Structural design processes

Risk

A structural collapse can have serious consequences and all structural engineering ativitie should be treated as being, to some degree, safety critical.

It is important to pay special attention to the requirements of the client but such considerations should not over-ride duty of care to the publc. Of funds are not available to build a safe structure, the project should not be undertaken,

Naval architect, Stephen Payne, designer of the Queen Mary 2, said (at a talk given to the Institution of Engineers in Scotland) in 2020).  "When designing a cruise liner, the regulations represent the starting point for my safety assessment. The Titanic met the then current regulations." Thousands of people might drown if a passenger liner was lost at sea. There are equivalent risks in structural design e.g. for a long span bridge or the roof of a sports stadium. Use of the principle that the starting point for design should be the regulations should be adopted in all strutural designs. This requires critical thinking by all participants.