Structural Engineering As the most populous city in Australia, Sydney must also have a reliable infrastructure. In 2018, New South Wales committed to the largest infrastructure program in Australia. The state will contribute about A$80 billion on new economic infrastructure until 2022, and Sydney is one of the major beneficiaries. The state hopes that the program will allow Sydney to become one of the top 10 global cities.
Among the goals of the projects are better transportation infrastructure such as road widening and lengthening, construction of new tunnels, and upgrading the train system. Such projects will not only shorten the commuting time within the city, but they will also make social infrastructures like schools and hospitals more accessible.
Besides transportation, the building and structural sector of Sydney is and will be blooming. Between February and September 2020, there were over 22,500 building approvals in the greater Sydney area. Sydney continually ranks as among the top 20 or top 10 most liveable cities in the world.
If you are looking to settle down or renovate your home in Sydney, now is just as good a time as ever. Moreover, Sydney is an economic giant in Australia. If you are looking to put up a commercial space, you will not be alone. Thus, you may need the professional help of a structural engineer in Sydney.
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What is Structural Engineering?
Some people may confuse structural engineers from civil engineers. In simple terms, structural engineering is a sub-discipline under civil engineering. Some civil engineers study structural engineering as a postgraduate degree.
When it comes to construction, civil engineers can have a wider range of roles or responsibilities. For example, civil engineers are usually more concerned with the overall design and management of a construction project. Thus, besides the structure itself, a civil engineer will be concerned with the associated construction elements like the drainage, flood risks, and material acquisition. They are also concerned with elements that are indirectly involved with the actual construction like worker health and safety, budget management, and environmental impact.
On the other hand, a structural engineer is more focused on the suitability of the construction materials themselves. They are more concerned with the forces those materials will receive so that the completed structure can handle its own weight plus additional weights such as people, furniture, vehicles, and environmental forces. Thus, the structural engineer has the say on what timber, concrete, and metal to use and how to use them.
Why You Need a Structural Engineer
A civil engineer handles the overall project management, so their job description also includes functional and non-structural elements. A professional such as an architect is more concerned with the homogenous mix of function and aesthetics in a structure. Thus, architects are mostly involved in the pre-construction phase.
The structural engineer can ensure the strength, integrity, and durability of the building. Thus, the top products of a structural engineer is a long-lasting structure and safety. When you enter a building, be it a home or commercial space, the reason why you don’t fear that it will collapse on your head is the structural engineer. When there’s a storm, the reason the winds don’t blow off the roof is the structural engineer.
Whatever construction project you may have, you will benefit from the knowledge and skill of a structural engineer in Sydney.
