Introduction to the Structural Engineering
Structural engineers are responsible for producing engineering design or analysis. Entry-level structural engineers may design simple beams, columns, and floors of a new building, including calculating the loads on each member and the load capacity of building materials such as (steel, timber, masonry, and concrete). More experienced engineers would render more complex structures, often calculating the physics of moisture, heat and energy as they relate to building components.
Structural engineers often specialise in particular fields, such as bridge engineering, building engineering, pipeline engineering, industrial structures or special structures such as vehicles or aircraft.
Structural engineering has existed since humans first started to construct their own structures. It became a more defined an formalised profession with the emergence of the architecture profession as distinct from the engineering profession during the industrial revolution in the late 19th Century. Until then, the architect and the structural engineer were often one and the same - the master builder. Only with the understanding of structural theories that emerged during the 19th and 20th century did the professional structural engineer as it is known now begin to exist.
The role of a structural engineer today involves a significant understanding of both static and dynamic loading, and the structures that are available to resist them. The complexity of modern structures often requires great creativity in order to support and resist the loads they are subjected to. A structural engineer will typically have a three, four or five year undergraduate degree, followed by a minimum of three years of professional practice before being able to be considered fully qualified.