A structure may be designed and built in steel, concrete, timber, brick or new synthetic materials. (Masonry is the art of building in stone, clay, brick and concrete blocks or bricks) The structure must be able to withstand high winds, the loads which will be imposed when in use and, in many parts of the world, earthquakes. The structure must also have foundations that will support it and are appropriate to the ground conditions where it is situated.

In nature, for example, the ductile stem of a tulip helps the flower withstand the force of the wind. Trees are the same kind of structure. Man-made structures such as schools, houses, bridges, towers and sky-scrapers are built so that they too can withstand the forces of nature. (photo courtesy of Dr. R. Loov)

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The Teepee is a clever and simple structure supported by sloped columns. The design of Canada Place in Vancouver was inspired by the teepee shape. (photos courtesy of Dr. R. Loov)

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English Clapper Bridge The beams are huge flat boulders supported by piers of piled stones.

We can use one large piece of stone to build a small stone bridge. But we need thousands of pieces of different materials to build a structure like the Empire State Building. The Empire State Building is a 100 floor building (about 380 m high) and was completed in 1931. In 1945, a US air force plane crashed into the 72nd and 73rd floors causing local damage with no real danger to the building. A definite kudo for the designers of this famous building.

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Trivia

The Empire State Building was dedicated in 1931. It remained the world's tallest building for 40 years.

1884 - Construction began on the world's first skyscraper, the 10 story Home Insurance Building in Chicago. It was felt that a taller building could not withstand Chicago's high winds.

Want to Know More About Structural Engineering?

LOADS - What civil engineers design structures to carry (or withstand)

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