What does a structural engineers do?

Structural  engineers often work alongside civil engineers and architects as part of a construction team. ‘in a nutshell’, according to the institution of structural engineers, “if a structural was a human body, the architect would be concerned with the body shape and appearance, and the structural engineer would be concerned with the skeleton and sinews.”

Structures must be able to deal with the conditons un which they are buit. A house in canda must have a roof that can bear the weight of heavy snow and a stadium in california must be able to withstand earthquakes. For example, when building bridqes, Designer must take into account the condition of terrain, wind, and water and traffic volume. Structural engineers consider all of these factors and provide technical advice about the project. Structural engineers battle gravity, wind, water, snow and rain every day to provide the world with outstanding structures,” Kate Leighton, a structural engineer, said in “careers in structural engineers, a publication of the institutions of structural engineers. ” they are experts at solving problems, meaning challenges and providing creative solution “.

Structural engineers “design roof framing (beams, fraters, joists, trusses), floor framing (floor decks joists, beams, trusses, girders), arches, columns, braces, frames, foundations and walls”, according to the national Council of structural engineer’s association. “In bridges, they design the deck- or riding surface, girders or stringers, and piers. The materials they use include steel, concrete, wood, masonry and aluminum. Engineers design the structure to resist forces from the gravity, earthquakes, high winds, water soil, collisions, and blast explosion “.

A structural engineer’s job includes:

• Analyzing blueprints, maps, reports, and topographical and geological data;
• Estimate the cost and quantities of material, equipment’s and labor;
• Computing load and grade requirements, water flow rates and material stress factors to determine design specification;
• Concluding studies of traffic patterns or environments conditions to identify potential problems and asses how they will affect the project;

Critical skills that a person needs in structural engineering include an in depth understanding of physics and mathematics. A structural engineer must also know the properties of various materials.

Engineering include an in-depth understanding of physics and mathematics. A structural engineer must also know the properties of various materials, such as their destiny, hardness, tensile strength, bulk modulus and bending strength. They need to be able to calculate how different materials will perform under stresses such as comprehension, tension, bending and twisting, as well as under various environmental conditions of temperature, pressure, corrosive gases and liquids, and even radiation. They also need to be able to predict how these materials will perform over an extended period of time.

Structural engineers rely increasingly on computer-aided design (CAD) system, so proficiency with computers is essential. In addition to speeding up the drafting process, CAD system allow for quick and easy modifications of designs and three-dimensional (3D) visualization of finished parts and assemblies.