In this guide
PRACTICE PROMPT
Use this fictional setting to practise clear reasoning. It is not an assessment or institution paper.
The setting
A simply supported steel beam, 8 m span, carrying a 4.5 m width of composite floor at 5.5 kN/m² total.
Your task
Size the beam for bending, shear and deflection.
What a useful response would show
Loading built up clearly, a governing check identified, and a boxed answer.
Reflect afterwards
- What assumption mattered most?
- What would you check before using this on a real project?
- Could another engineer follow your recommendation?