Free Structural Engineering and Design Course

The free structural design course gives you a beginner's view of what engineers look for when they analyze a building. You start by distinguishing the weight of the structure from loads that change with use. Following those forces through beams, columns, and foundations helps you understand why each connection matters. The structural analysis lessons introduce diagrams that show how forces and bending change along a beam.

Soil changes the problem at the base of the building. In the foundation design lessons, you'll see why bearing capacity, the load the ground can support, and settlement matter when comparing foundation types. Wind and seismic design introduce other ways a building can move under load. The course ends with drawings and building information modeling, so you can see how design decisions are recorded for the people who review and build the structure.