Incorporation of Writing into a Steel Design Course

The University of Connecticut requires that, after completing the traditional freshmen English courses, students have writing assignments in courses that comprise their major. This paper explains how this requirement has been met in a senior-level, structural steel design course. Students are required to read articles on different types of steel buildings and bridges. They then write a response to specific questions. They also are required to perform “back-of-an-envelope” calculations on different structural components. The assignments enhance the subject matter by providing students with the opportunity to look at entire structures, whereas conventional design assignments generally involve the study of individual members and connections. These assignments provide a format for organizing and communicating information about load paths, framing approaches, different design alternatives, and how design influences and is influenced by construction practice.