Overall stability of structures can be either about rigid body behaviour such as sliding and overturning, or about the mechanistic behaviour of assemblies of members. This paper concerns itself with the teaching and learning of a qualitative understanding of overall stability. In particular, the paper presents and discusses elements of an undergraduate programme that culminates in the preparation of professional standard structural stability statements. One innovative dimension of this programme is the drawing down from postgraduate continuing professional development to the undergraduate experience of a skill that is critical in the formation of Civil and Structural Engineers. The practice of "learning by doing" is not in itself innovative in higher education, but its application to include peer review and feedback procedures in this case is believed to be innovative in the context of undergraduate courses that have traditionally been lecture-based.

purchase the full-text of this paper (price £20)

go to the previous paper
go to the next paper
return to the table of contents
return to the book description
purchase this book (price £85 +P&P)