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January 22, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR AMY IVES IN
KY
Structural engineering is one of several areas to specialize
in within
the civil engineering discipline. Structural engineers design
the
framework or structure and foundation for a project. These
can be
projects that require an architect such as buildings or more
structural
based projects such as bridges. In the design of buildings,
an
architect will provide a floor plan, elevations, wall sections,
door,
window and finish schedules (tables describing the materials
or products
used), etc. The architect deals more with the appearance and
the layout
of the exterior and interior rooms of a building. Structural
engineers
take the architects plan and coordinate the given layout with
a framing
plan that will support the building. Typically, a building
structure is
designed using steel or wood members. It is essential to coordinate
between the structural engineer and the architect so the building
does
not end up with building columns in front of windows, in the
middle of a
hallway, etc. In addition to this main frame, the structural
engineer
will design a foundation for the building using concrete as
the
material. Both architecture and engineering require attention
to detail
and good communication skills. Engineering requires a good
understanding of math and an ability to utilize computer programs
for
design. As in the case of my smaller company, engineers are
also
required to use CAD (computer aided drafting) to produce drawings
to
reflect their designs. Architecture requires a good understanding
of
buildings and how they come together on a building site. They
must
research and apply local building codes to ensure a building
has an
adequate number of exits, uses specific fire-rated materials,
etc. In
addition, they must have a good understanding of the materials
to be
used for each job ranging from exterior siding to interior
carpets.
Architects and engineers may work together in the same company
(an A/E
or design build firm) or for entirely different companies
(independent
architecture and engineering firms) but on the same project.
This is a very brief summary of both of these professions.
If you are
truly interested in learning more or have an interest in pursuing
either
as a career, I recommend visiting some local architecture
or engineering
companies and asking if they allow students to shadow employees.
This
will allow you to talk one-on-one with individual professionals
and get
a better understanding of what they do on a daily basis.
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