Structural Engineering: From Bridges to Skyscrapers

Structural engineering is an important part of our day-to-day lives, it’s what creates the buildings and structures we live in, work in and frequent every day. From bridges to dams, everything requires structural engineering to ensure they stay standing for a long time. It is often overlooked as we aren’t always aware of how much work goes into creating a structure and ensuring its longevity. Whether you want to know more about how tall buildings are made or you want to learn how bridges function, we’ve put together this informative blog to explain everything you might want to know about structural engineering.



What is structural engineering?

Structural engineering is the science behind many structures including bridges, buildings, dams, towers and other load-bearing structures. Structural engineering ensures the safety, functionality and longevity of structures, making them safe for us to use. By combining engineering and scientific principles, we can make sure that structures are functional and durable. Structural engineers are hired to assess the safety and resilience of certain buildings by determining what materials, dimensions and configurations are best to use for elements such as beams, columns and foundations. They will monitor the structure's ability to hold heavy loads without experiencing major deformation or collapse.

Why is structural engineering so important?

Civil engineering is essential for a range of projects such as civil engineering and infrastructure plans. It is required in order to ensure the safety of structures and for the people who will use them in the future. They will analyse and design buildings to be able to withstand a variety of loads and external forces such as wind, gravity, earthquakes and other conditions. In order to determine this, structural engineers use formulated calculations that enable them to understand how a certain structure will fare and ultimately decide if they are stable, secure and durable for occupancy. Risk will also need to be considered such as the possibility that a structure could fail, collapse or cause potential harm to people.

A structural engineer will also work beyond the initial design phase. They must support the construction process, carry out inspections and offer recommendations for maintenance and rehabilitation. Structural engineering is so important because it ensures the world’s structures function in a durable, sustainable and aesthetically appealing manner.

The history of structural engineering

Structural engineering can be dated back thousands of years when it was used in ancient civilisations. Huge structures such as the pyramids, Ancient Rome and Stonehenge would have required extensive calculations and engineering in order to be successful. Many of these structures are still standing today, showing how important structural engineering truly is. As civilisations, we started to incorporate advancements such as concrete, iron and steel into our structures to make them even more durable.

Over time, we have had to work hard to adapt our structures to our needs as they are constantly evolving. We have had to focus on more sustainable design, resilience to natural disasters and advancements in technology. In more recent years we have undergone developments in the industry that have enabled us to create structures that are even more durable using things like computer-aided design (CAD), structural analysis software and numerical modelling, which have helped us create more accurate and efficient design processes.

What do structural engineers build?

Structural engineers are integral to the construction of many different things. These include:

Residential structural engineering

This kind of structural engineering focuses on designing and analysing structures such as residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Residential structural engineers will have helped build the foundations of your house and ensure it will stand safely for a long period of time. Architecture is very similar to structural engineering as they both involve the function of building infrastructure and often, these two will work together on big projects. Engineers must consider building codes, occupancy requirements, architectural design and laid-bearing capacity. It helps buildings to withstand movements and external forces that can lead to collapse or failure.

Bridges

Connecting cities, towns and countries, bridges are highly important to our society and can close the gap often separated by water. Bridge engineering involves the design, analysis and construction of bridges. Bridge engineering uses the principles of structural engineering to design, analyse and build safe bridges. They will look at span length, types of loads, materials and structural ability to create a safe passage of vehicles and passengers.

Tall buildings

Residential structural engineering is very different to the likes of tall building construction. This is a specialised branch of engineering that designs, analyses and constructs elevated buildings like skyscrapers. Tall buildings are very complex and pose a large amount of risk. That’s why it is so vital to include structural engineers in the design and construction process. Due to their height, foundation systems, lateral stability and complex systems, engineers must try to navigate a myriad of problems that could arise during their construction and plant the best possible construction process. Tall buildings also have external forces that other buildings don’t such as higher wind speed and height, therefore structural engineers must have a significant ability to understand the science behind this kind of construction.

Tunnels

Tunnels have been used for thousands of years and often link towns and cities that would have often been disconnected due to things such as mountains. Tunnels are more than just digging a hole through to the other side and require a lot of planning with structural engineers to ensure it is done safely. A tunnel engineer has a deep understanding of different types of ground (soil/rock), the ground’s behaviour, and the interaction between the ground and the structure that is built inside.

Iconic structures designed by structural engineers

Structural engineers are behind many of the iconic structures you may recognise around the world.

Burj Al Arab

The Burj Al Arab is a hotel built in 1994 on an island in the Arabian Gulf. Its construction involved over 2,000 workers, over 70,000 cubic meters of concrete and 9,000 tons of steel. The shape of the hotel is inspired by and designed to resemble the sail of a ship. It’s no surprise that the building required many structural engineers and architects to ensure the safety of the structure.

Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House started construction in 1959 but wasn’t completed for another 14 years. The original cost estimate to build the Sydney Opera House was $7 million. The final cost was $102 million and it was largely paid for by a State Lottery. It is now a worldwide recognised building which was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2007.

La Sagrada Familia

Construction on this building began in 1882 and 140 years later, it still isn’t complete. The design was originally created by architect Francisco Villar and has since seen many architects and structural engineers take over. It is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world.

The future of structural engineering

The field of structural engineering is constantly evolving. In the future, we are likely to see more use of building information modelling (BIM) which integrates all the information about a single building into one design. We are also likely to see a greater focus on sustainability as the need for more environmentally friendly designs becomes more important. On top of this, there will be the use of new materials that have been designed to create sustainable and cost-effective structures that are stronger, lighter, and more durable than traditional materials.

Integrated Designs & Associates - Structural Surveyors and Structural Design Engineers in Birmingham

We are a team of structural engineers in Birmingham offering you the help you need to design and construct your dream home. We specialise in residential structural engineering helping create safe and durable buildings. Whether you need structural engineering, architectural services, geotechnical engineering or domestic services, we can help. Aiming to keep structural engineer costs low, we want to provide a service that is reliable and affordable. For more information, contact us today.