Outline

Overview

This unit aims to develop a student's understanding of the theoretical basis of advanced aerospace structural analysis; and introduce students to the solution of real-world aircraft structural problems. This unit of study will develop the following attributes: An understanding of the derivation of the fundamental equations of elasticity and their application in certain analytical problems; An understanding of plate theory and the ability to use this to obtain analytical solutions for plate bending and buckling problems; An understanding of energy-method to develop a deeper appreciation for the complexities of designing solution techniques for structural problems; An understanding of the basic principals behind stressed-skin aircraft construction and the practical analysis of typical aircraft components, including the limitations of such techniques. At the end of this unit students will have an understanding of: 2-D and 3-D elasticity: general equations and solution techniques; Energy methods in structural analysis, including the principles of virtual work and total potential and complimentary energies; Fundamental theory of plates, including in-plane and bending loads as well as buckling and shear instabilities; Solution techniques for plate problems including: Navier solutions for rectangular plates; Combined bending and in-plane loading problems; Energy methods for plate-bending; and Plate buckling for compression and shear loadings; Bending of beams with unsymmetrical cross-sections; Basic principles and theory of stressed-skin structural analysis; Determination of direct stresses and shear flows in arbitrary thin-walled beams under arbitrary loading conditions including: Unsymmetrical sections, Open and closed sections, Single and multi-cell closed sections, Tapered sections, Continuous and idealised sections; The analysis of common aircraft components including fuselages, wings, skin-panels, stringers, ribs, frames and cut-outs; The effects of end constraints and shear-lag on the solutions developed as well as an overall appreciation of the limitations of the solution methods presented.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	AERO8360
Academic unit	Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	AERO9360
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	AMME9301 Mechanics of Solids
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Anil Ravindran, anil.ravindran@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Anil Ravindran, anil.ravindran@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Supervised exam ?	Final exam Closed book	40%	Formal exam period	1.5 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Assignment 1 hand-written working analysis question.	3%	Week 02 Due date: 03 Mar 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 13 Mar 2024	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Assignment 2 hand-written working analysis question.	3%	Week 03 Due date: 10 Mar 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 20 Mar 2024	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Assignment 3 hand-written working analysis question.	3%	Week 04 Due date: 17 Mar 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 27 Mar 2024	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Assignment 4 hand-written working analysis question.	3%	Week 05 Due date: 24 Mar 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 03 Apr 2024	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Assignment 5 hand-written working analysis question.	3%	Week 06 Due date: 07 Apr 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 17 Apr 2024	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Small test	In-class quiz in-class closed book quiz	10%	Week 07 Due date: 09 Apr 2024 at 11:50	45 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Assignment 6 hand-written working analysis question.	3%	Week 08 Due date: 21 Apr 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 01 May 2024	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Assignment 7 hand-written working analysis question.	3%	Week 09 Due date: 28 Apr 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 08 May 2024	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Assignment 8 hand-written working analysis question.	3%	Week 11 Due date: 12 May 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 22 May 2024	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Assignment 9 hand-written working analysis question.	3%	Week 12 Due date: 19 May 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 29 May 2024	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Aircraft Wing Test Lab Assignment Submitted working report.	15%	Week 13 Due date: 24 May 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 03 Jun 2024	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Buckling Lab Experiment Submitted working report.	5%	Week 13 Due date: 26 May 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 05 Jun 2024	N/A
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Assignment 10 hand-written working analysis question.	3%	Week 13 Due date: 26 May 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 05 Jun 2024	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Assignment: A penalty per day will be applied for late submission. Standard late penalty applies as outlined in Assessment Procedures 2011.
Quiz: Each quiz will be closed-book and held during lecture hour.
Lab 1: A test of an aircraft wing structure.
Lab 2: A column buckling test of an extruded profile.
Exam: This will be a closed-book exam. A student must get 40% in the final exam to pass the unit, regardless of the sum of their individual marks.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Standard late penalty applies as outlined in Assessment Procedures 2011.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	1. Loads on aircraft, function of structural components; 2. Bending of beams with non-symmetrical cross sections	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 01	1. Loads on aircraft, function of structural components; 2. Bending of beams with non-symmetrical cross sections	Independent study (5 hr)
Week 02	1. Stress, strain and displacement relationships for open and closed single cell thin walled beams 2. Bending of beams with non-symmetrical cross sections	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 02	1. Stress, strain and displacement relationships for open and closed single cell thin walled beams 2. Bending of beams with non-symmetrical cross sections	Independent study (5 hr)
Week 03	1. Torsion of thin walled beam sections; 2. Stress, strain and displacement relationships for open and closed single cell thin walled beams; 3. Structural idealization	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 03	1. Torsion of thin walled beam sections; 2. Stress, strain and displacement relationships for open and closed single cell thin walled beams; 3. Structural idealization	Independent study (5 hr)
Week 04	1. Multicell beams; 2. Structural idealization	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 04	1. Multicell beams; 2. Structural idealization	Independent study (5 hr)
Week 05	1. Multicell beams; 2. Tapered beams	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 05	1. Multicell beams; 2. Tapered beams	Independent study (5 hr)
Week 06	1. Tapered beams; 2. Shear panels, ribs and cut-outs	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 06	1. Tapered beams; 2. Shear panels, ribs and cut-outs	Independent study (5 hr)
Week 07	1. Structural constraints; 2. Shear panels, ribs and cut-outs	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 07	1. Structural constraints; 2. Shear panels, ribs and cut-outs	Independent study (5 hr)
Week 08	1. Elasticity; 2. 2D Problems	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 08	1. Elasticity; 2. 2D Problems	Independent study (5 hr)
Week 09	1. 2D problems; 2. 2D problems in polar coordinates	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 09	1. 2D problems; 2. 2D problems in polar coordinates	Independent study (5 hr)
Week 10	Buckling of Structures	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 10	Buckling of Structures	Independent study (5 hr)
Week 11	Bending of thin plates; Plates with combined bending and in-plane loadings	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 11	Bending of thin plates; Plates with combined bending and in-plane loadings	Independent study (5 hr)
Week 12	1. Plates with combined bending and in-plane loadings; 2. Energy methods for plate bending; 3. Overview of Finite Element Analysis	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 12	1. Plates with combined bending and in-plane loadings; 2. Energy methods for plate bending; 3. Overview of Finite Element Analysis	Independent study (5 hr)
Week 13	1. Review; 2. Energy methods for plate bending, and composite structures	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 13	1. Review; 2. Energy methods for plate bending, and composite structures	Independent study (5 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

T.H.G. Megson, Aircraft Structures for Engineering Students (2nd). Edward Arnold, Amember of the Hodder Headline Group, London Sydney Auckland, 1990.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. understand the analysis and/or testing method in applying knowledge to an aircraft wing structure
LO2. understand the derivation of the fundamental equations of elasticity and their application in certain analytical problems
LO3. understand plate theory and use this to obtain analytical solutions for plate bending and buckling problems
LO4. understand energy-method solution techniques for structural problems
LO5. understand the basic principals behind stressed-skin aircraft construction and the practical analysis of typical aircraft components, including the limitations of such techniques.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No significant changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

AERO8360: Aerospace Structures 1

Semester 1, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect