DEFINITION OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING IS MAINLY A SUB-DIVISION OF CIVIL ENGINEERING IN

WHICH STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS ARE TRAINED TO UNDERSTAND, PREDICT, AND
CALCULATE THE STABILITY, STRENGTH AND RIGIDITY OF BUILT STRUCTURES FOR
BUILDINGS AND NONBUILDING STRUCTURES, TO DEVELOP DESIGNS AND
INTEGRATE THEIR DESIGN WITH THAT OF OTHER DESIGNERS, AND TO SUPERVISE
CONSTRUCTION OF PROJECTS ON SITE. THEY CAN ALSO BE INVOLVED IN THE
DESIGN OF MACHINERY, MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, AND VEHICLES WHERE
STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY AFFECTS FUNCTIONING AND SAFETY.
EXAMPLE OF STRUCTURAL BUILDING

BURJ KHALIFA, IN DUBAI, THE

WORLD'S TALLEST BUILDING, SHOWN
UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN 2007
(SINCE COMPLETED)
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, DESIGNED
BY ARCHITECT JRN UTZON AND
STRUCTURAL DESIGN BY OVE
ARUP & PARTNERS
 JOB PROSPECT
GRADUATE STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS WORK TOWARDS THE PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF ASSOCIATE
MEMBER AND CHARTERED MEMBER WITH ISTRUCTE. TO BECOME AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER (AMISTRUCTE),
YOU MUST HAVE A DEGREE THAT IS ACCREDITED BY THE ISTRUCTE. SOME EQUIVALENT QUALIFICATIONS
MAY ALSO BE ACCEPTED. CONTACT THE ISTRUCTE FOR FULL DETAILS.
TO PROGRESS ON TO BECOME A CHARTERED MEMBER (MISTRUCTE) WITH THE ISTRUCTE, YOU WILL NEED
TO HAVE AN ACCREDITED MASTERS QUALIFICATION OR EQUIVALENT. A LIST OF RELEVANT COURSES IS
AVAILABLE ON THE JBM WEBSITE.
CONTINUE
MOST STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS WORK IN ENGINEERING CONSULTANCIES. THESE RANGE FROM LARGE INTERNATIONAL
COMPANIES, TO SMALL FIRMS RUN BY ONE PERSON. THE LARGE COMPANIES, OFTEN OFFERING A FULL 'DESIGN AND BUILD' SERVICE,
PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OF TRAINING, A BROAD RANGE OF WORK AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL. SMALLER FIRMS,
OFTEN CONTRACTING ENGINEERS FOR PROJECTS, TEND TO SPECIALISE IN SPECIFIC AREAS OF ENGINEERING, AND THE GEOGRAPHICAL
SPREAD OF THEIR CLIENTS IS LESS EXTENSIVE
OTHER EMPLOYERS INCLUDE:
AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS;
LOCAL AUTHORITIES;
OIL COMPANIES;
RAILWAY OPERATORS.
UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENTS EMPLOY STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS AS RESEARCHERS AND LECTURERS. YOU CAN MAKE
SPECULATIVE APPLICATIONS USING FIND AN ENGINEER TO SEARCH FOR STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING PRACTICES.
LOOK FOR JOB VACANCIES AT:
CAREERS IN CONSTRUCTION
ICERECRUIT - JOB WEBSITE OF THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS (ICE).
JUSTENGINEERS
THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER JOBS - ONLINE RECRUITMENT SITE FOR THE ISTRUCTE.
 JOB DESCRIPTION
AS A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER YOULL NEED TO:
ANALYSE CONFIGURATIONS OF THE BASIC STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF A BUILDING OR OTHER STRUCTURE;
CALCULATE THE PRESSURES, STRESSES AND STRAINS THAT EACH COMPONENT, SUCH AS A BEAM OR LINTEL, WILL EXPERIENCE FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE
STRUCTURE DUE TO HUMAN USE OR ENVIRONMENTAL PRESSURES SUCH AS WEATHER OR EARTHQUAKES;
CONSIDER THE STRENGTH OF VARIOUS MATERIALS, E.G. TIMBER, CONCRETE, STEEL AND BRICK, TO SEE HOW THEIR INCLUSION MAY NECESSITATE A CHANGE OF
STRUCTURAL DESIGN;
LIAISE WITH OTHER DESIGNERS, INCLUDING ARCHITECTS, TO AGREE ON SAFE DESIGNS AND THEIR FIT WITH THE AESTHETIC CONCEPT OF THE CONSTRUCTION;
EXAMINE STRUCTURES AT RISK OF COLLAPSE AND ADVISING HOW TO IMPROVE THEIR STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY, SUCH AS RECOMMENDING REMOVAL OR
REPAIR OF DEFECTIVE PARTS OR REBUILDING THE ENTIRE STRUCTURE;
MAKE DRAWINGS, SPECIFICATIONS AND COMPUTER MODELS OF STRUCTURES FOR BUILDING CONTRACTORS;
WORK WITH GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERS TO INVESTIGATE GROUND CONDITIONS AND ANALYSE RESULTS OF SOIL SAMPLE AND IN-SITU TESTS;
LIAISE WITH CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS TO ENSURE THAT NEWLY ERECTED BUILDINGS ARE STRUCTURALLY SOUND;
APPLY EXPERT KNOWLEDGE OF THE FORCES THAT ACT ON VARIOUS STRUCTURES;
USE COMPUTERS AND COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN (CAD) TECHNOLOGY FOR SIMULATION PURPOSES.