Synopsis
Digital technology has transformed structural engineering over the past 50 years: calculators have replaced slide rules, finite-element analysis can be run for any structure, apps size beams and rebar, computer-aided design has removed drawing boards and been supplanted by building information modelling. These tools have all been automating designs and workflows. Now artificial intelligence, which includes machine learning, promises to do the same for engineering design and practice, especially for situations that are too complex for the current generation of programs.