A Virtual Steel Sculpture for Structural Engineering Education: Development and Initial Findings

Abstract

We describe the development and evaluation of a virtual steel sculpture for engineering education. A good connection design requires the engineer to have a solid understanding of the mechanics and steel behavior. To help students better understand various connection types, many schools have acquired steel sculptures. A steel sculpture is a physical system that shows 48 types of connection found in standard construction practices. Unfortunately, because of its size and location, students do not always have easy access to it. The virtual sculpture described in the article can provide an effective learning alternative. It allows the students to see the sculpture from multiple points of view anywhere, anytime and shows the close-up view of each connection with description of how it may be used, potential failure modes, sample calculations, and field examples. Findings from a formative study with engineering students support the pedagogical efficacy of the interactive sculpture.