eurocode safety factors, and calculate the design values of the
point loads and the UDL, Qd and gd.. You should use the design values for the rest of
the questions (2 marks).
b. Calculate the reactions at the supports for this structure and draw the free body
diagram of this beam (3 marks).
c. Set out the equations of the internal actions throughout the member, and calculate key
values (10 marks).
d. Draw the shear force and bending moment diagrams (5 marks).
e. Give examples of real world loads that could be represented by gd and Qd. in a building
structure?(5 marks)
Total Question 1. 25 marks

Table 1

LAST DIGIT DIGIT Characteristic value

Characteristic value
OF SPAN L BEFORE LAST of variable point load
of permanent UDL gk
STUDENT (m) OF STUDENT Qk
(kN/m)
ID ID (kN)
0 1 0 1 4
1 1.25 1 2 8
2 1.5 2 3 12
3 1.75 3 4 16
4 2 4 5 20
5 2.25 5 6 24
6 2.5 6 7 28
7 2.75 7 8 32
8 3 8 9 36
9 3.25 9 10 40
Example: If your student ID is 100123, the last digit is 3 and the digit before last is 2. Therefore,
your values will be: L = 1.75 m, qk = 3 kN/m, Qk = 12 kN

Page 2 of 3
This examination is subject to the Code of Practice – Conduct of Examinations and the Student
Disciplinary Procedure
BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY
FORMAL EXAMINATION
BNV5124 Structures 1
QUESTION 2
The three-pinned frame shown in Figure 1 has a total beam span of L2 and column heights L1. The
beam carries a variable uniformly distributed load, with a design value qd. The self-weight of the
beam can be ignored. The values of L1, L2 and qd are given in Table 2.
For this frame:
f. Calculate the reactions at supports A and C (10 marks)
g. Set out the equations of the internal actions throughout the members (20 marks)
h. Draw the axial force, shear force, and bending moment diagrams, including the
maximum values (10 marks)

Total Question 2 40 marks

Figure 2

Table 2
LAST DIGIT DESIGN UDL
OF SPAN L1 HEIGHT L2 qd
STUDENT (m) (m) (kN/m)
ID
0 5 3 10
1 5.5 3.25 15
2 6 3.5 20
3 6.5 3.75 25
4 7 4 30
5 7.5 4.25 35
6 8 4.5 40
7 8.5 4.75 45
8 9 5 50
9 9.5 5.25 55

Page 3 of 3
This examination is subject to the Code of Practice – Conduct of Examinations and the Student
Disciplinary Procedure