Strategy Guidelines for the Structural Engineer — A Status of the Committee's Report on Sustainability, Part 1

Abstract

In conventional building design, structural strategies are aimed at creating a cost-effective system that meets the goals of the building owner. With sustainability, the design team introduces the goals of using the right materials, in the right way, to achieve the right building. Several factors that the structural engineer may not have traditionally considered in his or her design become more important, and the structural engineer must more actively integrate the structural aspects of building design with the other building systems and processes that will have an impact on the environment. This paper will discuss some of the key strategies a structural engineer can take to meet the design team sustainability goals, as well as better integrate his or her practice and personal habits into the sustainable building movement. The concept of sustainability is not new. Many engineers who are now principals in their firms saw the passing fads and green movements of the sixties and seventies. Those that experienced this often equate sustainability and green building with hippies living in structures made of soil, bamboo, or tires. They see the current movement as something similar; something that would be difficult to integrate into their current engineering practice. Even if they think this integration were possible, it would increase the number of non-billable hours, decrease the profitability of their projects, and in the long run, have a negative impact on the bottom line. Other structural engineers have seen the sustainable movement as a great selling point for their firms and clients, as well as a tool to help recruit bright engineers with a vision for a better future. They see this as an opportunity to make a positive difference in their world, while at the same time making more profits for their companies. This is, however, achievable only if the structural engineer makes a commitment to integrating their design with other systems early in the conceptual design process, learning about the elements of sustainability that affect his or her practice, and learning how to educate others on the design team to appropriately integrate the structural engineer in their design decisions.