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What keeps structural engineers up at night? Above all, it is the pressure to speed up construction projects and the lack of infrastructure maintenance in the country.
This information comes from the recent National Council of Associations of Structural Engineers survey of structural engineerswhich found that respondents are most concerned about the speed of construction projects (42%) and the postponement of major structural repairs and improvements (41%).
Both of these issues pose safety hazards, NCSEA President Chris Cerino told Construction Dive. Cerino said the push to shorten project timelines can lead to increased errors during construction, and existing infrastructure isn’t getting the maintenance and repairs it needs.
Stay safe in the midst of pressure
Speed is a problem on two fronts, according to Cerino.
When owners shorten the project schedule, the architect may not be finished before construction begins. Engineers are told designs will be reviewed at some point, but there isn’t always an opportunity for review, Cerino said.
On the construction side, contractors often struggle to find enough workers, especially if there is a construction boom in the region. As a result, they can try to get the job done quickly while they still have labor available.
Chris Cerino
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“Even when something goes wrong, sometimes they’re forced to go ahead for economic reasons and they’re willing to take the penalties,” Cerino said.
According to Cerino, this push to go too fast and possibly cut corners can be combated with a strong safety culture. If a company has made safety a core value and won’t accept a less secure alternative, “from a position of strength and confidence in your company’s product and its capabilities to achieve the right amount of time,” it said Cerino.
This focus on security can also prevent snowball problems.
“If you’re trading from a position of weakness for whatever reason—you’re underbidding, you’re not fully qualified, mistakes turn into compound mistakes and they start to multiply. It’s rarely a bad decision that causes a problem. construction,” Cerino said.
A progressive design-build delivery method, in which the team works with the owner to develop during the design phase the best possible project and then signs a guaranteed maximum price contract, can allow for a reasonable schedule.
“It’s been a really good marriage of multiple formats,” Cerino said.
Maintenance falls by the wayside
Aging infrastructure and buildings are an ongoing concern because they are often not properly maintained, and climate change is increasing the stressors facing the built environment.
“We’re clearly dealing with an aging building population, whether it’s infrastructure or the buildings themselves,” Cerino said. Many of these structures traditionally had a lifespan of 50 years and are estimated to be over 100, which is being exacerbated by environmental conditions and changing loads. “It’s getting worse,” he said.
Maintaining existing structures doesn’t get the political support it should because “it’s not sexy,” he said, especially when political cycles are short.
“Sometimes setting aside a lot of money for a maintenance program versus a new terminal versus a new station — there are just a lot fewer promotional opportunities for maintenance,” Cerino said.
Recent federal investments, including $550 billion in new funding in the Jobs and Infrastructure Investment Act, have prevented the infrastructure investment gap to get worse, according to a report from the American Society of Civil Engineers, but engineers are still concerned that that money will expire in 2026 and massive repair gaps remain.
“Federal action has made substantial progress in halting the growth of our needs, but this is just the beginning,” ASCE President Marsia Geldert-Murphey said in a news release. “We they need continued action at the federal level and the collaboration of state and local governments and the private sector if we are to succeed in transforming our aging infrastructure network to be more sustainable, resilient, and better suited to the future needs of American homes and businesses.” .
As the climate changes, Cerino said structural engineers can apply pressure for safer buildings and more maintenance by working with building code engineers and government agencies to maintain Updating building codes and standards for the dangers of today.
The updated building standards “would make a lot of everyday things safer and stay as close as we can to climate change and hazards,” Cerino said.
