Turning Dreams into Reality

Have you ever marveled at the Golden Gate Bridge, the Empire State Building, or the Gateway Arch in Saint Louis? These modern wonders are what drew me into the field of architectural engineering. All of these structures were only dreams at one point, but anyone can dream. I wanted to know how to turn my dreams into reality.

What is Architectural Engineering?

Architectural engineering has two branches, structural and mechanical. Mechanical architectural engineers design the guts and tubes of a building, everything from the plumbing to the air conditioning. Structural architectural engineers design the building’s skeleton. We ensure that even when someone stuffs a closet full of bowling balls, the floor doesn’t give out. I’m studying the structural branch for my bachelor’s.

 

What do Structural Engineers do?

As a structural engineer, we have to understand the behavior of materials. There are four main materials to choose from: masonry, wood, concrete and steel. We have to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each, know how they break, and in general understand how they react to the pressures and strains they are subjected to in a building.

We also need to know what forces a building undergoes. Pianos, bookcases, and air conditioners are all heavy. The structure of the building must support them all. Outside, snow threatens to collapse the roof and wind presses against the exterior walls. Earthquakes and hurricanes threaten to rip buildings apart. All of these, and more, must be considered when designing a school, a bridge, or a house.

The most important part of structural engineering, though, is always the bottom line. While a building with columns twice as thick is less likely to fall down, there’s a point where increasing the size of the beams only makes the building more expensive, not safer. Structural engineers need to find affordable solutions as well as ones that work. Because no matter how impressive or redundant a building design is, if it’s too expensive it won’t be built.

 

Why it’s Awesome

Structural engineers get to have fun. Creativity plays a significant role in structural engineering because the most obvious solution might not be the best one. Other times, the straightforward solution is artistically boring. In these cases, such as the departure concourse in Kings Cross Station, London, the engineers transformed the structure into a piece of art. So the next time you see a beautiful building, find yourself on the fiftieth floor of a skyscraper, or driving over a suspension bridge, you can thank a structural engineer.