Hey there!
And welcome to Structural Basics.
On this channel, we explore structural engineering principles, digital tools and productivity hacks to become better at what we do – design the buildings and structures of tomorrow.
Sign Up Below to Join Our Biweekly Newsletter.
You’ll hear personal experiences, stories and learnings from the journey of a young structural engineer.
Check Out Our Guides
This blog lives and works after Einstein’s quote:
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
Albert Einstein.
Structural basics serves this quote.
Breaking down complex or poorly documented calculations in the easiest possible way.
This site and blog was born out of repeated questions or problems to which I or friends did not find simple and quick solutions online.
Most Popular Articles
The Pratt Truss Explained [2023]
The Pratt Truss is a structural system commonly used as bridge structure. But what are its different members, and how does it work? Learn more in this article.
The Fink Truss [All YOU Need to Know]
The Fink Truss is a structural system commonly used as a roof structure. But what are its different members, and how does it work? Learn more in this article.
Warren Truss: What is it? And How to Calculate it?
The Warren Truss is a structural system commonly used as bridge structure. But what are its different members, and how does it work? Learn more in this article.
11 Types of Trusses [The MOST Used]
Trusses are commonly used as roof or bridge structures. But there are so many different types. Read more to pick the right type.
Steel Beam Design – A Step-By-Step Guide
Check out this guide to learn how to design steel beams for bending, shear, buckling and deflection.
Dead Load – What Is It And How To Calculate It?
Learn what the dead load is, how to calculate it and how to apply it to different static systems.
Steel Column Design – Complete Guide (2023)
Learn How to Verify Steel Column Cross-Sections for Compression and Buckling.
13 Beam Deflection Formulas
The easiest and most important beam deflection formulas for your structural design.
2 Span Continuous Beam – Moment and shear force formulas due to different loads
2 span continuous beam: Quick overview of the bending moment, shear and reaction force formulas for beams due to different loading scenarios.
Cantilever Beam: Moment and Shear Force Formulas Due To Different Loads
Cantilever beam: Quick overview of the bending moment and shear force formulas for beams due to different loading scenarios.
Simply Supported Beam – Moment & Shear Force Formulas Due To Different Loads
Quick overview of the bending moment and shear force formulas for simply supported beams due to different loading scenarios.
Cross-sectional Area formulas for different shapes and sections
Overview of the Cross-sectional area formulas for the most common shapes and sections.
Section Modulus Formulas For Different Shapes {2023}
Overview of section modulus formulas for strong and weak axis for the most common shapes and sections to speed up your calculations.
Moment Of Inertia Formulas For Different Shapes
In this post, we’ll show how to calculate the moment of inertias for the strong and weak axis of the most common cross-sections.
Timber Truss Roof Design [A Structural Guide]
Structural timber design guide on how to dimension a truss roof according to Eurocode 5.
Rafter Roof Design [Step-By-Step Guide]
Structural step-by-step guide on how to design & dimension wood rafters of a roof according to Eurocode. We also show how to find the loads acting on the roof.
What are Load Combinations and how to calculate them?
Learn the basics of load combinations and how they are used in structural engineering to ensure the strength and safety of a building or structure. Discover the different types of loads considered, common load combinations, and their impact on the structural design.
5 Loads On Roof Structures
Learn what loads act on roofs, how to calculate them & how they are applied on the structure (Dead load, wind load + 3more).
Latest Articles
Shear Wall Design {Step-By-Step Guide}
In this guide, we’ll show you, how to design and verify concrete shear walls which resist horizontal actions such as wind and seismic loads.
Double Timber Beam Design {A Step-By-Step Guide}
In this guide, you’ll learn how to design and verify a double timber beam for bending, shear, deflection and how to size the connectors between the 2 beams.
7+ Polar Section Modulus Formulas
In this post, we’ll show the formulas of the polar section modulus for 8 different shapes and sections.
9+ Polar Moment Of Inertia Formulas [2023]
In this post, we’ll show the formulas of the polar moment of inertia for 10 different shapes and sections.
Fillet Weld Design {2023 Engineering Guide}
A step-by-step design guide on how to calculate fillet welds with the directional and simplified methods according to Eurocode EN 1993-1-8.
What Is A Fillet Weld? [All You Need To Know]
An in-depth explanation of what a fillet weld is, what different types exist, pros and cons and real-world examples of fillet welds.
Butt Weld Design [Structural Calculation]
A step-by-step design guide on how to calculate full penetration, partial penetration butt welds and T-butt joints according to Eurocode EN 1993-1-8.
What Is A Butt Weld? {Full Explanation}
An in-depth explanation of what a butt weld is, what different types exist, pros and cons and real-world examples of butt welds.
Understand Shear Forces [An Engineering Explanation]
A step-by-step tutorial for beginners on what shear forces are and how to calculate them.
What Is A Normal Force? {2023}
A step-by-step tutorial for beginners on what normal forces are, how to calculate them and how to use them in structural design.
Flat Truss: What Is It? And How To Calculate It?
The Flat Truss is a structural system commonly used in buildings and bridges. But what are its different members, and how does it work? Learn more in this article.
How Many Civil Engineers Are There? (2023)
Civil Engineers design infrastructure and housing all over the world. We’ll list how many civil engineers work in different countries.
How To Link Mendeley To Overleaf [Step-By-Step]
In this guide, we’ll show how you set up the Mendeley Integration in Overleaf and how to automatically generate references in Overleaf from Mendeley.
Understand Bending Moments [Everything YOU Need To Know – 2023]
Follow this guide to learn what a bending moment is, how to calculate it and how to draw bending moment diagrams.
When Was Concrete Invented?
Concrete has been around for centuries in various types. But when was it actually invented? We’ll break it down.
Strip Foundation In Clay {Design Of Soil And Concrete}
Full step-by-step guide on how to calculate the clay capacity of a strip foundation under vertical loading and how to design the concrete and reinforcement.
Reinforced Concrete Beam Design {Step-By-Step Guide}
Step-by-step guide on how to design reinforced concrete beams according to Eurocode EN 1992-1-1 with an example.
Pad Foundation In Clay [Design Of Soil And Concrete]
Full step-by-step guide on how to calculate the clay capacity of a pad foundation under vertical loading and how to design the concrete and reinforcement.
Point Loads: What They Are and How to Calculate Them
In this guide we’ll show, what a point load is, how it’s visualized in engineering, real-world examples and much more.🚀🚀
Uniformly Distributed Load [All YOU Need To Know]
In this guide we’ll show, what a uniformly distributed load is, how it’s visualized in engineering, real-world examples and much more
What Is A Roof Joist? [2023]
We’ll explain what a roof joist is, how it works, how structural engineers design it and what the difference to ceiling joists is.