All the articles from the January 2020 issue of The Structural Engineer.
Publish Date – 2 January 2020
You must have wondered, probably increasingly, what the profession of structural engineering will look like in future. The authors of the papers in this special issue certainly have. They provide a glimpse into some of the possibilities which lie around the corner for us.
This foreword briefly summarises the commitments that engineers have made in declaring a climate emergency and considers first steps to build action plans that will support these commitments.
This article by Glenn R. Bell discusses the importance of structural engineering establishing an expansive vision for the future.
Tanya de Hoog discusses why structural engineers need to adapt and evolve to remain relevant as technological advances continue to develop.
The engineering sector appears to be becoming more and more disparate, with holism becoming harder to obtain. This paper proposes a potential solution to this through the upskilling of engineering professionals to become ‘specialist generalist technical lead’ designers within a renewed and simplified core design team.
Peter Debney discusses digital technology and how it has transformed structural engineering over the past 50 years and what the future holds for engineering design and practice.
Dan Clipsom discusses the digital skills that will be vital for future structural engineers amid continued transformation across the profession.
Philip Isaac and Dan Bergsagel discuss existing methods of assessing creativity and understanding of engineering behaviours while proposing the development of a simple evaluation procedure for outreach organisers.
The construction industry needs a shake-up and that shake-up has now arrived. PropTech or ConTech refers to the digital transformation of the construction industry. With that transformation, two tectonic shifts are about to occur: it will become the greatest time in history to be an engineer; and the master architect will return.
This paper explores issues around the ambitions for use of off-site methods, identifies some lessons from previous projects, and suggests ways to accelerate the adoption of manufacturing-led methods, including professional services delivery, education and skills.
The Jump Factory is an innovative construction technique developed and implemented by Mace and consultants Davies Maguire to construct two residential towers in the East Village, London. This paper describes the structural form of the factory, its support system and weekly lift cycle.
The number and diversity of materials in use in structures is increasing. This presents opportunities for engineers, but also poses challenges in how to continue to provide technical advice over such a wide range of materials.
This article by Muiris Moynihan discusses the pressure facing the world to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and how structural engineers will be tasked to prioritise the embodied carbon of materials and structures.
This paper presents strategies, based on advances in computational structural design and digital fabrication, to take on the challenge of an increasing world population, offering opportunities for a necessary disruptive change.
This article by Corentin Fivet and Jan Brutting shows how the circular industrial economy will impact structural designers and their practices in the future.
This month's letters consider the environmental impact of flying, and return to the topics of the cost of professional indemnity insurance, subsidence issues, and building control on domestic projects.
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