Web-based tutor for interactive design of connections in steel buildings

There are a large number of connection types in steel structures. This is an area where students cannot get enough in the classroom. Design of each steel connection type is unique. At the same, there are similarities in designs of various connection types. These two factors plus the open-ended nature of the design can make the learning of so many different types of connections both challenging and tedious. While a number of tools are available to help teach design of connections there is no interactive online tool for teaching and learning of design of connections in steel structures. In this article a novel interactive approach and a Java applet, called Connection Tutor, is presented for design of a variety of connections in steel structures. Connection Tutor is intended to be used as a user-friendly supplement in teaching design of connections in steel structures. (c) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 20: 568577, 2012