Structural Engineering

• Structural engineering is that part of civil engineering in which structural

engineers are educated to create the 'bones and muscles' that create the
form and shape of man made structures.
• Structural engineers need to understand and calculate the stability, strength
and rigidity of built structures for buildings and nonbuilding structures.
• The structural designs are integrated with those of other designers such as
architects and building services engineer and often supervise the construction
of projects by contractors on site.
• Structural engineering theory is based upon applied physical laws and
empirical knowledge of the structural performance of different materials and
geometries.
• Structural engineers are responsible for making creative and efficient use of
funds, structural elements and materials to achieve these goals.
• Structural engineering depends upon a detailed knowledge of applied
mechanics, materials science and applied mathematics to understand and
predict how structures support and resist self-weight and imposed loads.
• To apply the knowledge successfully a structural engineer generally requires
detailed knowledge of relevant empirical and theoretical design codes, the
techniques of structural analysis, as well as some knowledge of the corrosion
resistance of the materials and structures, especially when those structures
are exposed to the external environment.
Profession
• Structural engineers are responsible for engineering design and structural
analysis.
• Entry-level structural engineers may design the individual structural elements
of a structure, such as the beams and columns of a building. More
experienced engineers may be responsible for the structural design and
integrity of an entire system, such as a building.
• Structural engineers often specialize in particular types of structures, such as
buildings, bridges, pipelines, industrial, tunnels, vehicles, ships, aircraft and
spacecraft.
• Structural engineers who specialize in buildings often specialize in particular
construction materials such as concrete, steel, wood, masonry, alloys and
composites, and may focus on particular types of buildings such as offices,
schools, hospitals, residential, and so forth.

Specializations
Building structures
• Structural building engineering includes all structural engineering related to
the design of buildings. It is a branch of structural engineering closely affiliated
with architecture.
-Structural engineering specialties for buildings include:
• Earthquake engineering
• Façade engineering - is the art and science of resolving aesthetic,
environmental and structural issues to achieve the effective enclosure of
buildings.
• Fire engineering - is the application of science and engineering principles to
protect people, property, and their environments from the harmful and
destructive effects of fire and smoke.
• Roof engineering
• Tower engineering
• Wind engineering -is a subsets of mechanical engineering, structural
engineering, meteorology, and applied physics to analyze the effects of wind
in the natural and the built environment and studies the possible damage,
inconvenience or benefits which may result from wind.
Earthquake Engineering Structures
• are those engineered to withstand earthquakes.
• The main objectives of earthquake engineering are to understand the
interaction of structures with the shaking ground, foresee the consequences
of possible earthquakes, and design and construct the structures to perform
during an earthquake.

Civil Engineering Structures

• includes all structural engineering related to the built environment.
It includes:
Bridges Dams Earthwork Foundations Offshore Structures
Pipelines Railways Retaining Structures and Walls Roads
Tunnels Waterways
Mechanical structures
• The principles of structural engineering are applicable to variety of mechanical
(moveable) structures.
• These works can require mechanical structural engineering:
- Boilers and pressure vessels
- Coachworks and carriages
- Cranes
- Elevators
- Escalators
- Marine vessels and hulls
Structural Elements
• Columns - are elements that carry only axial force (compression) or both axial
force and bending (which is technically called a beam-column but practically, just a
column). The design of a column must check the axial capacity of the element, and
the buckling capacity.
• Beams - defined as an element in which one dimension is much greater than the
other two and the applied loads are usually normal to the main axis of the
element. Beams and columns are called line elements and are often represented
by simple lines in structural modeling.
- cantilevered (supported at one end only with a fixed connection)
- simply supported (fixed against vertical translation at each end and horizontal
translation at one end only, and able to rotate at the supports)
- fixed (supported in all directions for translation and rotation at each end)
- continuous (supported by three or more supports)
Trusses
• a structure comprising members and connection points or nodes.
• The connection is usually arranged so that the lines of force in the members
are coincident at the joint thus allowing the truss members to act in pure
tension or compression.
Shells
• Shells derive their strength from their form, and carry forces in compression in
two directions. A dome is an example of a shell.
Catenaries
• Catenaries derive their strength from their form, and carry transverse forces in
pure tension by deflecting (just as a tightrope will sag when someone walks on
it). They are almost always cable or fabric structures. A fabric structure acts as
a catenary in two directions.