Structural Engineering:
an opportunity to transform
our world
2 c Careers in Structural Engineering
CONTENTS
What do structural engineers do?
Sustainability and climate change
Forensic engineering
Seismic Engineering
Humanitarian engineering
Conservation and restoration
Taller
Longer
Challenge
Fact page
)HJR*V]LY Useful links
An opportunity to transform our world
Structural engineers
battle gravity, wind, snow
and rain everyday to
provide the world with
outstanding structures.
They are experts at
solving problems,
meeting challenges and
providing creative solutions. A career in
engineering is never dull, it can take you
all around world, you can improve the lives
of millions of people and without structural
engineers the world would be a very flat
place!” – Kate Leighton
Structural engineers are a key part
of the design and construction
team, working alongside architects
and other professionals. Together they create
all kinds of structures from houses, theatres,
sports stadia and hospitals to bridges, oil rigs
and space satellites.
Structural engineers make a difference
and shape the built environment. They are
people who enjoy a challenge, innovation,
responsibility and excitement in a varied
career. Structural engineering presents both
creative and technical challenges and requires
excellent problem solving skills.
The human body itself provides a good model
for understanding structures. The central
strength of the body lies in the skeleton, it
is the hidden framework that supports our
shape and is integral to our ability to function.
c3
Without it we would collapse. To a structural
engineer, the same considerations of strength,
shape and function are paramount in their
conception of the framework of a structure.
Every structure has to deal with the conditions
in which it is built. Houses in Switzerland and
Canada will need a very strong roof structure
to deal with continuous snow and ice loads;
bridges all around the world will need to carry
all of the different loads from those crossing
them, whether from people walking across or
high speed trains connecting communities.
Structural engineers are important: everything
we do, every day, is because of a structural
engineer’s work.
4 c Careers in Structural Engineering
SUSTAINABILITY AN
Climate change is an increasingly
important topic and initially, you
might not be able to see the
connection between this and structural
engineers. But that’s where you’d be wrong.
The role of the structural engineer in tackling
climate change is immense. As part of their
day-to-day work structural engineers must
consider:
s -ATERIALSnTHEENVIRONMENTALIMPACTOF
using certain materials such as concrete
or timber
s 2ECYCLINGnTHEABILITYTORECYCLEOR
reuse materials or components whilst
building the structure and at the end of a
structure’s life
s %FlCIENCYnUSINGAPPROPRIATEMATERIALS
and resources for the usage of the
structure to ensure minimum waste and
MAXIMUMEFlCIENCYEGINSULATION
s %NERGYnTHEABILITYOFASTRUCTURETOREDUCE
energy consumption
s !DAPTABILITYnTHEPOTENTIALTOREUSETHE
structure in the future
When you think of all the buildings in every
country across the globe, you can see that
the structural engineer can have an enormous
impact on the environment through their work.
The focus on climate change will continue
to challenge structural engineers as they
come up with new and exciting ways to build
environmentally-friendly structures.
How low can you go -
zero carbon city
In 2006 the United Arab Emirates hit the
headlines as the country with the worst
ecological footprint. The response was
a decree that all buildings must take
sustainability into account, making green
BUILDINGCOMPULSORYALMOSTOVERNIGHT-ASDAR
City is an indication of how seriously the United
Arab Emirates is taking this. This city will
BETHEWORLDSlRSTZEROCARBONZEROWASTE
car-free city. The town will be 100% reliant
on renewable energy and will use grey water
(waste water) for irrigation.
The 6 million square metre project is based
on the principles of an ancient walled city,
combined with modern alternative energy
technologies. The city will include a university,
innovation centre, company headquarters and
several economic zones.
4HISPROJECTWILLBEAWORLDlRSTANDIThWILL
question conventional urban wisdom at a
FUNDAMENTALLEVEL-ASDARPROMISESTOSET
new benchmarks for the sustainable city of the
future.” The city will be entirely self-sustaining.
-ASDAR#%/3ULTAN!L*ABEREXPLAINED
h4HEREISNOTHINGLIKETHISINTHEWORLD7EARE
creating a synergetic environment; it is a true
ALTERNATIVEENERGYCLUSTER(EREYOUWILLlND
researchers, students, scientists, business
investment professionals, and policy makers
all within the same community. It will combine
the talent, expertise and resources to enable
the technological breakthroughs necessary for
truly sustainable development.”
The site is located in close proximity to Abu
Dhabi’s transportation infrastructure, which will
allow for easy access to and from surrounding
COMMUNITIES!NEFlCIENTNETWORKOFRAILROAD
and public transit will link the city to central
Abu Dhabi and the international airport.
An opportunity to transform our world
c5
D CLIMATE CHANGE
Case study
Michael H. Ramage
Mapungubwe National Park Interpretive Centre
3TRUCTURAL!WARDS7)..%23TRUCTURAL%NGINEERS
(ENRY&AGAN0ARTNERS*OHN/CHSENDORF-ICHAEL2AMAGE
South African National Parks chose to develop
a state of the art interpretive centre complex to
tell the story of the area from the earliest times
to the present.
The complex includes a day visitor facility
designed to accommodate cultural events
and celebrations by communities who have
a historical or spiritual association with the
site, while the interpretive centre incorporates
the display area, lecture room and restaurant
linked to an outside archaeological route to
accommodate the thousands of visiting school
children and tourists.
This building has been designed and
engineered to integrate with the local history
and landscape, and there was a desire to use
natural materials and architecture that could
put people to work with the project’s poverty
relief programme.
The main structure was made using tile
VAULTINGAYEAROLD-EDITERRANEAN
construction system that uses thin bricks to
create lightweight and durable buildings. The
tile vaults are a structurally sound, elegantly
simple and environmentally sustainable
solution in developing areas.
Fired clay bricks were replaced with less
energy-intensive stabilised earth tiles, these
were manufactured locally.
The 300,000 tiles needed were made by
two dozen local people in over a year and
structural masonry construction skills have
been transferred to the nearby community.
The design of the roof
vaults of the
-APUNGUBWE
Interpretive Centre in
South Africa was, from
the very beginning, a
group effort between
the architect, Peter
2ICHANDTHEENGINEERS
*OHN/SCHENDORFANDMEITEMBRACES
environmental sustainability - using natural
materials - architecture and engineering as
well as offering people the opportunity to
work with the project’s poverty relief
programme.
-YROLEWASTODESIGNTHESHAPEOFTHEROOF
ANDTOlGUREOUTHOWTOBUILDIT7EWERE
using locally made pressed earth tiles, a
new material for this type of construction
and a construction technique never before
tried in South Africa. The building is built
almost entirely by hand. The roofs are
proportionally as thin as an eggshell.
The right choice of materials and the
geometry of the vault was really important
and both of these were my responsibility
within the project. I am so proud of the
result, which achieves the goals of light,
beauty and practicality for a remote location
in a developing country.
6 c Careers in Structural Engineering
SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Richmond Olympic Oval Roof
3TRUCTURAL!WARDS7)..%23TRUCTURAL%NGINEERS&AST%PP
Case study
Mark Robertson
I have heard the
2ICHMOND/VAL
described as a ‘pine
beetle cathedral’ on the
radio. I worked with a
team of builders and
engineers to make the
pine beetle roof panels
a reality. I recall
moments in school where I was learning
methods that I thought were unpractical and
that I would probably never use. I expected
that most of the world’s structure was
pre-engineered, and that my job future
would be the endless pushing of paper. That
ALLCHANGEDWHEN)STEPPEDINTOTHEOFlCES
OF&AST%PP3TRUCTURECRAFT
4HE2ICHMOND/LYMPIC/VALISLOCATEDIN
2ICHMOND"RITISH#OLUMBIA#ANADA4HERE
has been great devastation in the region’s
pine forests due to a deadly infestation of the
mountain pine beetle. This infestation is close
to killing off two thirds of British Columbia’s
pine forests.
4HESTRUCTURALDESIGNERSOFTHE/LYMPIC/VAL
sought to maximise the use of pine beetle
wood. The wood is unaffected structurally if
harvested quickly and there was a desire
to showcase the use of this wood on the
world’s stage.
Longest
At a clear span of close to 100 metres, the
roof features the longest wood and steel
arches in the world.
Largest
The 6.5 acre roof structure is one of the
largest wooden roofs in the world comprising
plywood and pine beetle wood.
Wood is increasingly being considered the
most sustainable structural building material.
This project features the use of not only this
sustainable material, but material which
would otherwise have been rendered
useless: pine beetle wood, on an
unprecedented scale.
h4OMETHEROOFISTHEMOSTSPECTACULARPART
From the inside it’s like looking up at the stars.
I also think the part about using pine beetledamaged wood for the roof is neat.” Kristina
Groves, 2008 World Cup Champion speed
skater over 1000 metre distance.
)TISTRUETHATTHE2OMANSWEREBUILDING
arches some 2000 years ago and that
THEmOWOFFORCESINA2OMANARCHAND
the pine beetle arch are generally similar.
However, the pine beetle roof arches rise
FTFORTHEIRFTSPANWHEREASA2OMAN
arch would have a rise of roughly 20ft for
a 40ft span which is much more stable.
To make matters more challenging, the
roof panel consists of pine beetle planks
that are clipped together with flexible nails
ANDSCREWSWHERETHE2OMANSCOULD
rely on solid stone and mortar. It required
very sophisticated and unique engineering
calculations combined with trial guesses
and subsequent testing to make the panels
carry their load. This is a far cry from the
career I was expecting as a young student.
)THASBEENALONGDIFlCULTANDTREACHEROUS
process, but in the end there is something
exhilarating about seeing your thoughts and
your design work come together for the
moment when you see the crane swing your
creation into position. It is also something
that can also be shared by so many people
around the world and one day in the future I
can take my children, and my grandchildren
(if I am so lucky to have them), to see
the skating rink and show them what I
contributed to the world.
An opportunity to transform our world
c7
FORENSIC
ENGINEERING
Despite the best laid plans from architects and detailed designs from structural engineers, structures can
fail to perform. Some are damaged or destroyed by natural disasters such as earthquakes or floods, others by
MANMADEDISASTERSSUCHASACTSOFTERRORISMANDOTHERSBYHUMANERRORSINDESIGNANDORCONSTRUCTION
Investigating Collapse
Twin Towers
Tacoma Bridge
In the years since the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 in New
York City, engineers and other experts have been studying the collapse
of the World Trade Center towers. By examining the collapse step-bystep, experts are learning how buildings fail, and discovering ways we
can build stronger structures.
When wind blows over a structure, the structure moves in response.
Such movements are small and easily catered for within normal
design processes.
When Boeing jets piloted by terrorists struck the Twin Towers, some 38
KILOLITRESGALLONSOFJETFUELFEDANENORMOUSlREBALL"UTTHE
impact of the planes and the burst of flames did not make the Towers
collapse right away. When some columns were damaged, others could
still support the building.
The sprinkler system was damaged by the impact of the planes.
But even if the sprinklers had been working, they could not have
MAINTAINEDENOUGHPRESSURETOSTOPTHElRE&EDBYTHEREMAININGJET
fuel, the heat became intense.
*ETFUELBURNSATªTOª&4HISISNOTHOTENOUGHTOMELT
structural steel. However, engineers say that for the World Trade Center
towers to collapse, their steel frames didn’t need to melt, they just had
to lose some of their structural strength. Steel will lose about half its
STRENGTHATª&
As the weakened floors and columns began to collapse, they
pancaked. This means that floors crashed down on floors with
increasing weight and momentum, crushing each successive floor
below. With the weight of the plunging floors building force, the exterior
walls buckled.
However, where input from wind or other factors is the same as
the natural vibration of the structure, the energy can cause such
movements to grow.
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge in America is a very famous example of a
wind-induced motion. In this case the wind caused the bridge to move
at the same time in three different ways: vertically, horizontally and
twisting along its length. This gave rise to the bridge’s nickname of
‘Galloping Gertie’.
7HENTHEORIGINAL4ACOMA.ARROWS"RIDGEWASOPENEDON*ULY
it was the third longest suspension bridge in the world. It had moved
ever since its opening, but under the influence of only a mediumstrength wind on 7 November the same year, its normal movements
continued to grow until it dramatically collapsed.
The bridge’s behaviour and collapse under wind-load have influenced
research of long-span bridge designs ever since. The video footage of
the collapse (see link below) is part of every bridge engineer’s training!
WWWYOUTUBECOMWATCHVMCLP1M#'S
8 c Careers in Structural Engineering
SEISMIC ENGINE
Preventing collapse
Structural engineers not only play a vital role in earthquake-prone
countries where they can help to improve the evolution of seismic
resistant design of traditional and engineered structures, but they
can also make a huge difference in designing buildings to ensure
they are resilient against earthquakes and minimise the damage
and destruction caused.
An opportunity to transform our world
c9
ERING
Te Puni Village
3TRUCTURAL!WARDS7)..%23TRUCTURAL%NGINEERS!URECON
Victoria University’s student accommodation
buildings are situated overlooking New
Zealand’s capital city, Wellington.
Being one of the areas of the world most prone
to earthquakes, the project is located a mere
2 kilometres from the major Wellington fault
line. Victoria University of Wellington requested
the new facilities were provided with resilience
against earthquake damage to enable the
facility to function as the University’s disaster
operations centre.
What followed was a highly successful
invention of a new earthquake damage
avoidance system for steel framed buildings.
The new system means the structural
engineer no longer needs to accept primary
frame damage and is a very cost effective way
of protecting steel-framed buildings.
As raw material costs continue to rise this is a
sustainable solution to eliminate the extensive
post event damage repair that a traditional
design would require. The solution ensures
primary frame members remain undamaged
after an earthquake.
Case study
Sean Gledhill
The single most
impressive thing about
this project is that we
have created a new
system that allows
multi-storey buildings
TOhLIFTOFFvITS
foundations during an
earthquake to help
absorb the earthquake forces. In effect, the
building rocks.
To be involved in a creative and dynamic
design team that has thrived on innovation
and clever ideas, and then to see the
contractor grasp those designs, and not be
concerned, was the experience I enjoyed
the most.
The project challenged existing ideas which are based on allowing buildings to
be damaged and providing only safe exit
routes in an earthquake - to designing a
building which could lift off the ground and
remain intact in the event of an earthquake.
That’s progress! It proves that protected or
enhanced buildings can be built which will
hugely increase the long term sustainability
of the built environment.
10 c Careers in Structural Engineering
HUMANITARIAN
ENGINEERING
%MERGENCYSHELTERFOLLOWINGTHE0AKISTANEARTHQUAKEOF¥2ED24IM(AYWARD
$ISASTERSAFFECTEVERYONEANDIMPACTMOSTESPECIALLYONCHILDRENTHEINlRMANDTHEELDERLY3URVIVALAFTERDISASTERSDEPENDSONGETTINGTHE
MOSTBASICNEEDSnSHELTERWATERSANITATIONFOODANDMEDICALPROVISIONnQUICKLYANDEFlCIENTLYTOTHOSESUFFERING!SASTRUCTURALENGINEER
you could choose to contribute to disaster relief work as the skills of a structural engineer are incredibly important in areas where buildings and
infrastructure have been destroyed.
4HEREARETWOCHARITIESWHICHSPECIlCALLYDEALWITHDISASTERRELIEFANDLOOKTOPROVIDEENGINEERSANDTHESEARE2ED2AND%NGINEERS!GAINST0OVERty
2ECONSTRUCTIONIN0AKISTAN¥2ED2#HRIS.IXON
2ED2
Engineers Against Poverty
Each year around the world millions of lives
are affected by natural disaster and conflict.
During the relief operation that follows,
structural engineers are often in great
demand. Their skills are needed to help with
the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the
communities left shattered and to provide
emergency shelter for the people made
homeless by the disaster. However, to be able
to help, structural engineers need more than
just good engineering knowledge. In addition
to technical skills, engineers need to have an
understanding of how aid programmes work
and have some overseas experience.
Science, engineering, technology and
innovation all play a critical role in meeting the
challenges of sustainable development and
poverty reduction. Engineers Against Poverty
works with partners in industry, government
and civil society to identify innovative ways
for science, engineering, technology and
innovation policy and practice to enhance
its contribution to addressing these global
challenges.
2ED2ISACHARITYTHATHELPSTOIMPROVETHE
effectiveness of disaster relief, through
providing training and support to aid
organisations and their staff, and by supplying
skilled professionals to help in disaster
SITUATIONS2ED2PROVIDESTRAININGINKEYAREAS
such as humanitarian practice, management
and security, helping structural engineers and
others make best use of their skills.
3HELTERIN)NDONESIA¥2ED2"ILL&LINN
An opportunity to transform our world
c 11
CONSERVATION
Kemey’s Folly, Wales, before and after restoration
Cardiff Castle, Wales, during integration of new interpretive centre within the historic setting, and the completed project
AND RESTORATION
Engineers working in building
conservation have the added
rewards of preserving our
extensive and wide ranging heritage whilst
shaping and evolving our current and future
built environment. Working in this sector has
the additional challenges of working with
historical materials and construction methods,
but also has parallels with more conventional
engineering roles. Social history has shaped
our built heritage as has the discovery,
evolution and development of new
materials, and an understanding of this will
form an integral part of the conservation
engineer’s work.
/NEOFTHECHALLENGESOFTHECONSERVATION
engineer is the need to recognise the
sometimes conflicting objectives of
conservation and commercial development.
"UILDINGSTANDARDSHAVEEVOLVEDSINCETHElRST
built structures yet the conservation engineer
needs to avoid unnecessary intrusion into
historic structures while balancing current
needs for public safety and development
economics. This creates further demands on
the creativity and problem solving skills of the
conservation engineer.
It should be noted that the conservation
engineer’s function is not simply that of
‘protector of heritage assets’ but often involves
the challenges of integrating new with old and
developing reasoned arguments for proposed
construction works. The sensitive alteration of
historic buildings and structures also forms
part of the conservation engineer’s role, and
requires a thorough understanding of the
heritage issues surrounding such works.
12 c Careers in Structural Engineering
CONSERVATION AND
St Pancras
International Station
Structural Award 2008
7)..%2Structural
%NGINEERS4HE2,%
Consortium
The redevelopment of St Pancras is the
incredible £550 million architectural
restoration and extension of a unique London
landmark, marking a new beginning for
St Pancras and the surrounding area after
decades of under-use and urban decline.
William Barlow was the Engineer in Chief
TOTHE-IDLAND2AILWAY#OMPANY7HENTHE
STATIONlRSTOPENEDIN7ILLIAM"ARLOWS
train shed was a spectacular feat of Victorian
engineering and held the world record for the
largest enclosed space for many years.
The Barlow shed was very dilapidated and
the challenge to the designers was to replace
major structural elements whilst maintaining
the original design. As well as this, there was
restoration work which has seen the Barlow
Shed completely re-glazed and the paintwork
taken back to its intended pale sky blue.
Where possible the building has been restored
by recycling the brickwork from the original
building or sourcing clay from the original clay
PITSINTHE-IDLANDS
St Pancras Station and Barlow’s train shed are
Grade I listed, so all work to the station was
closely scrutinised by English Heritage. Close
co-operation with the local council and local
residents was essential because of demanding
environmental objectives. Throughout all this
work the station had to remain open, needing
tight safety control measures and separation of
construction activities and the public.
The success of St Pancras clearly shows
how effectively both design and engineering
excellence can come together, as well as old
and new.
An opportunity to transform our world
c 13
RESTORATION
Case study
Martin Gates-Sumner
Leading the diverse
multi-disciplinary
building design
teams over the 12
years of the St
Pancras project was
the culmination of
an exciting and
FULlLLINGYEAR
career with Arup.
At St. Pancras the role of the structural
engineer was essential in delivering
a world-class station and associated
infrastructure on an exceptionally
constrained city-centre site, to a tight
timescale, and in phases that maintained
a fully operational temporary station at
all times. In particular, the challenges
presented by adopting the retained
cast and wrought iron structures into
a new structural system required the
most exact application of engineering
techniques, which led to in-depth testing
and research into the behaviour and
interaction between modern and historic
materials. These exceptional efforts
JUSTIlEDTHEEXTENSIONOFTHESERVICELIFE
of the existing 140 year old Grade I listed
station for a further 120 years.
14 c Careers in Structural Engineering
Since the dawn of
history man has been
trying to build the ‘tallest
building’, ‘tallest tower’
or ‘tallest structure’ in
the world. There seems
to be much prestige in
being home to the world’s
TALLEST-ANYTOWERSCLAIM
the title, and many cities
dispute the winner.
1899 – 1908
Park Row
New York
City, USA
118m (386ft)
1908 – 1909
Singer
Building
New York City,
USA
187m (612ft)
So, to end the debate, the Council on Tall
Buildings and Urban Habitat, which compiles
and ranks the world’s tallest buildings, made
ACOMPROMISE4HEYDElNEDCATEGORIESFOR
measuring tall buildings:
-
Height to the structural or architectural top
-
Height to the highest occupied floor
-
Height to the top of the roof
-
Height to the top of antenna
For the majority of the twentieth century, the
USA dominated the race for the title of the
tallest building in the world, and constructed
a range of famous buildings that, sometimes
only for a few months, were widely recognised
as being the tallest building in the world.
1909 – 1913
Metropolitan Life
New York City, USA
213m (700ft)
1913 – 1930
Woolworth
Building
New York City, USA
241m (792ft)
1930
Bank of
Manhattan Trust
Building
New York City, USA
281m (921ft)
1930 – 1931
Chrysler Building
New York City, USA
319m (1048ft)
1931 – 1970
Empire State
Building
New York City,
USA
381m (1249ft)
An opportunity to transform our world
Interesting facts about the Burj Khalifa –
the world’s tallest building
s 4HETIPOFTHESPIRECANBESEENBYA
person 95 kilometres (60 miles) away.
s 4HEHEIGHTOF"URJ+HALIFAWASKEPT
secret, and was not to be disclosed until
completion. However, it was announced in
*ANUARYBYDEVELOPER%MAARTHATIT
topped out at 828 metres.
s 4HE"URJ+HALIFAWILLCONTAINTHEWORLDS
highest elevator installation.
s !NOBSERVATIONDECKISLOCATEDONTHE
124th floor.
s )TWILLHAVETHEFASTESTELEVATORSINTHE
world with a speed of 42 kilometres per
hour (26 mph).
s 4HETOWERWILLHOUSEONEOFTHElRST
Armani hotels.
s !TLEVELSANDMETRESHIGH
Burj Khalifa shares the honour of having
the largest number of floors in any
building in the world, alongside Sears
Tower in Chicago.
s 4ENCRANESANDTHEWORLDSFASTEST
high-capacity construction hoists – with a
SPEEDOFUPTOMSECnAREUSEDTOMOVE
men and material.
1970 – 1974
World Trade
Center New York
City, USA
417m (1368ft)
1974 – 1996
Sears Tower
Chicago, USA
443m (1454ft)
c 15
The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in
the world in all four categories recognised
by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban
Habitat.
s 4HE"URJ+HALIFASWATERSYSTEMWILLSUPPLY
an average of about 946,000 litres of
water per day.
s 4HE"URJ+HALIFASOBSERVATORYELEVATORS
have a capacity for 21 persons on each
deck and will have the world’s longest
travel distance from lowest to highest stop.
s 4HEAMOUNTOFSTEELBARSUSEDFORTHE
tower is 34,400 metric tonnes – laid end
to end this would extend over a quarter of
the way around the world.
s 4HECURTAINWALLOFTHE"URJ+HALIFAWILLBE
equivalent to 17 football pitches.
s 4HETOWERSPEAKELECTRICITYDEMANDIS
estimated at 36 VA, equivalent to roughly
360,000 100-watt light bulbs all operating
at the same time.
1996 – 2003
Petronas Towers
+UALA,UMPUR-ALAYSIA
451m (1482ft)
2003 – 2009
Taipei 101
Taipei, Taiwan
509m (1671ft)
2009
Burj Khalifa
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
828m (2720ft)
16 c Careers in Structural Engineering
Famous bridges
Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge
1991m (6532ft)
Storebaelt Bridge
1624m (5328ft)
Humber Bridge
1410m (4626ft)
Golden Gate Bridge
1280m (4200ft)
Case study
Forth Bridge
521m (1710ft)
Tim Harris
I started working on
THE)NlNITY
Footbridge in 2003
when the design
competition was
launched and stayed
involved in the
project all the way
through to it’s
opening in 2009. From 2007 I led our
design team in delivering the detailed
design and overseeing construction.
Sydney Harbour Bridge
503m (1650ft)
Brooklyn Bridge
486m (1595ft)
As a structural engineer, my work on
THE)NlNITY&OOTBRIDGEHASBEENHUGELY
varied. I have worked on detailed 3D
models to investigate how the forces
flow through the structure. I’ve played
with scale models made of card with the
fabricators to work out how each of the
pieces could be welded together. I even
got to run up and down the bridge with a
dozen other people to check the bridge’s
response to pedestrian dynamics.
Millau Viaduct
342m (1120ft) per span
Tower Bridge
61m (200ft)
It was a really proud moment when the
lREWORKSWENTOFFANDTHEBRIDGEWAS
open for everyone to enjoy.
metres
/
250
500
750
1000
1250
1500
1750
2000
An opportunity to transform our world
c 17
Infinity Footbridge
3TRUCTURAL!WARDS7)..%23TRUCTURAL%NGINEERS%XPEDITION%NGINEERING
)N3TOCKTON/N4EESINTHE
north of England was a thriving port
with a large engineering industry.
Since the late 1980s there has been a drive
to redevelop and regenerate the Tees Valley
area. A key aspect of this regeneration is the
construction of a unique link for pedestrians
ANDCYCLISTSTHE)NlNITY&OOTBRIDGEWHICH
makes a bold statement about the location and
quality of the development area.
The project started life as an open competition
and Expedition were appointed directly
following a public vote which advertised the
shortlisted schemes on beer mats!
Having structural engineers as the lead
designers has created the opportunity to
push engineering to the limit, testing the flow
of the forces to give the bridge an elegant,
aesthetically unique and striking design.
The phenomenon of vibrations on footbridges
caused by pedestrians is well known by
ENGINEERSANDTHEPUBLICALIKE4OlNDOUTHOW
much this would affect the bridge and also
to discover more about the bridge’s natural
frequencies, extensive analysis was done on
AMODELOFTHEBRIDGETOlNDOUTHOWITWOULD
behave in a number of scenarios. This led to
the inclusion of shock absorbers which are
discreetly hung within the bridge.
4HE)NlNITY&OOTBRIDGEPROVIDESAWELLLOVED
local landmark. Its successful completion has
only been possible due to the whole team
overcoming the challenges presented by the
PROJECTANDITHASMADETHE)NlNITY&OOTBRIDGE
both an icon for the present and a landmark
for the future.
18 c Careers in Structural Engineering
Could you be a structural engineer of the future?
How good do you think you are on your knowledge of the world’s most famous buildings? Name each of these structures and then, using each of the
letters in the box, spell out the word related to structural engineering. Good luck, it’s not as easy as you think!
1st letter
6th letter
2nd letter
3rd letter
5th letter
7th letter
1st letter
6th letter
1st letter
3rd letter
1st letter
1st letter
5th letter
4th letter
7th letter
1st letter
An opportunity to transform our world
c 19
17HATQUALIlCATIONSDOSTUDENTSNEEDTOBECOME
structural engineers?
A: Secondary Education
5 FACTS 9/5.%%$4/+./7
1
2
3
4
5
IGCSE/GCSEs/high school
qualifications/Scottish
Standard Grades
14-19 Diploma
International
Baccalaureate/A Levels/
Scottish Highers
Work-based
qualifications
National Certificates and
Diplomas
When choosing which
subjects to study at
the age of 14-16 it is
worth considering what
you enjoy as well as
what you do well in.
The national curriculum
requirements set down
by most countries
will ensure that you
study mathematics
and science to the
APPROPRIATELEVEL/THER
subjects which you may
wish to study include:
4HEDIPLOMAQUALIlCATION
in England offers
14 to 19 year olds
a combination of
classroom learning and
hands-on experience.
To pursue a career in
structural engineering
you may wish to
consider a diploma
in engineering or
construction and the
built environment. This
will be useful to support
your next move whether
it is to continue onto
higher education or into
the world of work.
3TUDYINGQUALIlCATIONS
at this level will be
useful if you want to go
onto higher education.
Desirable subjects when
applying to university are
mathematics, physics,
other sciences, design
and technology and art.
2EMEMBERSTRUCTURAL
engineering is an art and
a science.
National Vocational
1UALIlCATIONS
.61SAND361S
6OCATIONALLY2ELATED
1UALIlCATIONS621S
and apprenticeships
are work-related
QUALIlCATIONSTHATAIM
TODEVELOPSPECIlC
practical skills and
knowledge needed
INASPECIlCINDUSTRY
For careers in
structural engineering,
VOCATIONALQUALIlCATIONS
must usually be
in engineering,
construction or
related subjects,
ANDAQUALIlCATION
demonstrating a good
level of competence in
mathematics is normally
required. They provide a
stepping stone to further
education, training or
employment and can
last from one year to
lVEYEARS
.ATIONAL#ERTIlCATESAND
Diplomas are vocational
QUALIlCATIONSWHICHCAN
lead to employment,
progression to Higher
.ATIONALSANDORROUTES
to higher education
including degree
programmes.
-
computing
design and
technology
art
geography
You should also consider
whether you have an
interest in unusual
buildings or structures.
If you are interested
in studying subjects
directly related to
structural engineering, it
would be worth studying
APPLIEDQUALIlCATIONS
in engineering or
construction and the
built environment.
Salaries for new graduate trainees are in the region of £22,000 to £30,000, according to figures from 2008.
These are highly competitive salaries when compared to most other professions.
For details of degree
programmes accredited by
the Institution please refer to
THE*OINT"OARDOF-ODERATORS
*"-WEBSITE
www.jbm.org.uk
For a list of degrees that
have been accredited by
internationally recognised
institutions please see:
Washington Accord which
RECOGNISESQUALIlCATIONSAT
the Chartered level
WWWWASHINGTONACCORDORG
7ASHINGTON!CCORD
Sydney Accord which
RECOGNISESQUALIlCATIONS
ATTHE!SSOCIATE-EMBER
(Incorporated) level
WWWWASHINGTONACCORDORG
SYDNEY
Dublin Accord which
RECOGNISESQUALIlCATIONSAT
the Technician level
WWWWASHINGTONACCORDORG
$UBLIN
FEANI Index which lists
recognised courses within
Europe
WWWFEANIORGWEBFEANI
FEANIindex.htm
www.istructe.org
/THERUSEFULLINKS
Arup
www.arup.com
Fast + Epp (Richmond Olympic Oval Roof)
www.fastepp.com
Aurecon (Te Puni Village)
www.aurecongroup.com
Foster & Partners (Masdar City)
www.fosterandpartners.com
Conservation Accreditation Register of
Engineers
www.careregister.org.uk
Henry Fagan & Partners (Mapungubwe
National Park Interpretive Centre)
www.fagan.co.za
Engineers Against Poverty
www.engineersagainstpoverty.org
Royal Academy of Engineering
www.raeng.org.uk
Engineering Council
www.engc.org.uk
RedR
www.redr.org.uk
Engineering UK
www.engineeringuk.com
Expedition Engineering (Infinity
Footbridge)
www.expedition-engineering.com
The Institution of Structural Engineers
)NTERNATIONAL(1
11 Upper Belgrave Street
London SW1X 8BH
United Kingdom
TEL FAX mail@istructe.org
www.istructe.org
&OUNDEDANDINCORPORATEDBY2OYAL#HARTER
2EGISTERED#HARITY.O