What does a structural engineer do?
If you are in the middle of a renovation project and are making significant changes to your house, chances are you will be needing a structural engineer. If you are unsure what their role is, here’s a guide to the structural engineer’s job and what you should expect from them. We’ve also covered structural engineer costs in a separate post, if that’s what you’re after.
How does a structural engineer contribute to a renovation project?
Typically, a structural engineer is responsible for the structural integrity of a project. Whether you are taking off existing walls or adding a whole new extension, a structural engineer will calculate the safest and most efficient way to build something. In a renovation project, in collaboration with the designer, they will usually:
draw the overall structure of a project
calculate the weight on an extension
design the building’s foundations
choose any beam or column size
make sure you can add or remove a window
ensure the overall project is technically viable.
What's the difference between an architect and a structural engineer?
Architects and structural engineers have very complementary roles in a project, although sometimes overlapping. Structural engineers are not designers, they make someone else’s design (usually the architect’s) possible, safe and efficient.
On the other hand, architects usually only have a broad understanding of structures and need someone specialised to detail their design. They are more conscious of space and aesthetic but can benefit from technical pointers.
Can I avoid an architect by using a structural engineer?
Usually architects and engineers work together but depending on the size and nature of your project you might not need both. If you already have a precise idea of what you want, don’t need design advise but just want to check the structural feasibility of a project, you could go straight to an engineer. Their scope of services is less wide than an architect’s. For example, engineers don’t typically give planning advice although some offer building regulations services. Their role is not to comment on the quality of a design but to help make it possible and in the most efficient way.
Does the architect or the client engage a structural engineer?
This depends on your contract with the architect, it would be a good idea to establish with your architect whether they will engage the engineer or not. If you must engage the structural engineer, you can always ask your architect for recommendations as they probably have experience working with engineers from your area. However, if this is something you don’t want to deal with you can always mention it when choosing your architect and ask for a contract that would make them responsible for appointing all consultants.
At what point in the project is a structural engineer engaged?
A structural engineer can be involved as early as initial design stages for some preliminary feasibility advice, and as late as technical design phases before you find a contractor for technical construction drawings. Again, it all depends on the size and complexity of your project but if you are modifying the overall structure of a building, structural engineers are absolutely essential to get involved in your project before the construction phase. The last thing you want is for a wall to collapse!
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