Steel Structures Strength Of Materials Fundamentals Training

Learning Outcomes

• Apply fundamental principles of strength of materials to analyze steel structural components.
• Analyze stress-strain relationships and calculate key parameters such as tensile strength, yield point, and modulus of elasticity.
• Evaluate the effects of axial, bending, and torsional loads on steel members.
• Implement appropriate safety factors and design criteria for steel structures.
• Demonstrate competence in interpreting material test results and structural drawings.
• Assess the structural integrity of steel components under various loading conditions.

Target Audience

This course is designed for engineers, technicians, and supervisors involved in the design, construction, or inspection of steel structures, particularly those in the manufacturing, mining, and construction sectors.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

Hands-on practicals are essential for learners to apply theoretical concepts to real steel components. Learners will conduct tensile tests, measure beam deflections, and assemble bolted and welded connections in a workshop setting, reinforcing calculation skills with physical verification.

Practical Activities

• Tensile Testing of Steel Coupons — Learners perform tensile tests on steel samples using a universal testing machine, recording stress-strain data and determining yield strength, ultimate strength, and modulus of elasticity. (16h)
• Beam Bending and Deflection Measurement — Learners set up simply supported and cantilever steel beams, apply point and distributed loads, measure deflections using dial gauges, and compare with theoretical calculations. (16h)
• Bolted Connection Assembly and Testing — Learners assemble bolted connections with varying bolt patterns, tighten bolts to specified torques, and test the joint under shear and tension loads using a hydraulic test frame. (12h)
• Welded Joint Fabrication and Inspection — Learners prepare and weld fillet and groove joints on steel plates, then inspect welds using visual and non-destructive methods (dye penetrant) and evaluate weld strength. (12h)
• Column Buckling Demonstration — Learners test steel columns of various slenderness ratios under axial load, observe buckling modes, and compare critical loads with Euler and Johnson formulas. (12h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.