Structural Engineer
The engineer who designs the structure that carries a building's loads.
Quick Answer
A structural engineer is a licensed engineer who designs and analyzes the load-bearing systems of buildings and other structures, including foundations, framing, and lateral systems. They size members and connections to resist gravity, wind, seismic, and other loads under applicable codes. The structural engineer of record seals the structural drawings and reviews related shop drawings.
The Full Picture
Every building must carry its own weight, its occupants and contents, and environmental forces such as wind, snow, and earthquakes. The structural engineer determines how those loads travel through the structure to the ground, then designs foundations, columns, beams, slabs, walls, and lateral force-resisting systems to handle them safely and economically.
Structural design follows adopted building codes and referenced standards for loads and materials, such as ASCE 7 for design loads and the material standards for steel, concrete, wood, and masonry. The engineer produces structural drawings, calculations, and specifications that become part of the construction documents.
Licensing is by state. Structural engineers are typically licensed professional engineers, and some jurisdictions, especially in seismic regions, have additional structural-specific licensure. The structural engineer of record is responsible for the structural design and commonly reviews steel shop drawings, rebar detailing, and other structural submittals.
For contractors, structural drawings drive major quantities and cost: concrete, rebar, structural steel, and foundations. Conflicts between structural and architectural or MEP drawings are a common source of RFIs, so structural documents receive close scrutiny during preconstruction.
Real Examples
Common Misconceptions
People assume: The architect decides the structure.
Actually: The architect sets layout and design intent, but the structural engineer is responsible for sizing and detailing the structural system. Architectural choices must be coordinated with, and often adjusted to, structural needs.
People assume: Structural engineers inspect and manage the construction.
Actually: They design and review, and may perform periodic structural observation or special inspections as contracted, but the contractor controls construction means, methods, and safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a structural engineer do?
A structural engineer analyzes loads and designs the foundations, framing, and lateral systems that keep a building stable, then documents the design in sealed drawings, calculations, and specifications.
What is a structural engineer of record?
The structural engineer of record is the licensed engineer who seals the structural construction documents and is responsible for the structural design. They typically also review structural submittals and respond to structural RFIs.
Is a structural engineer the same as a civil engineer?
Structural engineering is a specialty within civil engineering. Many structural engineers hold civil engineering degrees, while civil engineers working on site and infrastructure design are a different practice area.
Do you need a structural engineer for a small project?
It depends on the project and local code. Simple projects may use prescriptive code provisions, but alterations to load-bearing elements or unusual loads generally call for an engineer's design and seal.
Who hires the structural engineer?
Usually the architect or owner, as a consultant to the design team. On design-build projects the contractor or design-build entity engages the engineer.