Structural Engineering: Adapting to our Ever Changing

Environment

Civil engineering is a broad field of expertise. From skyscrapers, bridges,

dams, roads, tunnels, and even where the water will go after it served its

purpose, civil engineering is the field in-charge in its planning, construction,

and even maintenance. Civil engineers are the one behind the most essential

structures build and invented. According to ScienceDaily, civil engineering may

be regarded as the profession that makes the world a more agreeable place in

which to live. Due to the extent of its coverage, civil engineering was divided

into sub-disciplines, and one of it is structural engineering.

Structural engineering, as defined by El-Mogy (2019), is a branch of civil

engineering that involves the application of the laws of physics, mathematics

and empirical knowledge to safely design the ‘bones’ and load bearing elements

of man-made structures. This sub-discipline of civil engineering focuses on the

framework of the structures, and designing it to withstand the different

stresses and pressure in its environment. Structures must be able to deal with

the environment and conditions in which they are built. Structural engineering

is also considered as one of the oldest type of engineering. As noted by Lucas,

(2015), throughout recorded history, people have been designing and building

increasingly larger and more sophisticated structures, from primitive huts to

the International Space Station.

 “Structural engineers battle gravity, wind, snow, and rain every day to

provide the world with outstanding structures.” Kate Leighton, a structural

engineer, said in Careers in Structural Engineering, a publication of the

Institute of Structural Engineers. Leighton also added that civil engineers are

experts at solving problems, meeting challenges, and providing creative

solutions. Structural engineers ensure the integrity of every structure

throughout their use.

Structural engineering is a continuously evolving field. Environment

changes through time resulting for changes on structural requirement of every

place. The construction of skyscrapers is one of the major advancements in the

field of structural engineering. According to Mccully (2016), high-rise buildings

were possible in the 19th century, but only with the 20 th century discoveries of

pre-stressed concrete and the formulas that determine their strength would

such buildings be commonplace. He also added that these accomplishments

are only possible because of the emergence of stronger, more predictable

concrete, rubber insulation, steel framing, and countless numbers of

discoveries. Skyscrapers were also a product of the continuously rising

population of the world. People need more space to occupy thus, structural

engineers, together with its allied professionals, worked to solve it. All of the

historic milestones greatly contributed to the advancement of structural

engineering. Roop (2019) said to his blog that as this field advances, people can

expect to benefit from structures with even greater structural efficiency and

safety than what modern buildings have today.

 Today, the world needs to address the different threats to our

environment. According to the U.K. Green Building Council, the construction

sector uses more than 400 million tons of material a year, many of which has

an adverse impact on the environment. This 21 st century, this is the challenge

that structural engineers need to work with. Ochsendorf (2008) mentioned in

his article Sustainable Engineering: The Future of Structural Design that there

are many steps that each structural engineers can take to mitigate the

environmental impact of structural design. One option he presented is to

improve the life cycle performance of structures. Depletion of construction

materials is also a problem that structural engineers are facing today, that is

why as part of the sustainable engineering campaign, construction materials

are being recycled to reduce the mining of natural construction resources.

“Sustainable engineering design is a good design. It reduces material

consumption, it improves the quality of life for people, it provides better

economic performance, and it preserves natural resources for future

generation. Engineering design in the 20 th century has neglected the life cycle

costs of infrastructure, and has not addressed the global environmental impact

for the construction industry. We should strive to do better in the 21 st century”.

(Ochsendorf, 2008)

Structural engineering has already been there since ancient times

because shelter is one of the primary needs of human being. It is a high

liability profession because mistakes in this field may result in the loss of lives
and properties. Hence, public safety is the top priority in this sub-discipline of

civil engineering. It plays a role on achieving the advancements that the world

has today, and will also be part in bringing the people to a better future.

References:

USGBC (2004). http://www.usgbc.org. United States Green Building Council web page.

Ochsendorf, J.A. (October, 2008). Sustainable Engineering: The Future of Structural Design.
American Society of Civil Engineer Press

ScienceDaily (n.d.). Civil Engineering. Retrieved from

https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/civil_engineering.htm#:~:text=In%20modern%20usage
%2C%20civil%20engineering,or%20civilization%20and%20their%20processes.

Lucas, J. (2015). What is Structural Engineering?. Retrieved from

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livescience.com/amp/47816-structural-
engineering.html

El-Mogy, M. (August, 2019).Structural Engineering Basics. Retrieved from

https://structuralengineeringbasics.com/what-is-structural-engineering

Mccully (Semptember, 2016). The Evolution of Structural Engineering in the 20th Century.
Retrieved from https://nearsay.com/c/176479/11923/the-evolution-of-structural-
engineering-in-the-20th-century

Roop (September, 2019). A Brief History of Structural Engineering. Retrieved from

https://www.ieyenews.com/a-brief-history-of-structural-engineering/

GoContructor (June, 2017). How Does Construction Impact the Environment?. Retrieved from
https://gocontractor.com/blog/how-does-construction-impact-the-environment/