Structural Engineering is a subset of civil engineering. Structural engineers train to design the “bones and muscles” that form and support human-made structures. This type of engineering has very high standards in what it takes to build commercial and residential buildings. It also has high standards for building structures for the military. There are many areas that fall under the category of structural engineering. These include structural steel, reinforced concrete, column line steel, masonry, piping, interior support, doors, window panes, roofing, walls, and earthquake response.
Applications in Construction: Bridges and Infrastructure
The field of structural engineering has many uses. One of the most popular of these uses is the construction and design of bridges. Bridges are one of the most important pieces of road building and transportation. A quality structural engineer can help determine the proper specifications for a structure. As a result, this will make the structure able to withstand any weather condition.
Importance of Specifications
According to Allen Fiford, Director at AF Consulting Engineers & Associates, specifications define a set of documented requirements that a material, design, product, or service must satisfy. When a structural engineer provides specifications, they serve as a technical standard. “Different types of technical or engineering specifications exist, and professionals use the term differently across contexts,” he elaborates.
“A specification describes the scope of work, the materials to be used, the quality of workmanship, and the methodology of installation for a specific contract. Teams must use it alongside contract construction drawings. The project team actively uses the specification throughout the construction phase, and its value does not end at the design stage,” defines Eng. Gibson N. Wanjau, Director & Principal Engineer at EL ARCA Engineering.
Key Requirements for Structural Specifications
To the best of his knowledge, Eng. Wanjau further points out the proper Specifications for a Structure should;
1. Clearly define the Materials and manufacturers’ items to be used on site
2. Back up the cost of the project, not only the materials and products but also the performance and workmanship of the contractor.
3. Identify installation, testing and handover requirements.
4. Be clear, and rich in information to provide answers to the many construction questions on site, saving the project team, contractor and client time and money
5. Assist in minimizing project risk and providing support should there be any legal disagreements.
6. Reference the quality and standards which should be applied on a construction project.
Structural engineer also ensures that all the necessary tests are passed before any construction project is put into use.
Preventing Structural Failure
Another application of structural engineering deals with the prevention of structural failure. All structures, including buildings, have the potential for failure at some point. This is when the effects of stress are greatest. The primary reason for structural failure is the rate of change of a structure’s load-bearing capacity and load distribution. For example, if a heavy load is placed on a weak point, the structure can experience structural failure. If the load changes, the strength of the structure can decrease or the force by which the structure compresses or grows can change, affecting the performance of the structure.
Causes of Structural Failure
However, Allen believes that, in the construction industry or build environment, defective construction which causes failure may be caused due to numerous/several reasons. These may not be easy to predict before or during the construction of a project. The major causes of structural failure are defective designs that have not determined the actual loading conditions on the structural elements. Inferior construction materials may also be the cause since the loads are calculated for materials of specific characteristics. Structures may fail even if the design is satisfactory. This happens when the materials are not able to withstand the loads.
“We at AF Consulting Engineers & Associates have witnessed in many scenarios where employment of unskilled labour in construction work becomes a huge problem, this is another reason for why we witness structural failures. Hence the reason why it is so important to appoint reputable professionals to educate, designers builders, homeowner builder’s…etc., to make each party fully conscious of the reasons why structures fail, and undertake all preventive measures preventing structures from failing,” he recommends.
Professional Supervision and Best Practices
Conforming to Allen, failures occurs very rarely as a result to inadequate design, more often because of bad construction practice, either due to ignorance or cutting corners for profit. “This is where supervision comes in and therefore our fees as professionals should be respected,” he concludes.
“Structural elements tend to fail because of use of substandard materials, error in Structural designs, the methodology of construction, external/environmental conditions and the usage to which the building is put,” says Eng. Wanjau. He supplementary expand on possible causes of structural failure;
1. Use of Substandard Materials and Lack of quality control
This happens when the contractor/builder decides to use inferior materials to put up the structure. E.g., Use of the wrong mix ratio of concrete (of lower class than specified). Failure may also occur due to contractor and Engineer’s inadequate supervision and control of operations and material quality.
2. Methodology of Construction
The contractor’s failure to construct in accordance with drawings and specifications given by the engineer can also be a cause or reason for failure of structures.
3. External/Environmental Conditions
These are often natural, such as unexpected loads, heavy rain, earthquakes and maybe defective sites, which may have unusual ground conditions e.g., sinking holes or even swampy land.
4. Error in Structural designs
Design errors do not only result from computational mistakes; they also occur when engineers fail to account for expected structural loads, rely on inaccurate data, or select improper materials and properties.
5. The Structure Usage
Every structure is designed and built to withstand a specific load. A residential house supports the weight of its residents. However, if the same building is used as a warehouse, the structure faces the risk of overstressing.
Structural engineers perform a wide range of tasks within a building. Many engineers participate in the planning process, which determines key characteristics of the building. They assess structural integrity, load-bearing capacity, and overall conditions, and they implement building controls to ensure proper operation. Additionally, they monitor the facility’s overall performance.
Construction projects in earthquake-prone zones require active involvement from structural engineers. Beyond planning and executing the project, engineers verify that the building’s integrity remains uncompromised. They perform tests on beams and walls, and identify weak areas. In some cases, structural engineers rebuild the entire facility after a major disaster. Civil engineers may also inspect damaged areas after large earthquakes to ensure compliance with safety regulations.
Many smaller civil engineering firms specialize in a particular segment of the field. Some specialize in projects that focus on the residential market, while others focus on commercial projects such as apartment complexes and office buildings. Structural engineers may choose to work on either a specialty or multi-specialty basis, depending on the type of structure they are working on. Whatever the case, it is almost certain that structural engineering will continue to grow in importance as time goes by.
Read More:
