The question of structural form: educational aspects

Abstract

Numerous examples of structural failures all over the world show that over-reliance on codes of practice in the process of design, or a high degree of trust placed in computational modelling, with its results not checked independently, carry an increased safety risk. While codes of practice provide strict guidance to designers, they do not shelter them from responsibility for the structural safety, function and durability aspects of their designs. Underpinning all these factors is the question of a good understanding of structural action, which depends on a good understanding of applied forces, the choice of structural form and material. Often, as a result of the primacy awarded to architectural vision, structurally ill-conceived designs may remain unmodified, even if they carry the potential for failure. Case studies presented here highlight this problem, indicating that the question of structural form should be as important to an engineer as it is to an architect.