5 Things You Should Know About Structural Design
Engineers are behind the scenes of almost everything. Running shoes, snowboards, the launch of spacecraft, and more than anything, buildings and structures.
The design of safe buildings - capable of withstanding natural disasters, or deep-sea oil rigs - capable of withstanding the battering of large swell. We can thank engineers for the miracles of the modern world.
But structural design is a complex area, and there are a lot of moving parts. What actually goes into it, and what makes for great design and structures? Keep reading to find out.
1. What Is Structural Design?
Structural engineering is a branch of civil engineering that deals with the effects of physical force on structural elements. Basically, structural engineers crunch the numbers behind the scenes and make sure their structures will respond adequately to the physical forces they may need to endure.
There are four core fundamental principles a structural designer must take into account. They must:
Produce a structure that can resist all loads applied to it.
Determine the strength, stability, and rigidity of said structures.
Ensure the structural safety of the building for all those involved.
Work collaboratively with other professionals and provide the right dimensions of their structures.
Structural engineers and designers are trained to design their work in such a way that they are not only accurate, but safe. So while structural design is an essential aspect of civil engineering, it is still a sub-division in its own right.
2. Where Would You Find a Structural Design Engineer?
There are hundreds of specialties in structural engineering. Most structural engineers don’t just work on ‘buildings’, but on specific types of structures. These could be anything from multi-family housing, skyscrapers and healthcare institutions. Engineers that specialise in earthquake and wind engineering will aim to prevent weakness in the case of an emergency. Transportation structural engineers specialise in dams, bridges or trains, whereas commercial structural engineers may work on warehouse-to-loft conversions or office buildings.
With that in mind, structural engineers generally focus on a single industry. This allows them to become experts in their field and become more equipped to face the unique requirements and challenges that appear. Structural engineers can work in a variety of industries, including:
Airports
Bridges
Structures on the coast and at sea
Power Plants
Structures for public health and water
Railways
Typically, structural engineers operate as contractors or consultants.
Contractors
Contractor structural engineers spend the majority of their time on the job site. They’re in charge of the more hands-on aspects of engineering, like overseeing construction crews and monitoring projects as they’re being constructed.
Consultants
Consultants generally spend most of their time in an office setting. They create reports or blueprints, develop plans and manage projects. They will go to building sites occasionally, but this will only take up a minor percentage of their time.
3. What Do Structural Engineers Do?
A structural engineer will collaborate with an architect for the project’s original design. Yet, while architectural design is engaged in the building’s aesthetic appeal, a structural designer is concerned about the structure’s durability and stability.
An engineer must consider three factors while crafting a structure:
Serviceability
Strength
Durability
It must be serviceable enough that it won’t bend, droop, sway, or vibrate. Robust enough that it won’t collapse or fail, and durable enough to not rot, corrode or suffer physical fatigue. An engineer will consider how different materials flex, twist and vibrate, and use their calculations to construct safe and sustainable projects.
That being said, an engineer is consistently under pressure to meet the expectations of the project’s investors and stakeholders. What makes a good engineer is how they go about achieving this goal. How do they use their innovation, creativity, ingenuity, and judgment to complete the task?
4. The Difference Between a Structural Engineer and a Civil Engineer
We mentioned that structural engineering is a subset of civil engineering. However, in order to work as a structural engineer, one may need to extend their studies by enrolling in a postgraduate structural engineering degree.
Engineers all think differently. They have different talents and skillsets, receive different mentoring and training as children, work for different companies with different philosophies and business models. This diversity of background naturally results in various fields of work and design outcomes.
5. The Technicalities
An engineer must address important design and structural considerations before breaking ground on any new project. They will develop a complete structural analysis and design plan using the project’s architectural blueprints, keeping these four crucial criteria in mind.
Load Considerations
A load consideration analysis is always mandatory for structural design. The type of occupancy for the structure, as well as the structure’s height, will influence load considerations. The following are three of the most common building loadings:
Live Loads (LL) are moving loads that a structure can support.
Dead Load (DL): Usually made up of the structure’s or member’s own weight.
The floor finishes and the weight of the partitions make up the superimposed dead load (SDL).
Schedule
The ultimate performance of a building depends on the efforts of all project participants working in conjunction. Following the completion of all designs and analysis, a structural markup will be presented. This will include the schedule, design and budget. To guarantee that every aspect is accounted for in the overall timetable, comprehensive engagement from all stakeholders is needed at this particular stage.
Framing
An experienced structural engineer should be able to rely on themselves, just as much as their software, when framing and designing their work. Only once they have physically laid out the geometry and sizes of all the key pieces can they turn to their preferred engineering software to revise and validate their designs.
Design Codes and Standards
All national, state, and local construction standards give the go-ahead for procedures and permits. An engineer must follow the design codes of their area when commencing a new project. It is important that all parties involved in the project thoroughly understand the particular rules and regulations from their respective councils or state governments.
Work With National Drafting Today
The first stage of any structural design project is the draft. It’s the planning, the strategies, and the first stroke of a pencil. That’s what comes together to bring a project to life. We focus on efficiency and quality, and bring our stellar eye for design to every project to meet your requirements.