structural engineering: an opportunity to transform our ... · pdf filecontents what do...

Structural Engineering: an opportunity to transform our world

CONTENTS

What do structural engineers do?Sustainability and climate changeForensic engineering

Seismic EngineeringHumanitarian engineeringConservation and restorationTallerLongerChallengeFact page

Useful links

2 Careers in Structural Engineering

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.

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

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.

An opportunity to transform our world 3

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:

using certain materials such as concrete or timber

reuse materials or components whilst building the structure and at the end of a structure’s life

and resources for the usage of the structure to ensure minimum waste and

energy consumption

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.

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

City is an indication of how seriously the United Arab Emirates is taking this. This city will

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.

question conventional urban wisdom at a

new benchmarks for the sustainable city of the future.” The city will be entirely self-sustaining.

creating a synergetic environment; it is a true

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

and public transit will link the city to central Abu Dhabi and the international airport.

How low can you go -

zero carbon city


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.

D CLIMATE CHANGE

The main structure was made using tile

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.

Mapungubwe National Park Interpretive Centre

Case study Michael H. Ramage

The design of the roof vaults of the

Interpretive Centre in South Africa was, from the very beginning, a group effort between the architect, Peter

environmental sustainability - using natural materials - architecture and engineering as well as offering people the opportunity to work with the project’s poverty relief programme.

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.


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.

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.

LongestAt a clear span of close to 100 metres, the roof features the longest wood and steel arches in the world.

LargestThe 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.

From the inside it’s like looking up at the stars. I also think the part about using pine beetle-damaged wood for the roof is neat.” Kristina Groves, 2008 World Cup Champion speed skater over 1000 metre distance.

Richmond Olympic Oval Roof

Case study Mark Robertson

I have heard the

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

arches some 2000 years ago and that

the pine beetle arch are generally similar. However, the pine beetle roof arches rise

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

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.

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.

SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE6 Careers in Structural Engineering

Twin Towers

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-by-step, experts are learning how buildings fail, and discovering ways we can build stronger structures.

When Boeing jets piloted by terrorists struck the Twin Towers, some 38

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

fuel, the heat became intense.

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

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.

Tacoma Bridge

When wind blows over a structure, the structure moves in response. Such movements are small and easily catered for within normal design processes.

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’.

it was the third longest suspension bridge in the world. It had moved ever since its opening, but under the influence of only a medium-strength 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!

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

FORENSIC ENGINEERINGInvestigating Collapse


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.

SEISMIC ENGINE8 Careers in Structural Engineering

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.

ERINGCase study Sean Gledhill

The single most impressive thing about this project is that we have created a new system that allows multi-storey buildings

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.

Te Puni Village


HUMANITARIAN ENGINEERING

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.

ty

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.

effectiveness of disaster relief, through providing training and support to aid organisations and their staff, and by supplying skilled professionals to help in disaster

such as humanitarian practice, management and security, helping structural engineers and others make best use of their skills.

Engineers Against PovertyScience, 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.


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.

CONSERVATION

AND RESTORATION Cardiff Castle, Wales, during integration of new interpretive centre within the historic setting, and the completed project

Kemey’s Folly, Wales, before and after restoration

engineer is the need to recognise the sometimes conflicting objectives of conservation and commercial development.

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.


St Pancras International Station Structural Award 2008

Structural

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

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

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.

CONSERVATION AND


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

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

of the existing 140 year old Grade I listed station for a further 120 years.

RESTORATION


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

the title, and many cities dispute the winner.

1931 – 1970

Empire State Building

New York City, USA

381m (1249ft)

1930 – 1931

Chrysler Building New York City, USA

319m (1048ft)

1930

Bank of Manhattan Trust

BuildingNew York City, USA

281m (921ft)

1913 – 1930

Woolworth Building

New York City, USA

241m (792ft)

1909 – 1913

Metropolitan Life New York City, USA

213m (700ft)

1908 – 1909

Singer Building

New York City, USA

187m (612ft)

1899 – 1908

Park Row New York City, USA

118m (386ft)

So, to end the debate, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, which compiles and ranks the world’s tallest buildings, made

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.


2009

Burj Khalifa Dubai, United Arab Emirates

828m (2720ft)

1996 – 2003

Petronas Towers

451m (1482ft)

2003 – 2009

Taipei 101 Taipei, Taiwan

509m (1671ft)

1974 – 1996

Sears Tower Chicago, USA

443m (1454ft)

1970 – 1974

World Trade Center New York

City, USA

417m (1368ft)

Interesting facts about the Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building

secret, and was not to be disclosed until completion. However, it was announced in

topped out at 828 metres.

124th floor.

world with a speed of 42 kilometres per hour (26 mph).

Armani hotels.

Burj Khalifa shares the honour of having the largest number of floors in any building in the world, alongside Sears Tower in Chicago.

high-capacity construction hoists – with a

men and material.

person 95 kilometres (60 miles) away.

highest elevator installation.

an average of about 946,000 litres of water per day.

have a capacity for 21 persons on each deck and will have the world’s longest travel distance from lowest to highest stop.

tower is 34,400 metric tonnes – laid end to end this would extend over a quarter of the way around the world.

equivalent to 17 football pitches.

estimated at 36 VA, equivalent to roughly 360,000 100-watt light bulbs all operating at the same time.

The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world in all four categories recognised by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.


Famous bridges

metres 250 500 750 1000 1250 1500 1750 2000

Case study Tim Harris

I started working on

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.

As a structural engineer, my work on

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.

It was a really proud moment when the

open for everyone to enjoy.

Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge 1991m (6532ft)

Storebaelt Bridge 1624m (5328ft)

Humber Bridge 1410m (4626ft)

Golden Gate Bridge 1280m (4200ft)

Forth Bridge 521m (1710ft)

Sydney Harbour Bridge 503m (1650ft)

Brooklyn Bridge 486m (1595ft)

Millau Viaduct 342m (1120ft) per span

Tower Bridge 61m (200ft)


Infinity Footbridge

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

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

much this would affect the bridge and also to discover more about the bridge’s natural frequencies, extensive analysis was done on

behave in a number of scenarios. This led to the inclusion of shock absorbers which are discreetly hung within the bridge.

local landmark. Its successful completion has only been possible due to the whole team overcoming the challenges presented by the

both an icon for the present and a landmark for the future.


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


IGCSE/GCSEs/high school qualifications/Scottish Standard Grades

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

subjects which you may wish to study include:

- 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

in engineering or construction and the built environment.

5 FACTS

14-19 Diploma

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.

Work-based qualifications

National Vocational

and apprenticeships are work-related

practical skills and knowledge needed

For careers in structural engineering,

must usually be in engineering, construction or related subjects,

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

structural engineers? A: Secondary Education

International Baccalaureate/A Levels/Scottish Highers

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.

engineering is an art and a science.

National Certificates and Diplomas

Diplomas are vocational

lead to employment, progression to Higher

to higher education including degree programmes.

For details of degree programmes accredited by the Institution please refer to

www.jbm.org.uk

For a list of degrees that have been accredited by internationally recognised institutions please see:

Washington Accord which

the Chartered level

Sydney Accord which

(Incorporated) level

Dublin Accord which

the Technician level

FEANI Index which lists recognised courses within Europe

FEANIindex.htm

1 2 3 4 5

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.


Arup www.arup.com

Aurecon (Te Puni Village) www.aurecongroup.com

Conservation Accreditation Register of Engineers www.careregister.org.uk

Engineers Against Poverty www.engineersagainstpoverty.org

Engineering Council www.engc.org.uk

Engineering UK www.engineeringuk.com

Expedition Engineering (Infinity Footbridge) www.expedition-engineering.com

Fast + Epp (Richmond Olympic Oval Roof) www.fastepp.com

Foster & Partners (Masdar City) www.fosterandpartners.com

Henry Fagan & Partners (Mapungubwe National Park Interpretive Centre) www.fagan.co.za

Royal Academy of Engineering www.raeng.org.uk

RedR www.redr.org.uk

www.istructe.org

The Institution of Structural Engineers

11 Upper Belgrave StreetLondon SW1X 8BHUnited Kingdom

[email protected] www.istructe.org

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