Technical Guidance Note (Level 1, No. 8): Derivation of loading to retaining structures

This Technical Guidance Note focuses on the visualisation of structures. It is essential for structural engineers to be able to express their ideas clearly through their designs. Visualising structures in the appropriate way enhances the design process - not least because drawing the complex elements of a structure while carrying out calculations, can help to identify possible construction issues/problems at an earlier stage than may otherwise be possible. This guide explains two techniques that are commonly used to draw in three dimensions and thus aid the structural engineer in visualising the structures they design.All of the guides in this series have an icon based navigation system, designed to aid the reader.

This Technical Guidance Note describes the basic knowledge required to read drawings produced by structural engineers.

This guidance note describes the different types of pile presently in use, the design concepts that are employed when determining their size and depth, how they are constructed and the various tests that can be carried out to assess a pile's integrity.