Which Project Types Are Handled by Structural Engineers?

Which Project Types Are Handled by Structural Engineers?

Engineers that specialize in structural design work with both new and old structures. New construction includes roads, bridges, dams, and buildings. When a new structure is being designed, a team of engineers—structural, mechanical, and electrical—as well as experts from other fields are frequently involved.

When building a new structure, the structural engineer will collaborate with the architect and/or owner to realize their vision and make every effort to meet their requirements. Structural engineers frequently work on projects that involve additions to existing structures. This is a special kind of project since a new structure is being added to an existing structure; as a result, the old structure must be able to support new loads and frequently needs to be reinforced to do so.

Projects that deal with existing structures include reinforcement of structural elements to support new loads or to accommodate changes in a structure's load bearing elements. Structural engineers are contacted when building owners or tenants want to add heavy equipment to the structure that wasn’t originally accounted for in the design. Mechanical and electrical equipment can weigh thousands of pounds and may exceed the design live load of the structure. 

Structural engineers are tasked with the challenge of figuring out the most economical and feasible way to support these additional loads, whether it be by reinforcing existing structural elements or by designing a new structure within the existing structure. 

Structural engineers also team up with architects on renovation projects where the architect often wants to alter or remove some of the building's load bearing elements. Some of these alterations include the removal of load bearing walls or columns, or changing the type of occupancy that a space is being used for. New load paths need to be created when structural elements are removed. This can be done by the addition of beams, columns, braces, and sometimes a new foundation which can be quite costly. 

When it comes to renovations of existing structures, it is important for a structural engineer to have a wide range of knowledge on different building materials and types of structures as they are going to have to work with whatever type of structure is beneath the finishes of the building. If no existing drawings are available for the building, they need to use their investigation skills to determine how the structure was constructed and how the original engineer intended to resist the applied loads on the structure.

Structural engineers also deal with restoration of existing deteriorated structures or structures that have exhibited failures. All structures have a lifespan, and when the structural elements deteriorate and the structural integrity of that element is compromised, it is our job to design a repair to reinstate its structural capacity. One type of structure that often deteriorates more quickly than others are parkades as they are constantly exposed to vehicles that introduce water and salts to the structure's surface. Building envelopes are also a part of a structure that requires repair or restoration as it is a buildings first line of defense when it comes to protecting a building from elements such as wind, rain and snow. Structural engineers will work with building owners and/or architects to come up with a way to either restore or replace a deteriorated building envelope to make sure the inside of a building is protected from the outside elements.