What innovative approaches can civil engineers use to design safer structures?

1 Resilient design

Resilient design is an approach that aims to enhance the capacity of structures to adapt, recover, and transform in the face of shocks and stresses. Resilient design considers the whole life cycle of a structure, from planning and construction to operation and maintenance. It also takes into account the social, economic, and environmental impacts of a structure on its surrounding community and ecosystem. Some of the principles of resilient design include redundancy, diversity, flexibility, integration, and collaboration. Resilient design can help you create structures that are more durable, efficient, and responsive to changing conditions and needs.

2 Smart materials

Smart materials are materials that can sense and respond to external stimuli, such as temperature, pressure, light, or electricity. Smart materials can enhance the performance, functionality, and safety of structures by providing self-healing, self-adapting, or self-regulating capabilities. For example, shape memory alloys can recover their original shape after being deformed by external forces, such as earthquakes or wind. Self-healing concrete can repair its own cracks by releasing bacteria that produce calcium carbonate. Piezoelectric materials can generate electricity from mechanical vibrations, such as traffic or footsteps.

3 Digital tools

Digital tools are tools that use advanced computing, data, and communication technologies to support the design, analysis, and management of structures. Digital tools can help you improve the accuracy, efficiency, and quality of your design process and outcomes. For example, building information modeling (BIM) can help you create and share a digital representation of a structure that integrates various aspects, such as geometry, materials, systems, and costs. Computational design can help you explore and optimize complex and innovative design solutions using algorithms and simulations. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) can help you visualize and interact with your design in a realistic and immersive way.

4 Sustainable design

Sustainable design is an approach that seeks to minimize the negative environmental impacts of structures and maximize their positive social and economic benefits. Sustainable design considers the environmental, social, and economic aspects of a structure throughout its life cycle, from conception and construction to operation and demolition. It also aims to balance the needs of the present and the future generations. Some of the principles of sustainable design include energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, material selection, and biophilia. Sustainable design can help you create structures that are more resource-efficient, healthy, and harmonious with nature.

5 Human-centered design

Human-centered design is an approach that puts the needs, preferences, and experiences of the people who use, operate, or interact with a structure at the center of the design process. Human-centered design involves engaging with the stakeholders of a structure, such as clients, users, operators, and communities, to understand their problems, expectations, and values. It also involves testing and iterating your design solutions with the feedback and input of the stakeholders. Human-centered design can help you create structures that are more user-friendly, accessible, inclusive, and satisfying.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?