What does a Structural Engineer do ?

Structural engineering is a specialized branch of civil engineering that entails analyzing and designing structures, like buildings, bridges, tunnels, even sports stadium (or any habitable entity we can think of !) .

Engineering is a broad discipline that involves a systematic approach to designing solutions to problems experienced in the real world. There are many different fields of engineering, like mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, chemical engineering, computer engineering (and so on). Within these fields are various specializations; structural engineering is a specialization in civil engineering (like doctors specialize in cardiology,ENT etc or the same way lawyers specialize in civil, corporate,crime etc).

Structural engineers use mathematics and physics along with their knowledge of behavior of various types of engineering materials, various classes of loads & different combinations of structural members to make sure that a given structure won’t collapse or fall over in the most economic & feasible way. When ensuring a structure’s stability, structural engineers perform calculations and look at several factors, such as

• The forces a structure is likely to encounter.

• The properties of the materials that make up a structure.

• The shapes that make up a structure.

For example, a bridge not only has to support itself; it also has to handle a variety of forces, such as downward forces caused by the traffic driving over it, and forces caused by wind, tidal forces or an earthquake.

Structural engineers take properties like strength, weight, shapes and stiffness of materials into consideration. For example, steel is typically heavier and stronger than concrete. Additionally, different shapes lend themselves to different purposes. Each shape has various geometrical properties, A structural engineer will select the best shape with the most suited orientation of the shape for the desired function. This would prove to be a real cost saver.

Structural engineers perform calculations to determine the best materials and shapes to use in order to build a sturdy structure.Video courtesy - KQed.org