Future of Structural Engineering

The software revolution has changed the engineering world. Structural engineering also has had tremendous progress. The analysis and design time has been reduced to one fifth compared to two decades ago but is everything good. Let us think.

Structural engineering is one of the most important branches of Civil engineering. Be it any industry or housing projects or offshore drilling projects or heavy ships or satellite launching platform or space; structurel engineering is everywhere. But lack of continuous jobs for structural engineering professionals is killing this core engineering discipline. Hardly many consultants are retaining their engineers when they have no active jobs and there is shortage of jobs.

It requires years of practice and training to get expertise in this field. To understand, identify and quantify different regulatory and environmental impacts ( wind, storm, earthquake, snow, temperature) or the industrial or human impact which cause the loads, to keep updated with latest developments and improvements, to have feeling of the intricacies and importance of each member or joint of a structures, a highly dedicated and devoted team of structural engineers is required . For critical and unconventional structures, it also requires study of many options and alternatives and more time frame which adds additional cost. It is not a one man show. It requres a great team works. A mistake can cost lives. Therefore, design performed by any engineer needs to verified and cross verified by team of other engineers to eliminate possibility of errors before it is forwarded for execution. In some type of structures such as offshore and welded bridges facing reversal of load patterns, life of each and everyjoint is determined and ensured that the life of each member or joint is at least twice the anticipated structure's life. This is not a simple game.

Hoever, now days structural consultants are loosing engineers as they are not able to retain them due to lack of jobs. The cost of remuneration is shrinking. Schedule alloted to them are getting squeezed. No engineer can afford to study alternatives. Being bitten at both ends, how they can survive without compromising quality. Uneconomical structures are being built.

Earlier, the best civil engineers used to join structural discipline as it used to be stable and respected and more rewarding but not so now. The best talents are swaying to different groups. In fact best talents are almost ditching design and engineering profession altogether. This is not a good sign for the future of structural engineering.