Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Define the Structural Problem and Load Case
1–2 weeks (2–3 hrs/week)
Select a mechanical structural analysis problem: a beam under transverse load, a pressure vessel, a welded joint, a column under axial and bending load, or a machine component under cyclic loading. Define the geometry (dimensions, cross-section, material), support conditions (fixed, pinned, roller), and load case (point load, distributed load, pressure, combined loading). Identify the failure modes to check: yielding, buckling, fatigue, fracture. State the design standard to be used (Eurocode 3 for steel structures, EN 13445 for pressure vessels, ASME BPVC, BS 7608 for welded joints, or equivalent). A structural analysis without a defined failure mode is incomplete — knowing the load is not enough; the question is what the structure will fail by.
Proof required
Submit your problem definition document (≥500 words): structural description with geometry and material, support conditions and load case with all values in engineering units, the design standard cited, and ≥2 failure modes to be checked.
What gets checked
- Load case gives all values in engineering units — load in kN or N, dimensions in mm or m, not stated as 'moderate load'
- Design standard is named specifically — not 'follow industry standards'
- ≥2 failure modes are identified — yielding + buckling, or fatigue + fracture, or equivalent
Common mistakes
- Defining a load case without stating the failure mode to check — structural analysis has a specific purpose; state whether you are checking for yield, buckling, fatigue, or fracture before calculating
- Material properties taken from memory without citing the source — steel grade (e.g. S275 per EN 10025, yield strength 275 MPa) must be cited from the material standard or datasheet
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
What a verifier looks for
- Confirm load case gives all values in engineering units — flag any qualitative descriptions of load magnitude.
- Confirm design standard is named specifically with the standard number.
- Confirm ≥2 failure modes are identified before the analysis begins.
Perform Structural Analysis and Stress Calculation
3–4 weeks (4–5 hrs/week)
Calculate internal forces and stresses for the structure defined in M1. For a beam: compute bending moment and shear force diagrams, then calculate bending stress and shear stress at the critical section. For a pressure vessel: apply thin-wall or thick-wall theory to find hoop and axial stress. For a column: check Euler buckling load and compare with applied load. For a welded joint: calculate weld throat stress and compare with fatigue or static strength limit per the design standard. Use hand calculation as the primary method; if FEA is used, it must be supplemented with a hand calculation to verify the order of magnitude.
Proof required
Submit your analysis calculations: bending moment/shear force diagram (or equivalent), stress calculation at the critical section with equation, all parameter values in engineering units, and the utilisation ratio (calculated stress / allowable stress) against the design standard limit.
What gets checked
- Utilisation ratio is calculated as (applied stress / allowable stress) and compared against the design standard limit
- All parameter values are in engineering units with source cited — material strength from standard, applied loads from M1
- Hand calculation is shown — FEA output alone without a hand verification is not accepted
Common mistakes
- FEA output presented without a parallel hand calculation — FEA without hand verification is an unvalidated simulation; structural analysis must include a back-of-envelope calculation to confirm the FEA result is in the right order of magnitude
- Utilisation ratio calculated but not compared against the standard limit — the calculation is only useful if the result is assessed against a pass/fail criterion
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
What a verifier looks for
- Confirm utilisation ratio is calculated and compared against the design standard limit — flag if only stress is calculated without comparison.
- Confirm hand calculation is present — flag if only FEA output is submitted.
- Confirm all parameter values cite their source — material strength from named standard, loads from M1.
Write the Structural Analysis Report and Present Results
2–3 weeks (2–3 hrs/week)
Write a complete structural analysis report (1,500–2,500 words plus calculations appendix) covering: structure description and load case, failure modes checked, analysis method and calculations summary, utilisation ratios against code limits for each failure mode, and recommendations (adequate as designed, redesign needed, or margin for additional load). If any failure mode is not satisfied, propose a specific design modification. Have the report reviewed by a mechanical or structural engineer and respond to Q&A on the analysis assumptions and recommendations.
Proof required
Submit your structural analysis report (1,500–2,500 words plus calculations appendix) and review record: reviewer name, role, ≥3 challenge questions about the analysis assumptions or recommendations, and your responses.
What gets checked
- All failure modes from M1 are assessed with utilisation ratios — not just the first one checked
- If any failure mode is not satisfied, a specific design modification is proposed with engineering justification
- Reviewer has mechanical or structural engineering experience and challenged the analysis assumptions or failure mode coverage
Common mistakes
- Report that only covers the failure mode the structure passes — the analysis must cover all failure modes identified in M1, not just those with comfortable margins
- Design modification that says 'use a bigger section' without quantifying the required increase — a design modification must be specific enough to act on
Resources
Foundationstart here
What a verifier looks for
- Engineering Design Triad check: M1–M3 together produce a design artifact (structural problem definition + failure mode specification), an analysis artifact (stress calculations + utilisation ratios + bending moment diagram), and a documentation artifact (structural analysis report + review record) — confirm all three types are present.
- Confirm all failure modes from M1 are assessed — flag if any are omitted in the report.
- Confirm design modification is specific and quantified — flag 'use a bigger section' without a specified size increase.
- Confirm reviewer has mechanical or structural engineering experience.
- The Proof Accessibility Rule applies — MIT OCW (free), FreeCAD FEM (free), Eurocodes portal (free excerpts), and IMechE free resources are all accessible without commercial licence.
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