Considerations highlighted by engineers before undertaking repairs
Structural engineers exercise exceptional aptitude and precision when preparing structural designs for large buildings, bridges, towers and indeed all other civil structures where integrity and safety are paramount. Partial or complete failure in any one of such structures can lead to loss of life, social disruption and outright losses. A case scenario is a collapsed bridge severing traffic in a busy highway. Here, commercial freight is delayed with long-reaching financial repercussions, work-bound people are delayed causing service disruptions in hospitals, schools and many other institutions, while direct harm may occur to vehicles and persons caught in the actual collapse. In general, such failure is not necessarily an accusing finger pointing to substandard construction engineering; age, abnormal use and acts of nature are often to blame. Correcting such damage requires construction engineering personnel to make the following considerations.
Strength and resilience Engineers will assess the overall robustness and integrity of the bridge. This principal feature is determined by the choice of concrete to use, and the ability of the design profile to adapt to dynamic weights of vehicles and the accompanying vibrations. The strength of the steel used is determined by type and shape of the fabrications. Generally, engineers will choose to include only materials that have proven toughness and durability.
Wear and separation A common reason why structures fail is from material stress and wear, resulting from imbalances in the structure's shape, layout and material reliability. Eventual collapse is preceded by tiny separations at stressed localities such as angular recesses and cavities within the structure. The separations wide as the structure is repeatedly loaded and relieved, ultimately reaching dangerous dimensions where normal use will abruptly take the bridge components apart. Engineers will thus focus on corners and bolt punctures.
Manufacturing defects Structural engineers contracted to undertake repairs will liaison closely with the inspectors of works overseeing the repair components to ensure they are made to exact specifications and quality of material. Discrepancies between the specified dimensions, improper curing of steel and wrong concrete mixes, compounded will poor workmanship practises that don't follow design guidelines, are some areas of interest to structural engineers aiming to effect lasting restorations
Foresight Structures that are otherwise sound in design and engineering criteria will sometimes need unexpected repairs due to natural events like earthquakes, floods and lightning. Terrorism is another clear and present danger to structures. Prudent structural engineers will allow for such events by making the requisite reinforcements