The goal of any structural designer is to ensure the stability and strength of the building. After an architect has planned everything, the structural design comes into play. Every element in the design must support all the loads throughout the life of the building. Therefore, the structural consultants in Chennai have a crucial role in the construction industry because a slight miscalculation or any wrong material in the wrong spot would compromise the structural quality of the building.
This blog post will highlight all the essential procedures of structural design.
1 – Design standards & code
A structural engineer cannot design the structure the way he likes. Creativity would only come into the picture once all the design standards and codes have been complied with. Some internationally accepted regulations might vary depending on the location of the construction. Nevertheless, all structural design companies in Chennai must follow the standards to ensure the basic safety and structural integrity of the building.
2 – Calculation of load-bearing capacity
In the next step, a preliminary drawing of all the elements such as beams, slabs, and columns is made. The load-bearing capacity of these materials is tested and appropriate calculations are performed. While planning the building, the structural engineers in Chennai handle three types of loads:
- Dead loads – It is the standard weight of the structure that is constant throughout its life.
- Superimposed dead load – The total weight of the material after a slab or a beam is cast upon the material or structure.
- Live load – It considers all the movable weights that the structure can hold.
In case the structure is a tall building, then wind and seismic loads will also be factored into this calculation. This leads to the creation of the analysis model where the internal forces such as shear force, bending moments, and normal force are considered along with the load-bearing capacity.
3 – Decide upon the framing system
After the load considerations are finished, the structural engineers will start with the framing system. It is very pivotal in ensuring the stability of the structural design of a building. Therefore, the expertise of the structural design consultants in Chennai is key to safe construction. The engineers must focus on a framing system that will not compromise the safety of the building as well as its aesthetics. An engineer has to consider three elements before submitting a framing system to a client:
- State the thickness of the slabs, beams, and their dimensions.
- Specify the placements and the orientation of all the elements
- Work closely with architects to ensure seamless integration of the structural design with the architecture.
4 – Modelling of the structural design
Once everything has been finalized on paper, it is now time to see the working of the design in the real world. Talented engineering consultants in Chennai would proceed with the 3D modeling of the design with the help of software like CAD. It should have all the calculations and references so that the construction work can seamlessly continue without any interruptions.
All these steps enable the engineers to produce a structurally strong design that lasts even during harsh conditions.