STRUCTURAL DESIGN Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

STRUCTURAL DESIGN - Essay Example Proper engineering design is required for all structural work as inferior designs have resulted to many catastrophic accidents such as the collapse of buildings, bridges underground tunnels, roofs and other structures. These collapse lead to heavy loses in terms of materials, finances and loss of lives. It is therefore important to consider all aspects of a building especially in terms of applied loads so as to design a sufficient structure to resist these forces. There are many design consideration that must be taken into account when designing the structural details of any building. After the structural design, the buildings are then constructed. There are many types of materials that are used in the building construction industry. Some of the most common construction material includes wood, steel/iron, masonry and concrete. Plastics are now gaining importance in building and construction especially for interiors design or supporting at points where minimum load resistance is required. The foundation: this structural element supports the whole building. It carries the whole load of the building and distributes the stress to soil or rock layer beneath it. The foundation must be well constructed in order to aid in support of whole structure. Most of the foundation elements are made using reinforced concrete, metal or Masonry. Concrete is highly preferred due to it durability and ability to withstand heavy compressive forces. The type of foundation is greatly determined by type of soil, the size of the building, ground water present and other special design considerations. Some of the common types of foundations include; Different foundations have got different footings. The type, size and materials used for construction of the footing depend upon the type of soil and the load bearing capacity of that soil. The main types of footing commonly used include; The main structural elements used for most of the floors are