WHAT ARE STRUCTURAL CALCULATIONS?

This question gets asked from time to time from people who don’t work within the industry. “Are you guys similar to architects?” was another of the questions that we get asked from time to time.

Firstly, what are structural calculations?

Structural calculations are in the UK sometimes referred to as “building control calculations” and are both the same thing.

By definition: Structural calculations are “the numerical calculations to carry the proposed load/weight of the proposed structure while remaining safe and stable throughout its design life”.

As they say, a picture paints a thousand words, see below simple explanation of a recent new build project in Wembley LSY Engineering Consultants Ltd was involved with.

What starts off as numbers on a piece of calculation paper gets generated to drawings and 3D models before becoming a reality on site.

You may find a lot of structural engineers had a sway towards mathematics in school.

Are structural calculations needed on every project?

Not every project requires structural calculations. To give you an idea of projects that would require them, please see below list:

• Removing load bearing walls
• Basements
• New builds

What do structural calculations provide in relation to information on projects?

Examples include the following:

• Steel beam sizes
• Foundation sizes
• Timber joist sizes

Are structural calculations legally required?

Yes, they are legally required by building control on all projects that require structural work.

Arranging for structural calculations

Please feel free to get in touch with LSY Engineering Consultants Ltd. We have undertaken structural calculations on numerous projects in all sectors including:

• Commercial and retail
• Infrastructure
• Leisure
• Listed
• Mixed use
• Residential
• Temporary works

CONCLUSION

We hope you enjoyed this brief insight into the various types of structural calculations. If you have any ongoing projects and require any structural advice, please feel free to get in touch with us here at LSY. If you also found this article interesting, please follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/compa…