Course Syllabus

 Aer E 321 Flight Structures Analysis - Fall 2023
Section 1 MWF 9:55 - 10:45
Section 3 MWF 11:00 - 11:50
2202 Howe Hall

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Course Information

Course description (from ISU course catalog, 2023-2024)

(3-0), Cr. 3. Introduction to elasticity, airworthiness, and flight loads. Introduction to fatigue. Materials selection for flight applications. Thin-walled cross-sections under bending, torsion, and shear loads using classical methods. Shear center. Column buckling. Matrix methods of structural analysis. 

Course prerequisites and competencies

Engineering Mechanics (E M 324);
credit or concurrent enrollment in
Elementary Differential Equations (MATH 266 or MATH 267)

Course format

This is an in-person course with a collaborative learning classroom environment.

Optional course materials

Aircraft Structures for Engineering Students, T.H.G. Megson, any edition

Matrix Analysis of Structures, Aslam Kassimali, any edition

Instructor Information

Instructor: Jenny Johannsen (please call me Jenny)

Email: jennyjo@iastate.edu

Phone: 515-294-3272

Office location: 2316 Howe Hall

Student hours: Please refer to the most recent Weekly Announcement.

TA information: Daniel Slaughter (daniels2@iastate.edu) and Long Chen (longchen@iastate.edu)

TA hours: M~F before 6:30 pm. Feel free to send me an email. Long Chen (longchen@iastate.edu)

Feel free to contact me via email to set up office hours - Daniel Slaughter (daniels2@iastate.edu)

Office location: 0239 Howe Hall.

General announcements will be posted via Canvas announcements. Properly configure your Notification Settings in Canvas to receive notifications.

Course Objectives

Students will:

  • understand the basic structural elements and models - bars, beams, columns, plates, etc.
  • explain the idealizations of structural analysis and design
  • assess the applicability of the basic structural models to more complex structural designs
  • apply the concepts of stress analysis to typical aircraft structures

The course’s learning objectives, assessment methods, and instructional techniques are formulated to address ABET Student Outcomes.

Learning Activities

  • Graded Homework Assignments provide students with problem statements for practice. Jenny, Daniel, and Long will provide feedback about students' solutions before the Exam.

Work independently to solve 9 Homework Assignments. Strengthen your conceptual knowledge and problem-solving skills by troubleshooting each other’s solutions. When you and your classmates agree on the correct solution, submit one assignment per group of 3 or 4 students, on paper or by uploading your solution to Canvas. Alternatively, submit assignments individually or with a partner.

  • Graded Quizzes provide students with problem statements for practice and will be scored automatically in Canvas so that students can correct their errors before the Exam.

Work independently to solve 5 Quizzes in Canvas. Optional: strengthen your conceptual knowledge and problem-solving skills by collaborating with your classmates until you agree on the correct answers. When you and your classmates agree on the correct answers, submit your answers individually in the Quiz.

  • Ask for clarification when needed:
    • email your questions to Jenny or our teaching assistants Daniel and Long (you may attach a screenshot or photo of your work), or
    • request an in-person meeting (email Jenny and include a list of times when you are available to meet)

Assessments

  • Graded Exams assess students' engineering problem-solving abilities.

Work independently to solve 5 Exams. You must solve them independently; you may not communicate with anyone, live or through any media, during an Exam. Students should bring their own scientific/graphing calculators and pencils or pens (no red pens, please). A student may bring a straightedge or ruler if they wish. No other resources are allowed. An equation sheet identical to the one posted in Canvas will be provided at each Exam. Paper will be provided.

Make-up exams will be given for extenuating circumstances and/or approved medical excuses. For anticipated conflicts with a scheduled exam, email Jenny (jennyjo@iastate.edu) as soon as possible before the exam date to request and attempt to arrange an alternate exam. In the email, include a copy of your schedule and documentation that supports your request.

Grading

This course does not utilize a curve for assigning grades. Letter grades will be assigned only for the final course grade according to the following grade scale:

Course Letter Grade Assignment

Letter Grade

Course Percentage

Performance

A

91 - 100%

Excellent work

A-

89 - 90.9%

Mostly excellent work, some good work

B+

87 - 88.9%

Some excellent work, mostly good work

B

81 - 86.9%

Good work

B-

79 - 80.9%

Mostly good work, some acceptable work

C+

77 - 78.9%

Some good work, mostly acceptable work

C

71 - 76.9%

Acceptable work

C-

69 - 70.9%

Mostly acceptable work

D+

67 - 68.9%

Some acceptable work, many errors

D

61 - 66.9%

Many errors, some lack of conceptual understanding

D-

59 - 60.9%

Many errors, lack of conceptual understanding

F

< 59%

Unacceptable level of understanding and/or inability to complete course

Assessments are weighted for the determination of Course Grade, as follows:

Assessment Weighting

Participation Area

Percentage of Course Grade

Quizzes (in Canvas)

15%

Homework Assignments

30%

Exams 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

11% each (55% total)

Schedule of Topics and Assessments

Schedule of Topics and Assessments
Dates Topics Assessment

Week 1: August 21, 23, 25

Syllabus changes:

  • no class August 25
  • remove Chapter 2, Sections 2, 3, 5
  • remove Chapter 3
We will introduce parts of Chapter 3 later, as needed for analysis of torsion-loaded thin-walled sections

Elasticity:

  • Review of stress and strain (Ch. 1, Sections 2-4, 6-15)
  • Two-dimensional problems in elasticity (Ch. 2, Section 1)
  • Torsion of structures with solid sections (Ch. 3)

 

Week 2: August 28, 30; September 1

Syllabus change:

  • homework 1 deadline extended to Friday at 11:00 am
  • Review of stress and strain (Ch. 1, Sections 5, 16)
  • Two-dimensional problems in elasticity (Ch. 2, Sections 4, 5)

Virtual work (Ch. 4)

Energy methods (Ch. 5)

August 30 September 1: Homework 1 due (on paper or upload to Canvas) at 10:00 am 11:00 am

Week 3: September 6, 8

Syllabus changes:

  • homework 2 deadline changed to Friday at 11:00 am 11:59 pm
  • deadlines for remaining homework assignments will be Wednesdays at 11:59 pm
Matrix methods (Ch. 6)

September 6 8: Homework 2 due (on paper or upload to Canvas) at 10:00 11:59 pm

Week 4: September 11, 13, 15

 

September 11: Quiz 1 due in Canvas by 11:59 pm

September 13: Exam 1

Week 5: September 18, 20, 22

Syllabus change:

Spend more time on matrix methods and move Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14 to Week 6

 

September 20: Homework 3 due (on paper or upload to Canvas) at 10:00 am 11:59 pm

Week 6: September 25, 27, 29

Syllabus changes:

  • remove Chapter 12 for now (we might return to it later)
  • Chapter 15 moved to Week 7

Principles of stressed skin construction:

  • Materials (Ch. 11)
  • Structural components of aircraft and spacecraft (Ch. 12)

Airworthiness (Ch. 13)

Airframe loads (Ch. 14)

September 27: Homework 4 due (on paper or upload to Canvas) at 10:00 am 11:59 pm

Week 7: October 2, 4, 6

 Fatigue (Ch. 15)

October 2: Quiz 2 due in Canvas by 11:59 pm

October 4: Exam 2

Week 8: October 9, 11, 13

Transverse loading of closed-section and open-section thin-walled beams:

  • bending (Ch. 16)

October 11: Homework 5 due (on paper or upload to Canvas) at 10:00 am 11:59 pm

Week 9: October 16, 18, 20

  • shear (Ch. 17)

October 18: Homework 6 due (on paper or upload to Canvas) at 10:00 am 11:59 pm

Week 10: October 23, 25, 27

October 23: Quiz 3 due in Canvas by 11:59 pm

October 25: Exam 3

Week 11: October 30; November 1, 3

Torsion of closed-section and open-section thin-walled beams (Ch. 18 and parts of Ch. 3 as needed)

November 1: Homework 7 due (on paper or upload to Canvas) at 10:00 am 11:59 pm

Week 12: November 6, 8, 10

Thin-walled beams with combined closed- and open-sections (Ch. 19)

November 8: Homework 8 due (on paper or upload to Canvas) at 10:00 am 11:59 pm

Week 13: November 13, 15, 17

November 13: Quiz 4 due in Canvas by 11:59 pm

November 15: Exam 4

Week 14: November 27, 29

No class December 1

Deflection due to shear and bending of thin-walled beams



Week 15: December 4, 6, 8

Structural instability:

  • columns (Ch. 8)
  • thin plates (Ch. 9)

November 29 December 4: Homework 9 due (on paper or upload to Canvas) at 10:00 am 11:59 pm

December 6: Quiz 5 due in Canvas by 11:59 pm 

December 13, 14

December 13, 7:30 - 9:30 am: Section 1 Exam 5

December 14, 7:30 - 9:30 am: Section 3 Exam 5

 

Course Policies

Feedback

Exam scores will be posted in the Grades section of our Canvas course.

Missed and late coursework

It is important to keep up with the pace of this course. Late work will not be accepted except with documentation of extenuating circumstances.

Attendance

Attendance is mandatory.

Incomplete grades

A grade of I (Incomplete) may be offered in extenuating circumstances and must be arranged with the instructor.

Expectations

Students are encouraged to use electronic devices to the extent that they supplement (not distract from) their learning.

Refer to ISU’s Thielen Student Health Center’s webpage regarding illness and ISU's Class Excuse Policy. If illness prevents you from being able to take an Exam, contact me as soon as you are able; include a copy of your class schedule from Access+ so that we can arrange a time and date for a make-up exam.

Student obligations:

  • Meet prerequisites or disenroll from the course.
  • Bring to every class:
    • your favorite scientific/graphing calculator (the same one you will use for exams)
    • paper (unlined paper or engineering paper preferred) or device for taking notes and solving problems
  • Attend class.
  • Complete Exams independently, according to our course policies.
  • Adhere to the Iowa State University Code of Conduct.
  • Ask for clarification when needed.

Instructor and teaching assistant obligations:

  • Post resources to Canvas.
  • Post Exam scores to Canvas in a timely manner (it generally takes about a week to return scored exams).
  • Respond to questions and feedback (in-person or via email or Canvas Discussions) promptly.

Inclusiveness:

  • Students are responsible for living the tenets established in ISU’s Principles of Community: Respect, Purpose, Cooperation, Richness of Diversity, Freedom from discrimination, and the Honest and respectful expression of ideas. Visit ISU’s Principles of Community website.
  • I honor each student by using their preferred name and pronoun, so if these differ from the ones on the class roster, please advise me accordingly early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records.
  • Iowa State University is committed to proactively facilitating each student’s well-being. We welcome and encourage students to contact the following on-campus services for their physical, intellectual, occupational, spiritual, environmental, financial, social, and/or emotional needs:
    • Student Wellness call 515-294-1099 or via website (http://studentwellness.iastate.edu);
    • Thielen Student Health Center call 515-294-5801 (24/7 Medical Advice) or via website (http://www.cyclonehealth.org);
    • Student Counseling Services call 515-294-5056 or via website (https://counseling.iastate.edu);
    • Recreation Services call 515-294-4980 or via website (http://recservices.iastate.edu);
    • Students dealing with heightened feelings of sadness or hopelessness, thoughts of harm or suicide, or increased anxiety may contact the ISU Crisis Text Line (Text ISU to 741-741) or contact ISU Police Department at 515-294-4428.
  • To learn effectively, you must have basic security: a roof over your head along with a reliable place to sleep and enough food to eat (view the Food Security at ISU Student Wellness webpage). If you’re having trouble with any of those things, please talk with me or the Dean of Students Office (email studentassistance@iastate.edu, phone 515-294-1020). Together we can work to meet those needs.
  • Iowa State University is committed to creating an educational, work, living, and campus environment that is free from all forms of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and unlawful discrimination and harassment based on protected class. As a responsible employee, I am responsible for reporting all incidents of prohibited sexual harassment, including sexual assault, stalking, and dating and domestic violence, to the university’s Title IX coordinator. Students can choose to discuss their experiences confidentially with the following resources: ACCESS (Assault Care Center Extending Shelter and Support) at 515-292-0500; ISU Student Counseling Services at 515-294-5056; and Thielen Student Health Center at 515-294-5801.
  • A green dot is any choice, behavior, word, or attitude that promotes everyone’s safety and communicates utter intolerance for power-based personal violence in our Iowa State University community. A green dot is anything you do to make our community safer. What is your Green Dot? Visit the Green Dot – Student Wellness website (http://www.studentwellness.iastate.edu/greendot/).
  • You are expected to treat your instructor and all other participants in the course with courtesy and respect. Your comments to others should be factual, constructive, and free from harassing statements. You are encouraged to disagree with other students, but such disagreements need to be based on facts and documentation (rather than prejudices and personalities). It is the instructor’s goal to promote an atmosphere of mutual respect in the classroom. Please contact the instructor if you have suggestions for improving the classroom environment. It is preferable if students discuss issues directly with the instructor, however, students may also leave a note in the instructor’s mailbox.
  • All university publications and communication, whether oral or written, shall use inclusive language and illustrations. Inclusive language refers to language that makes every attempt to include comprehensively all groups in the community. Whenever possible, the selection of academic materials will also reflect efforts to uphold this university policy. Visit the Policy Library’s Inclusive Language website.
  • I am committed to creating a course that is inclusive in its design. If you encounter barriers, please let me know immediately so that we can determine if there is a design adjustment that can be made or if an accommodation might be needed to overcome the limitations of the design. I am always happy to consider creative solutions as long as they do not compromise the intent of the assessment or learning activity. You may wish to contact the Student Accessibility Services (515-294-7220) to begin this conversation or to establish accommodations for this or other courses. I welcome feedback that will assist me in improving the usability and experience for all students.

Disclaimer: The information in this syllabus is subject to change in extenuating circumstances. Changes to the course syllabus will be provided in writing and announced via course-wide announcements.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due