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 IABSE Conference – Structural Engineering: Providing Solutions to Global Challenges
September 23-25 2015, Geneva, Switzerland

The Future Engineer: a Structural Architect?

Chris Jurgens, Jan Wium
Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Contact: cj@sun.ac.za

Abstract
As design packages become more powerful, the need for physical computation in structural
engineering is decreasing. Structural engineers may therefore need to redefine their role in the
structural design process in order to remain a significant role player. This may require more
prominent participation in the conceptual design, buildability, durability and/or project leadership.
To achieve the above, future engineers will have to think and work with creativity and innovation.
They will need a deep understanding of the conceptual design and theory of structures, in addition
to the engineering fundamentals that are currently being taught.
Structural leadership within the project team is seen to become an increasingly important role for
future structural engineers. They will therefore require excellent leadership, management,
communication and collaboration skills, and may need to receive additional education.

Keywords: leadership; management; communication; collaboration; buildability; structural

engineer; architect; computer software.

State-of-the-art design software has become a

1 Introduction
1.1 Background
As design software packages become more
powerful, the need for physical computation in
structural engineering is decreasing. This
represents a growing concern for the profession
as it brings the value of a structural engineer into
question.
Structural engineers may therefore need to
redefine their role in building design in order to
remain a significant role player. This may require
more prominent participation in the conceptual
design, buildability, durability and/or project
leadership.
necessity in the modern structural engineer’s
office. Not because of the complexities of the
structure, but because the market demands the
productivity that such tools allow [1].
Structural engineers need to ensure that these
productivity gains become a means to free
themselves from the tasks of code checking,
physical computation and the risk of mathematical
errors. The “free time” so gained, should be used
to obtain a greater understanding of the
philosophy of the structure and its overall
performance.
This may also provide the structural engineer with
sufficient time to take responsibility for the
structural leadership of the project. They would
therefore not only provide guidance to the
architect, but the client as well.

1
IABSE Conference – Structural Engineering: Providing Solutions to Global Challenges
September 23-25 2015, Geneva, Switzerland
It is believed that the structural engineer would be
the best candidate to assume the above
responsibility within the project team.
Experienced structural engineers have a firm grasp
of the buildability of a project, which architects
often lack. This skill could positively influence the
project cost and/or construction programme
considerably.
Structural leadership within the project team is
therefore seen to become an increasingly
important role for future structural engineers.
To achieve all of the above, future engineers will
have to think and work with creativity and
innovation. They will need a deep understanding
of the conceptual design and theory of structures,
in addition to the engineering fundamentals that
are currently being taught. Future engineers will
thus require excellent communication,
collaboration and management skills.
This may require that structural engineers receive
additional education from a school of
architecture, management and/or similar
institutions.
1.2 Research question
The background study raises the question as to
what exactly will define the role of future
structural engineers in the building process.
Structural engineering firms and tertiary
education institutions need to ensure that they
remain competitive and at the forefront of
developments in the industry. They may therefore
need to adapt their business strategy to adjust to
the modern reality.
1.3 Methodology
This article will attempt to answer the research
question by examining the very forefront of
current structural engineering. The leadership,
management, communication and collaboration
skills of modern engineers will then be discussed
on the basis of two cutting-edge projects.
Next, the South African tertiary education
programmes will be evaluated by comparing them
with the education and achievements of two great
2
engineering masters: Eduardo Torroja and
Santiago Calatrava.
The article closes with a discussion about the role
of the architect in the building process and how it
may change or be influenced by future structural
engineers.
Finally, conclusions are drawn from the above
discussions.
2 Modern Structural Engineering
Marvels
Modern structural engineers use the latest
computer modelling and analysis software to push
the boundaries of what is possible. Coupled with
new and innovative construction materials
modern structures are growing ever taller, more
slender and with more intricate designs.
Such projects tend to have specialized
architectural and structural teams to oversee their
design and construction. Exceptionally good
collaboration between these entities is however
required from the concept design phase already.
It is worth noting that in the selected case studies
below, the designs were completed by companies
that offered both architectural and structural
engineering services. This ensured good
collaboration within project team, but also
provided the client with a single point of
responsibility.
Having an understanding for both the
fundamental behaviour and aesthetics of a
structure, may therefore prove to be a valuable
endeavour for future engineers.
2.1 Burj Khalifa (2010)
Standing 828m tall and with 162 storeys [2], the
Burj Khalifa currently holds multiple world records
for the:
• Tallest building
• Tallest structure ever built and
• Tallest freestanding structure
Construction of the super skyscraper started in
January 2004 and the building was officially
opened six years later in January 2010.
IABSE Conference – Structural Engineering: Providing Solutions to Global Challenges
September 23-25 2015, Geneva, Switzerland
The Burj Khalifa’s design was inspired by regional
desert flowers and the patterning embodied in
Islamic architecture (figure 1). It consists of
offices, retail space, residential units and a Giorgio
Armani hotel.
Figure 1.Burj Khalifa, Dubai
Skidmore, Ownings & Merrill LLP (SOM) were
responsible for both the architectural and
structural design work. Adrian Smith was
appointed as the chief architect and Bill Baker as
the chief structural engineer for the project.
The tower’s Y-shaped floor plan reduces the wind
forces and improves buildability, whilst also
maximizing views of the Arabian Gulf. Each wing
contains a high-performance concrete core, which
buttresses against the others via a central
hexagonal core. This creates a tower with very
high torsional stiffness [2]. All of the central core
and column elements are aligned to ensure a
smooth flow of forces throughout the tower.
As the tower rises, setbacks occur in an upward
spiraling pattern, reducing the building’s mass as it
reaches skyward. The setbacks have the additional
benefit of “confusing the wind.” Wind vortices can
never sufficiently gain traction because the wind
encounters a different shape at each of the
building’s tiers [2].
2.2 Las Vegas High Roller (2014)
Opened in March 2014 and standing 168m tall,
the Las Vegas High Roller currently holds the
world record for the tallest observation wheel [3].
3
Unique design features include 28 spherical
cabins, each capable of holding 40 people,
supported from a single tube rim as well as an
immersive audio, video, and lighting experience
(figure 2).
Figure 2. The High Roller in Las Vegas, USA
The single rim is a unique feature as most large
observation wheels have twin or even triple
“girder” rims to provide lateral stiffness. The
single rim design however, affords stunning
panoramic views of the city.
The wheel serves as the focal point for a newly
developed entertainment row featuring casinos,
fine dining, and high-end retail outlets.
Potential locations for support legs were limited
due to the site’s narrow footprint and an existing
road flanked by a monorail. This presented a
number of challenges to Arup’s design team [3].
The selected approach was to support the hub
using four inclined legs with a single transverse
brace founded across the road.
Arup also pioneered the idea of using spherical
cabins as it was architecturally stunning and
offered spacious interiors with panoramic views.
The High Roller has a design life of 50years and
will rotate as many 650,000 times. It therefore
had to be designed against fatigue failure.
Numerous detailed stress analyses were
conducted prior to finalising the steelwork details
and specifications to control stress concentrations
on the bearings, steelwork, cables, and fittings [3].
IABSE Conference – Structural Engineering: Providing Solutions to Global Challenges
September 23-25 2015, Geneva, Switzerland

3 Leadership, Management, overcome difficult engineering challenges should

serve as an inspiration for future engineers.
Communication and Collaboration
The following masters were chosen as they had
It was previously mentioned that leadership,
received both an architectural and structural
communication and collaboration skills are seen
engineering education.
to become increasingly important for future
structural engineers. It is once again found that an understanding for
both the fundamental behaviour and aesthetics of
The case studies presented illustrate the value of
a structure may be valuable for future structural
strong leadership and effective communication
engineers.
and collaboration within the project team. It may
even be argued that it was essential for the
4.1 Eduardo Torroja (1899 - 1961)
successful delivery of these projects.
Torroja was born in Madrid, Spain and went on to
Web-based communication tools promise
complete a degree in civil engineering at the
enhanced collaboration via voice-over-IP, video
Madrid School of Civil Engineering in 1927.
calling and lately even telepresence applications.
Unfortunately, these technologies do not yet He did not receive a formal architectural
function seamlessly in the field. Not everyone in education, but learned from his father who was an
the world has access to fast and reliable architect and mathematician, as well as a
broadband either. New and/or improved professor at the universities of Valencia and
technologies should however overcome these Madrid.
problems in the near future. Torroja’s first reinforced concrete designs
At the same time, modern projects are increasing included the San Telmo Bridge (1926), the Sancti-
in size, complexity and costs. So called Petri Bridge (1926) and the Tempul Aqueduct
“megaprojects” have become a regular (1927) [4].
occurrence in the industry. The struggling global He later earned widespread international acclaim
economy however means that financial budgets for the Algeciras Market Roof (1935), the Zarzuela
and construction times are hard-pressed. Hippodrome (1935, figures 3 & 4) and the
Innovative management approaches will be Recoletos Jai-alai Court (1936) [3], most of which
required to deliver megaprojects on time, within are still standing today. Unfortunately, the Jai-alai
budget and at an acceptable quality. court was damaged during the Spanish Civil War
and had to be demolished.
4 Structural Architects
Based on the previous chapters, it is essential for
architects and structural engineers to
communicate and collaborate towards achieving a
successful project. One could therefore ask:
“Would it be beneficial for structural engineers to
receive architectural training as well?”
This concept may seem counter-intuitive as
professions have, in general, grown more Figure 3. Zarzuela Hippodrome in Madrid, Spain
specialized than ever before in history. (1935)
To answer the above question, structural
engineers should look back towards the
engineering masters and the design concepts
behind their famous works. The manner in which
they used the available or limited technology to

4
IABSE Conference – Structural Engineering: Providing Solutions to Global Challenges
September 23-25 2015, Geneva, Switzerland

later opened offices in Paris and Valencia as well.

He also became a member of IABSE in 1982.
Calatrava successfully completed several smaller
buildings and structures before completing his
first bridge, the Bach de Roda (1987) [6].
Widespread international acclaim followed when
he completed the Montjic Communications Tower
(1992), Allen Lambert Galleria (1992) and the
Alamillo bridge (1992, figure 5). These projects
represented a turning point in Calatrava’s career
Figure 4. Zarzuela Hippodrome in Madrid, Spain [6].
(today)
Torroja returned to the Madrid School of Civil
Engineering in 1939 where he taught Structural
Engineering, Properties of Materials and the
Fundamentals of Concrete Design and
Construction (among others).
He developed a keen interest in research and
experimentation, and founded several technical
institutes for the testing of scale structural models
and construction materials.
Torroja was also the first person in Spain to
experiment with composite steel-concrete
structures, resulting in the Tordera Bridge (1939)
[5]. The Martin Gil Viaduct (1941), with its 209m
span, later held the world record for arch bridges
for many years [4].
Torroja received numerous awards and honorary
doctorate degrees throughout his life, including
the title Marquis of Torroja that was bestowed
upon him after his death. Figure 5. The Alamillo bridge in Sevilla, Spain
Many iconic projects succeeded the above ones
4.2 Santiago Calatrava (1951 - present) and Calatrava’s first high rise building, the 54
Calatrava was born in Valencia, Spain. His father storey Turning Torso, was successfully completed
introduced him to the Arts at a very early age and in Sweden during 2005. As with most of his
Calatrava soon developed a passion for drawing designs, the architecture was influenced by
and sculptures. nature: the twisting upper torso of a human male
in this case.
He studied at the School of Architecture of the
Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, before He continues to push the envelope of architecture
completing dual PhDs in structural engineering and structural engineering, and is currently
and technical science at the Federal Technology working on the Sharq Crossing in Qatar which
University in Zurich [6]. aims to be completed before the 2022 FIFA World
Cup.
Soon after, in 1981, Calatrava founded his own
architecture and engineering practice in Zurich. He Calatrava has received numerous awards and
honorary doctorate degrees throughout his

5
IABSE Conference – Structural Engineering: Providing Solutions to Global Challenges
September 23-25 2015, Geneva, Switzerland
career, including the coveted Institution for
Structural Engineers Gold Medal in 1992.
He may however not be a perfect role model for
future Structural Architects. Many of Calatrava’s
projects have suffered significant time and cost
overruns, marring an otherwise illustrious career.
5 South African Tertiary Education
Taking all of the previous arguments into account,
it now needs to be determined if the current
tertiary education programmes are preparing the
next generation of structural engineers for the
anticipated challenges ahead.
In South Africa, structural engineering is usually
presented as a part of the civil engineering
curriculum at the various universities, technical
universities and colleges. Students wishing to
specialise in structural engineering are therefore
recommended/required to complete an additional
postgraduate degree (typically a Master’s degree).
Very few of the country’s civil engineering
faculties present an architectural degree
programme as well. Architecture courses are
often presented by private or independent
Schools of Architecture.
A recent survey [7] of several South African civil
engineering faculties’ curricula found that only 6%
of the presented modules focused on
communication and/or collaboration skills.
Furthermore, 17% of the modules focused on
management skills, whilst the remaining majority
focused on the traditional civil engineering theory,
mathematics and materials sciences.
It is assumed by these institutions that young
engineers are naturally proficient communicators
and/or would seek extracurricular communication
classes by the time they graduate. Sadly, in reality
the 6% offers a more accurate reflection of some
graduates’ communication skills. It would seem
that these institutions are not communicating this
expectation onto their students.
Given the global trends already discussed, it would
appear that these practices are unsustainable and
would have to change if the country’s structural
engineering graduates are to remain competitive.
6
Further research is however required to confirm
this.
The Construction Engineering and Management
Research Chair at Stellenbosch University also
identified the above shortcomings and aims to
correct this by already offering industry-linked
postgraduate courses on leadership, construction
management, communication and collaboration.
6 What of the Architect’s role?
The architecture profession is facing similar
challenges as their structural engineering
counterpart. Technology such as Google’s
SketchUp allows almost anybody to design
buildings using 3D modelling. In addition,
specialized management companies have already
taken over much of the central management role
that architects enjoyed [8].
It is therefore not envisaged that the structural
engineer will take over ownership of the
architect’s role completely.
Architects need to evaluate many key factors
when planning an engineering project. These may
include but are not limited to the following:
• environmental legislation
• municipal & building regulations
• fire and safety practices/legislation
• finishes and durability
• energy usage and efficiency
• client end use and the flow of people
David Karotkin [8] of the Australian Institute of
Architects (AIA) argues that new technologies
have actually increased the architect’s workload.
The increased usage of building automation in
lighting and air-conditioning systems, for example,
mean that modern architects need to understand
how the latest mechanical, electrical and
technology systems work.
In addition, Building Information Modelling (BIM)
is encouraging boldness in designs like never
before, which leads to greater levels of project risk
[8].
Now may thus be an excellent time for structural
engineers to assist architects by not only providing
guidance on the structural layout of a project, but
IABSE Conference – Structural Engineering: Providing Solutions to Global Challenges
September 23-25 2015, Geneva, Switzerland
taking responsibility for the structural leadership
of it.
As mentioned, it is believed that structural
engineers would be the best candidates to assume
this responsibility. Structural engineers have a
firm grasp of the structural fundamentals as well
as the buildability of a project. Both could have a
positive impact on the project cost and/or
construction programme if managed correctly.
7 Conclusions
7.1 Structural leadership
As design packages become more powerful,
structural engineers may need to redefine their
role in building design in order to remain a
significant role player.
State-of-the-art design software and the
productivity that such tools allow should however
be embraced.
The “free time” so gained, may provide the
structural engineer with the opportunity to take
responsibility for the structural leadership of the
project. It is furthermore believed that the
structural engineer would be the best candidate
to assume this responsibility as they have a firm
grasp of the buildability of a project. This is a skill
which architects often lack.
Structural leadership within the project team is
therefore seen to become an increasingly
important role for which future engineers will
require excellent leadership, management,
communication and collaboration skills.
This also answers the research question with
regards to the role that future structural engineers
may perform in the building design process.
7.2 Additional training requirements
The question: “Would it be beneficial for
structural engineers to receive architectural
training as well?” was evaluated by looking back
towards the engineering masters and their most
famous works.
In turn, the Burj Khalifa and High Roller case
studies illustrated the value of structural
leadership, effective communication and good
7
collaboration towards the successful delivery of a
project. It was also found that innovative
management approaches will be required to
deliver megaprojects on time, within budget and
at an acceptable quality.
Having an understanding for both the
fundamental behaviour and aesthetics of a
structure may therefore be valuable for future
engineers. This topic definitely warrants further
research.
7.3 South African Tertiary Education
It was found that only 6% of South African civil
engineering faculties’ curricula focused on
communication and/or collaboration skills.
These institutions assume that young engineers
are naturally proficient communicators and/or
would seek extracurricular communication
classes. These institutions should however take
responsibility and communicate this expectation
onto their students.
The above practices appear to be unsustainable
and would have to change if the country’s
structural engineering graduates are to remain
competitive.
Industry-linked courses on leadership,
management, communication and collaboration
offer one possible solution this problem. Further
research is however required into other possible
methods.
7.4 Web-based communication
Though not a key outcome of this article, it was
found that web-based communication tools do
not yet function seamlessly in the field. New
and/or improved technologies should however
overcome these challenges in the near future.
Future engineers will need to take note of such
technological developments if they wish to remain
competitive in the market.
 IABSE Conference – Structural Engineering: Providing Solutions to Global Challenges
September 23-25 2015, Geneva, Switzerland

7.5 Validity of the topic

This topic is believed to be a real global
engineering challenge and as such, fits in with the
theme of the 2015 IABSE Geneva Conference.
The authors hope that this article will lead to
meaningful discussions at the Conference from
which all parties involved may benefit. They would
also welcome any feedback and/or comments via
e-mail.

8 References
[1] PARKER J.C. Where do we go from here?
Civil + Structural Engineer magazine. August
2007.
[2] SKIDMORE, OWNINGS & MERRILL LLP
[Internet]. Burj Khalifa. [cited April 2015].
Available from:
www.som.com/projects/burj_khalifa
[3] ARUP GROUP LIMITED [Internet]. High
Roller observation wheel. [cited April 2015].
Available from:
www.arup.com/projects/high_roller.aspx
[4] FUNDACION EDUARDO TORROJA [Internet].
Eduardo Torrjo Biography. [cited May
2015]. Available from:
www.fundacioneduardotorroja.org/index.p
hp/en/eduardo-torroja/biografia.html
[5] TORROJA E. The Structures of Eduardo
Torroja. F.W. Dodge Corporation, New York,
1958, p. 151.
[6] Encyclopedia of World Biography [Internet].
Santiago Calatrava. [cited May 2015].
Available from:
www.notablebiographies.com/supp/supple
ment-ca-fi/calatrava-santiago.html
[7] CORNISH G. JURGENS C.J. What is
Construction Engineering & Management?
Department of Civil Engineering,
Stellenbosch University. June 2014.
[8] HEATON A. [Internet]. Defining the Role of
the Modern Architect. [cited May 2015]
Available from:
www.sourcable.net/defining-the-role-of-
the-modern-architect/#

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