To produce a safe design on a budget and approved by all stakeholders, structural engineers need to cycle through multiple alternatives for structural elements, building materials, and more. This work requires analytical ability, vision, technical knowledge, and experience.
Accurate data provides the basis for the design work needed for the production of a structure capable of resisting all applied loads without failure during its intended life. A trustworthy design requires trustworthy data, as well as clear communication between the architect and the engineer. Mutual understanding throughout the construction process is key to aligning stakeholders and delivering the project successfully.
1. Data is the first step toward a shared understanding of what is required.
An architect typically sketches the initial vision for how a building, bridge, or other structure will look – including the materials to be used. But it’s the structural engineer who is responsible for turning this vision into a realizable design that follows the relevant regulations, and is capable of resisting all applied loads without failure during its intended life.
The structural designer works with the available information, which sometimes may be incomplete. The risk is that the design is created based on information that might change dramatically later, and then the work needs to be redone.
Starting from the conceptual phases
