Structural engineers make sure buildings don’t fall down.
That may be a massive simplification, but it’s the easiest way to explain the value of what we do. All building work is an act of defying gravity and resisting the elements, meaning that even the simplest house needs to be designed to bear constant pressure from numerous forces. All it takes is one thing to be out of place to compromise the entire structure.
When you’re making home improvements that involve the stability of a building you will probably need a structural engineer. This engineer will provide structural drawings and calculations which will be used by your building contractor and architect during the renovation work. This information may also need to be provided to Building Control in order to comply with Building Regulations or, depending on the scale of the renovation, to Planning Officials in order to obtain planning permission
You may already have a project underway and the municipal building inspector has asked you to have a structural engineer carry out a site visit and provide a site report confirming the adequacy of some part of the building. Also, if you need us to come and help you with a specific structural issue with a project (or to provide a site consultation regarding a specific problem with your home), then we can help you with that issue.