Unit Outline
ENG707
Steel and Timber Structures
Semester 1, 2025
Andrew Chan
School of Engineering
College of Sciences and Engineering
CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B

Unit Coordinator
Andrew Chan
Email: Andrew.Chan@utas.edu.au
What is the Unit About?
Unit Description
 

This unit familiarises students with steel and timber materials technology, and the analysis and design of steel and timber structures. Students are introduced to the Australian Standards for Structural Design. There are design tasks and assignments, supported by weekly tutorial exercises, that explore detailed engineering requirements of structure, frame and element design. Students are also expected to use computer-aided design facilities and structural analysis applications for documentation of projects.
Intended Learning Outcomes
As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.
On completion of this unit, you will be able to:
1
Determine the capacity of basic steel and timber structural members using the principles of solid mechanics and Australian Standards
2
Design steel and timber members and their connections for strength and serviceability using Australian Standards
3
Optimise steel and timber structures by applying  new developments and techniques in steel and timber structures
Requisites
REQUISITE TYPE
REQUISITES
Pre-requisite
ENG103 or KAA110
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)
ENG321
Alterations as a result of student feedback
The weighting of the steel assessments have been increased following the feedback from the students.
 
 

Teaching arrangements
ATTENDANCE MODE
TEACHING TYPE
LEARNING ACTIVITY
CONTACT HOURS
FREQUENCY
Attendance / engagement expectations
If your unit is offered On campus, it is expected that you will attend all on-campus and onsite learning activities. This is to support your own learning and the development of a learning community within the unit. If you are unable to attend regularly, please discuss the situation with your course coordinator and/or our UConnect support team.

If your unit is offered Online or includes online activities, it is expected you will engage in all those activities as indicated in the Unit Outline or MyLO, including any self-directed learning.

If you miss a learning activity for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, carer responsibilities) teaching staff will attempt to provide alternative activities (e.g., make up readings) where it is possible.
 
 
 
 

How will I be Assessed?
 
For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.
Assessment schedule
ASSESSMENT TASK #
ASSESSMENT TASK NAME
DATE DUE
WEIGHT
LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:
Steel Design Project
Week 7
20 %
LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:
Timber Design Project
Week 13
35 %
LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:
Steel and Timber Quizzes and Tests
Refer to Assessment Description
45 %
LO1, LO2
 
Assessment details
Assessment Task 1: Steel Design Project
Task Description:
In this project, you will determine design actions, design structural elements and check the deflection of a steel structure. Students are required to finish the tasks through step by step calculations and submit a report for marking.
Task Length:
8-10 A4 Pages including sketches
Due Date:
Week 7
Weight:
20 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Interpret Australian Standards to determine loads and load combinations on the given member/structure.
LO1
2
Apply the principles of structural analysis to determine internal forces in the given member/structure
LO1
3
Interpret the Australian Standards to design and detail the given member/structure and its connections
LO2
4
Produce drawings and sketches of construction details to industry specifications.
LO2
5
Optmise the steel structure using innovative methods, practices and materials.
LO3
 
Assessment Task 2: Timber Design Project
Task Description:
You have been commissioned by a developer to look at timber options for their proposed office development. The design you develop will be taken to the market for costing to assess feasibility. The developer is targeting a high-value tenant to take on a long-term lease for the whole building. Your engineering design should consider vertical gravity and wind loads. You should conduct
detailed design to size the following elements to AS1720.1 design methods:
- A typical floor bay
- A typical beam / bearer span (two if your design includes non-symmetric gridlines)
- A typical worst-case column
- A timber stability K-brace stability system in the façade (the concrete core is non-
structural in terms of lateral loads). The K-brace should be sized for strength only.
Task Length:
8-10 A4 Pages + Sketches
Due Date:
Week 13
Weight:
35 %
 

 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Interpret Australian Standards to determine loads and load combinations on the given member/structure
LO1
2
Apply the principles of structural analysis to determine internal forces in the given member/structure
LO1
3
Interpret the Australian Standards to design and detail the given member/structure and its connections
LO2
4
Produce drawings and sketches of construction details to industry specifications
LO2
5
Optimise the timber structure using innovative methods, practices and materials.
LO3
 
Assessment Task 3: Steel and Timber Quizzes and Tests
Task Description:
The students will be required to complete a mix of online quizzes, short tests and small assignments on both steel and timber topics throughout the semester.
Task Length:
Steel component Four weekly exercises (4% each) - 16% Two tests 1. 30 minutes test in week 4 (6%) 2. 40 minutes test in week 7 (8%) Timber Component Three 15-30 minutes quizzes (5 online questions) 5% each
Due Date:
Refer to Assessment Description
Weight:
45 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Correctly answer the questions in the test/quiz
LO1, LO2
2
Correctly use the relevant standard and theory
LO1, LO2
 
 
 

How your final result is determined
To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.
Specifically, to demonstrate attainment of the ILOs, you must:
-  for ILO1, it is considered satisfied if the overall average of the two steel quizzes and the three timber quizzes are 45% or higher
- for ILO2 and ILO3 are considered satisfied if the overall average of the steel and timber design projects are 50% or higher
Tutorials and assessments are formative tasks that explicitly prepare you for these tests and quizzes, but the marks obtained do not contribute to meeting the ILOs. Any opportunities for supplementary assessment if you do not meet an ILO will be strictly in accordance with the UTas Assessment and Results Procedure.
 
Academic progress review
The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.
Submission of assignments
Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.
Academic integrity
Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see
Important Guidelines & Support.
Requests for extensions
If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.
 
A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.
 
The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.
Late penalties
Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.
 

Review of results and appeals
You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.