| The history of structural engineering was one of | | | | from the law makers, however. The SEI, which is |
| trial and error. Knowledge and understanding, what | | | | a community of structural engineers in the |
| there was of it, was passed down from | | | | American Society of Civil Engineers, and the |
| generation to generation. Today, structural | | | | international Institute of Structural Engineers with |
| engineering standards are written down, and in | | | | members in 105 countries, have also helped |
| great detail. | | | | establish standards. The structural engineering field |
| One way to understand structural engineering | | | | has accepted its responsibilities as it attempts to |
| standards is to think of a mountain of paperwork. | | | | create structures that are practical and above all |
| There are codes and standards that cover almost | | | | safe for the humans that will use them and even |
| every eventuality; fire codes, building codes, | | | | live or work inside them. |
| electric codes, local codes, regional codes, and | | | | The Green movement has begun to influence the |
| national codes. There are safety codes. All of | | | | structural engineering community to some degree. |
| these codes establish minimum standards for | | | | The need for structures that are in harmony with |
| construction and it is the responsibility of the | | | | the environment has become an area of |
| structural engineer to comply with them all while | | | | increasing awareness to designers. It can be |
| at the same time actually building or designing a | | | | expected that these environmental friendly |
| structure that does not require the emptying of | | | | standards will find their way into the codes and |
| the vaults of Fort Knox to pay for it. | | | | laws in the coming years and structural engineers |
| This can be a daunting task for the structural | | | | will have to be aware of them. |
| engineer. The architect is given a bit more artistic | | | | The need to adhere to the standards of |
| leeway in design. They dream things up and say | | | | structural engineering is more than just a need to |
| this is how it should be, but the structural engineer | | | | stay within rigid codes. There is an ethical |
| does not have the luxury of dreams. Their world | | | | responsibility when ever a structure is being |
| is a practical world of what will work and what will | | | | designed to hold the value of human life higher |
| not work. The engineer can rely on the codes, in | | | | than cutting of costs or meeting of time |
| many cases, to support his arguments because if | | | | schedules. In most engineering programs being |
| a structure is not in compliance with them, it can | | | | taught in Universities today, ethics is a required |
| not be built. | | | | course. |
| All structural engineering standards do not come | | | | |