Structural Futures Committee

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Our Structural Futures Committee studies trends that may impact the structural engineering profession and develops related resources and events.

The Committee considers how structural engineering's approach, skills and knowledge base will need to change in response to an evolving industry. This is achieved by working closely with the Engineering Leadership Group to determine strategic priorities: how, where and when to supply members with related resources, training and events. Topics include:

  • Evolving technologies
  • The climate emergency
  • The role of the structural engineer in the future

The Committee also provides direction and oversight to the Digital Workflows and Computational Design Panel.

 

Committee structure:

The constitution of the Committee aims to reflect the diversity of the Institutions membership and to provide different perspectives.

  • Chair
  • Vice Chair
  • Chair of the reporting Panel
  • Up to 28 other members (including members of various grades and those based in different locations)

Get involved:

We invite expressions of interest in Committee membership each September, contacting all members except Student Members.

Members of the Committee are expected to fully participate in supporting and driving the Committee's activities forward.

There are many ways that you can contribute to the activities of the group, and you will be expected to do some work outside the meetings, for example drafting or reviewing guidance and keeping up to date on the latest developments around the topics the Committee is involved with.

The Committee meet four times a year. A maximum of one meeting will be in person at Institution HQ, whilst all other meetings are held online. Online access to meetings is always available.

Contact the committee if you have questions about their work.
 

Contact the committee

Looking for an event or training?

Explore our range of online training, recorded lectures and up and coming events.

Read more

Featured events and resources

The Structural Engineer
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Rebuilding trust with blockchain technology

Alastair Low-Macrae argues that blockchain technology may hold the key to some of the issues around trust and transparency that the industry is currently grappling with, particularly in the context of BIM.

Date – 1 February 2022
Author – Alastair Low-Macrae
Price – £10
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The ACORN, the SQUIRREL and the OAK

The poster of the 2021 Coolest Concrete Award winner, Robin Oval, Postdoctoral Research Associate at University of Cambridge.

Date – 7 February 2022
Author – Robin Oval
Price – Free
Report
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Thin-shell textile reinforced concrete floors for low-carbon buildings

The poster of the 2020 Coolest Concrete Award runner up, Will Hawkins.

Date – 7 February 2022
Author – Will Hawkins
Price – Free
Training
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Circular economy panel debate

A technical debate around practical approaches towards implementing the circular economy within structural engineering and the construction industry.

Date – 7 January 2022
Author – Laura Batty, Andrea Charlson, Penny Gowler and Charlie Wedgwood
Price – 0
The Structural Engineer
<h4>Viewpoint: Embracing probability: could big data spell the end of safety factors as we know them?</h4>

Viewpoint: Embracing probability: could big data spell the end of safety factors as we know them?

Arthur Coates calls on structural engineers to push for the adoption of post-monitoring sensors to provide better data on building performance and, ultimately, more accurate loading predictions.

Date – 31 March 2021
Author – Arthur Coates
Price – £10
Blog
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Should COVID-19 change society's direction of travel?

What we can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic? Kate Leighton gives an opinion from a UK perspective.

Date – 30 March 2020
Author – Kate Leighton FIStructE
Price – 0
Blog
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Innovation in house design

Richard Lankshear MIStructE discusses the Stirling Prize winning Goldsmith Street and how evolving home design will require the specialist skills of the structural engineer.

Date – 11 October 2019
Author – Richard Lankshear MIStructE
Price – 0
The Structural Engineer
<h4>Viewpoint: Which way now for codes and standards: Prescription, performance-based or what?</h4>

Viewpoint: Which way now for codes and standards: Prescription, performance-based or what?

Stuart Matthews considers the potential benefits – and difficulties – of developing performance- or outcomes-based codes of practice and standards.

Date – 1 May 2019
Author – Stuart Matthews
Price – £10

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Date – 5 October 2023
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Date – 11 July 2023
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The first webinar of a 6-part series on novel materials focuses on low-tech construction materials solutions such as structural stone, unfired mud bricks and roundwood timber.

Date – 27 June 2023
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Date – 15 June 2023
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The first webinar of a 2-part series on digital optimisation focuses on the opportunities for business benefits, improved quality and increased performance generated by implementing efficient digital workflows in your practice.

Date – 14 June 2023
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The Featured Article for Volume 51 of Structures concerns the wind effects on a 282-metre-tall tower in China and the two varied models used to analyse them.

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