Careers in structural engineering - eng.usm.my · PDF fileWhat do structural engineers do? Structural engineers are involved in the design and ... An accredited qualification in structural

Careers in structural engineeringGive your career some structure

What do structuralengineers do?

Structural engineersare involved in thedesign andsupervision of theconstruction of allkinds of structuresfrom houses,theatres, sportsstadia, and hospitals,to bridges, oil rigs,space satellites andoffice blocks.

Skills and interests

Structural engineersmake a differenceand shape the builtenvironment. They arepeople who enjoyinnovation, achallenge,opportunities,responsibility andexcitement in a variedcareer. Structuralengineering presentsboth creative andtechnical challenges,and requires excellentproblem solving skills.

Every constructionproject is unique andwill involve theexpertise of a numberof professional peopleincluding a structuralengineer. Structuralengineers work aspart of the designteam and areresponsible for safetyfactors, financialconsiderations andchoice of materials.

The specialist skills ofa structural engineerinclude calculatingloads and stresses,investigating thestrength offoundations andanalysing thebehaviour of beamsand columns in steel,concrete or othermaterials to ensurethe structure has thestrength required toperform its functionsafely, economicallyand with a shape andappearance that isvisually satisfying.

2 | The Institution of Structural Engineers | Careers in Structural Engineering |

Introduction

Structuralengineeringpresents bothcreative andtechnicalchallenges, andrequires excellentproblem solvingskills

Studying structuralengineering

Structural engineerstypically have adegree in structural orcivil engineering. Mostaccredited courseswill require an A2Level Maths, andanother science isoften desirable.

It is important thatstudents select anaccredited coursewhich ensures thatthey will receive anexcellent educationcovering all theprinciples of structuralengineering. A list ofaccredited coursescan be found at W: istructe.org/study

An accreditedqualification instructural engineeringgives candidates anopportunity toprogress toprofessional status,once the appropriatetraining has beencompleted.

Starting salaries forrecent graduatesrange from £18,000to £21,000.

Career prospects

There is hugeopportunity andchoice for youngpeople starting out ina career in structuralengineering.Structural engineeringis a worldwideprofession andmembership of theInstitution ofStructural Engineersprovides aqualification which willallow you to workalmost anywhere inthe world.

| The Institution of Structural Engineers | Careers in Structural Engineering | 3

The conversion sawthe removal of thereusable eight-lanerunning track andreplacement of thetemporary northstand. Some90,000m3 of earthhad to be excavatedto lower the playingsurface by six metres,creating space for anew third tier ofseating.

The largest new buildstadium to beconstructed in the UKsince Wembley in1913, the City ofManchester Stadiumwas designed in twophases for twodistinct uses; initiallyas an athletic stadiumand the centrepieceof the 2002CommonwealthGames and now as afootball stadium andhome to ManchesterCity FC.

Built for the CommonwealthGames and now the home ofManchester City Football Club

City ofManchesterStadium


The striking structureis surrounded by aring of eight towers,which serve the dualpurpose of deliveringspectators to thestadium andsupporting the cablesfrom which theundulating roof issuspended.


Martin SimpsonAge: 28Job: Design engineer, Arup

I worked as a structural analyst designing the cable net roof on the City ofManchester Stadium. This involved complex and detailed analysis of therafters and cables that make up the two separate structural systems thatform the roof.

I am now the lead designer for the roof of Liverpool FC’s new ground, and I’m also involved in thedesign of the Beijing 2008 Olympic stadium.

young engineer profile

The largest new buildstadium to beconstructed inthe UK sinceWembley in 1913

The design for the‘Blinking Eye’ wasvoted for by thepeople of Gatesheadin a competition tochoose a bridge thatwould not only linkdevelopments onboth sides of the riverbut also complementthe existing sixbridges crossing theTyne.

The innovativefootbridge has alreadybecome an icon forTyneside and the highdegree of engineeringskills to translate abrilliant idea into aworking reality areevident for all to see.The first of its kind inthe world the bridgeis deceptively simplein concept but fraughtwith engineeringchallenges, and is amajor achievement.


Gateshead Millennium BridgeThe ‘Blinking Eye’ bridge isalready an icon for Tyneside

This multiple awardwinning structurerotates open around200 times a yearallowing a 25mclearance forshipping; this processis so energy efficient itcosts just £3.06 eachtime it opens.


Age: 32Job: Engineer, Gifford Consulting Engineers

I joined Gifford in 1995 after graduating from the University of Surrey witha degree in civil engineering and became a member of the GatesheadMillennium Bridge design team shortly after the design competition waswon.

My early involvement was to develop and define the bridge's geometryfrom the sketches used for the competition entry, and to check that this met the various clearanceand pedestrian access requirements; not an easy task because of the form and dimensions of thebridge. I then set up a number of computer models to calculate the forces applied to the variouselements of the superstructure.

Since Gateshead I have been involved with a number of other landmark structures including theGolden Jubilee Bridges across the Thames and Great Wharf Road Bridge, a highway lifting bridgein Canary Wharf, London.


The bridge isdeceptivelysimple in conceptbut fraught withengineeringchallenges


It displays structuraloriginality in the use ofa steel hexagonal,double-layer grid toform the biomeswhich contain morethan 800 individualglazing modules.Around 800,000m2 ofsoil had to be movedto create a levelbottom for thebiomes which coveran area the size of 30football pitches.

Controlled climate zones beneath linkedbiomes demonstrate different plantenvironments from around the world

The Eden Project

A structure ofbreathtaking scale,the Eden Project is avisually excitingstructure built deep ina disused china claypit in Cornwall, UK. Itis composed of eightgiant, interconnectinggeodesic domes, orbiomes, which housea vast botanicalcollection within avariety of controlledclimatic conditions.

Sam MillsAge: 27Job: Graduate engineer, SKM Anthony Hunts

I joined SKM Anthony Hunts in October 2000 towards the end of the firstphase of development on the Eden Project, having graduated from CardiffUniversity with an MEng (Hons) Architectural Engineering degree. I amcurrently working on the next phase as the project engineer on a timberStaff Facilities Building.

I have always been interested in design and architecture and structural engineering provided theopportunity to combine them both; mixing art with science. Structural engineering offers achallenging, varied and rewarding career; you get to see all of your hard work turned intosomething real.

I have also been involved in the redevelopment of the New Bull Ring in Birmingham, the design ofan environmentally sustainable library in Brighton and most recently the design of a 30 storeyresidential tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.


The project includeshigh performancetraining facilities forOlympic athletics,incorporating indoortraining facilities,sports medicine andsports science, a200m indoor athleticstrack with associatedthrowing and jumpareas, three netballcourts, two basketballcourts, four judocourts, two boxingrings and a large tabletennis area. Allfacilities have beendesigned tointernational playingstandards.

The English Instituteof Sport was openedin December 2003and came in on timeand within the budgetof £24 million. It isalready in use by eliteathletes as a trainingfacility and hashosted the NorwichUnion World IndoorAthletics trials. Thefacilities are also opento local sports clubsand are in regularuse.

The English Instituteof Sport provides aplatform for the crossfertilisation of ideasand experiencesbetween sports, andthe development ofworld class supportservices to ourleading athletes.


Jaffel VersiAge: 28Job: Structural Engineer, SKM Anthony Hunts

I was responsible for designing the structural elements of the building.This involved liaising with the architect and other members of the designteam at an early stage and working through various structural options toproduce the most elegant and cost effective scheme. I then workedthrough the scheme to produce details for construction. Once the project

was on site I worked with the contractor to sort out any problems that occurred and to ensurethat the work progressed in accordance with the drawings.

I have been a structural engineer for five years, having completed a degree and Masters degree atthe University of Sheffield. I am currently working on the new Adult Learning Centre atWolverhampton College, a five-storey laboratory building for the University of Sheffield and thenew campus for The Tresham Institute in Kettering.


The English Institute of Sport in Sheffield isthe largest of the nine multi-sports hubsaround the country

The English Institute of Sport

The British AirwaysLondon Eye on theSouth Bank of theRiver Thames atWestminster is aunique structure. Itconsists of a wheel135m in diametercarrying 32 spectatorcapsules on theperiphery of the rim,the whole being axlesupported from oneside only by twotapered tubular steelstruts and four sets ofcables.


The British Airways London EyeThis distinctive edition to theLondon skyline is a 135mtall ‘ferris’ wheel

The rim of the wheelis formed as atriangular cross-section steel truss;the spokes areprestressed steelcables. The rotatinghub and spindle areformed from thick-walled steel castingswith integralattachment points forthe two supportingstruts and the tiecables. Thisconfiguration allowedthe wheel to beassembled in thehorizontal positionand then to be liftedand tilted into thevertical plane withminimal temporaryworks. The scale ofthe structure posedmany unusualproblems in design,fabrication anderection.


Julie KnoxAge: 24Job: Graduate engineer, Babtie

I work in the Babtie engineering team that specialises in rides. We designrides, check the designs produced by ride manufacturers and theircalculations for new rides and also inspect rides on site. I even get to trythem out! Since leaving university with a degree in civil engineering, I havelearned lots about how structures work, how the world of structural

engineering links into mechanical and electrical engineering and how to mix theory and practice.The London Eye is the biggest and most famous ride our group has worked on, but we’ve alsoworked on the famous Pepsi Max roller coaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, where one of myjobs is helping with the annual inspections. Right now we are helping to plan the next new big ride- but the details of this are a secret. All new graduates have to get a broad mix of experience tofurther their career and I am currently seconded to work full time on a construction site to bettermy skills in practical building.


The scale of thestructure posesmany unusualproblems indesign,fabrication anderection

Disasters affecteveryone – especiallychildren, the infirmand the old. Survivalafter disastersdepends on gettingthe most basic needs– shelter, water,sanitation, food andmedical provision –quickly and efficientlyto those suffering.RedR and IHE makethat vital difference –relieving suffering andsaving lives throughproviding highly skilledand experiencedengineering andhealth professionalsto humanitarian aidagencies worldwide.

RedR and IHE recruit,prepare and trainindividuals with theright qualificationsand skills. They workclosely withhumanitarianorganisations to helpprovide life-savingservices to thoseaffected by disastersin more than 80countries around theworld.


Providing expertise indisaster reliefRedR- Engineers for Disaster Relief andInternational Health Exchange (IHE)

Disasters affecteveryone

In 2002-03, over 250RedR and IHEmembers were activein the field, workingon humanitarian reliefprojects with over 40aid agenciesworldwide. Membershave respondedeffectively to variousdisasters ranging fromthe earthquake in Iranto the prolongedcrises in Liberia,Afghanistan, Iraq andSouthern Africa.


Lisa Reilly Job: RedR Member,working for GOAL inAfghanistan

I have been based inMazar-I-Sharif, innorthern Afghanistanfor nine months,heading up a team offour ‘Goalies’ andseven nationalengineers. Themajority of the timehas been incrediblychallenging andsatisfying and I havenever worked so hard.

The amount ofreconstruction workrequired on theinfrastructure here isdaunting after twentyyears of fighting andthree years ofdrought. First theRussians and then theTaliban followed asystematic pattern ofdeliberate destructionof infrastructure,

particularly the waterand irrigation sources.Because of that, thework that we havebeen doing has beenvaried, there has beenno room forspecialisation hereand we are all learningplenty.Over the past yearGOAL Afghanistanhas built andrehabilitated 27schools; 493 km ofroad repairs; threedams and canal inlets;476 kms of canalcleaning and retainingwall repairs; 620 wellsand four potablewater pipe schemes. One of the challengeswe face is to get goodengineering solutionsfor the myriad of ‘foodfor work’ and ‘cashfor work’ projects thatare ongoing. Theprimary aim of theseprojects is to getresources into themost vulnerablecommunities so thatthey, with theirpopulations ofreturning refugees andIDPs (InternallyDisplaced People),have a chance tosurvive in their home

environment.

This vast labour baseis often squandereddoing projects whichgive no long term orsustainableimprovements to theinfrastructure. One ofour major successeshas been to protect acritical access roadfrom disappearingcompletely into theriver with acombination of labourintensive gabionbuilding andcontractor builtbridges and fords.

This is being followedup by tree planting byour agriculturist toturn the gabions intomore natural and longlasting embankments.

Security is alwaysconsidered a majorissue when discussingwork in Afghanistan,but generally has nothampered our work,with only occasionalstoppages as localcommanders vie forland and power. Thesafety of the staff,both expatriate andlocal is always apriority, but GOALcoordinates closelywith otherinternational non-governmentalorganisations and theUN to ensure we havethe latest information,and as long aseveryone sticks to theguidelines andcurfews, everything isreasonably safe.

engineer profile

The spectacular newWembley NationalStadium opened in2006. Its centre pieceis a dramatic arch,133m high, fromwhich the whole ofthe south stand roofwill be supported viacables. This is thelongest single spanroof structure in theworld. The north roofhas a retractableportion to allow sunand air onto the pitch.

Below the roof, up to90,000 spectatorsmay beaccommodated in anarena with full seatingfor all. And thenbelow the stands,there will berecreational andcatering facilities tomake this stadium atruly work classcomplex.


The new Wembley StadiumThe new Wembley will be the most spectacular footballstadium in the world, built to the highest specifications, using the latest technology and offering every fan who visits,an unrivalled match-day experience

Structural engineersplayed a vital part inthe stadium’s designand construction.Structural engineersare needed toconceive the layout; tocalculate all the forcesand then to design thesteelwork that framesthe arch and the roof.Engineers are requiredto produce thedrawings that allowthe factory to cut allthe steelwork to size,to join it together onsite and then to erectthe structure into itsfinal position.Structural engineersalso have to design allthe concretestructures, to plan fortheir construction andto supervise thebuilding. Otherengineers whospecialise infoundations were alsoneeded.


Li HaoAge: 27Job: Graduate Engineer, Babtie

It will be thrilling for me to watch the Englandfootball team triumph at Wembley in 2006. Allthe more so for me, because I’ve been involvedas a structural engineer in designing the newhigh tech Stadium! I’ve been checking the

structural design and checking the fabrication and erection drawingsproduced by the contractor. It was a real experience to visit the factoriesand see the frame being made and then visit the site and see somethingI had worked on being built. At 315m across and 133 m high, the archis huge; it weighs about 1,750 tonnes, the same as 275 double-deckerbuses. Working through the project gradually allowed me to understandhow it would be assembled on the ground and then lifted up to fullheight using steel towers, cables and jacks. Besides working onWembley, I have also been involved in the civils works for two newpower plants and repair work for fourteen footway bridges in Scotland.Now I am looking forward to helping on more fantastic projects such aslarge observation wheels in Asia. Above all I want to build up myprofessional skills in designing steel structures.


The Institution of Structural EngineersW istructe.org/students

ArupW arup.com

BabtieW babtie.com

Engineering and Technology BoardW etechb.co.uk

GiffordW gifford.uk.com

Red RW redr.org

SKM Anthony HuntsW skmconsulting.com

UCASW ucas.ac.uk

IStructE would like to thank Peter

Curran, David Dibb-Fuller, Li Hao, Alan

Jones, Marina Jones, Julie Knox, Allan

Mann, Sam Mills, Lisa Reilly, Martin

Simpson, Jaffel Versi and James

Wharton for their help with this

publication.

information sources

This will be thelongest singlespan roofstucture in theworld

The Institution of StructuralEngineersInternational HQ11 Upper Belgrave StreetLondon SW1X 8BHUnited Kingdomtel +44 (0)20 7235 4535 fax +44 (0)20 7235 [email protected] www.istructe.org

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Careers in structural engineering - eng.usm.my · PDF fileWhat do structural engineers do? Structural engineers are involved in the design and ... An accredited qualification in structural