What Does a Structural Engineer Do?

What Does a Structural Engineer Do?

According to the Institution of Structural Engineers, the discipline of a structural engineer is defined as a branch of civil engineering that involves designing structures such that they are able to withstand their own and other loads (such as people, cars, weather conditions, earthquake, etc.) while staying stable. 

What are the key tasks of a Structural Engineer?

Structural engineers have a ton of tasks that they need to do in order to ensure that the people who’ll interact with the structure stay safe and utilise its full potential. The main ones include:

• Structural engineers design the given structure such that it is able to withstand the loads and stresses to which it will be subjected. These structural designs are derived by taking into account the properties of materials that will be used during construction.
• Structural engineers, sometimes, perform site investigation to determine the type of soil and other site conditions based on which they design the foundations. Most of the time, soil investigation is done by geotechnical engineers, although through the guidance and instruction of a structural engineer. 
• Structural engineers prepare reports and drawings and can administer contracts.
• Structural engineers also obtain design approval from the planning and building authorities, which is a necessity before proceeding with construction. 
• A structural engineer will interact with all the parties, specifically the engineers/project managers and other specialists such as commercial building surveyors, planning consultants, environmental consultants etc,, involved in the project to ensure that the construction is conducted in accordance with the structural design. 
• Once the construction is done, the structural engineer inspects the project, specifically the foundation and frame. 

What are a Structural Engineer’s areas of work?

Wherever something is being constructed or renovated, a structural engineer has a role in it in one way or another. Some of these areas of work are explained below:

Residential Buildings

In residential buildings, the requirement of a residential structural engineer ranges from the construction of a new structure to the renovation of the existing one.

Any guesses on where a structural engineer is required during the construction of a new residential building?

Well, if your understanding is that he is needed during the design of the new structure and for its approval from the relevant authority, then you are absolutely right.

As far as the renovation is concerned, a structural engineer is only required if there is a need for structural changes. These modifications include the addition of a new floor, removal of a wall for room extension, or the change of the usage of the building. A structural engineer will complete the structural drawings and structural calculations for these types of projects. 

Commercial Buildings

When it comes to commercial buildings and projects, structural engineers are essential because most of these structures have entirely different loading mechanisms as compared to residential buildings. An office building might be similar to a residential building, but a factory/warehouse is a completely different story because it has substantially higher loads than conventional structures due to heavy machinery and processes involved in the production of goods. The construction method for most commercial properties differs greatly from a residential property type in that the spans and framing of the building is greater meaning that a significant element of the building design will be structural and thus require the input of a structural engineer. In addition, a structural engineer may complete temporary works design which is required for shoring up excavations or scaffolding. 

A structural engineer is involved in all the steps of the construction of a commercial building starting from the vision to the handing over of the project. Sometimes the structural engineers will act in the role of lead consultant, although more often than not they are engaged as part of a project/design team in order to provide technical and design input regarding all structural engineering matters. 

Other Areas

A few other areas where a structural engineer is required include:

• They are required to inspect a property’s structural standing before it is bought, this is called a structural inspection. The results deduced by the structural engineer plays a significant role in determining the price. This is often where there is a significant structural component to the property or whether another consultant such as a commercial building surveyor has identified issues which give rise to structural concern. 
• Structural engineers are crucial members in the investigation teams of major construction failures, such as building or bridge collapse. They can review the design information (if available) and assess what the likely causes of the failure was in order to assist with investigations and possible remedial works. 

These are just a few of the basic responsibilities and tasks performed by a structural engineer. Structural engineers are a requirement for almost every civil engineering and building project, whether it involves new construction, renovation, investigation of a construction failure, or pricing of a property. Without them, all this construction around us, no doubt, wouldn’t be possible! 

At UK Structural Engineers, we offer Structural Engineering Services in the following locations: Structural Engineer Bristol, Structural Engineer London, Structural Engineer Manchester.