Introduction to Guidance on the IStructE Core Objectives
This article provides guidance on the Structural Engineering IStructE core objectives. The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) is a professional organisation for structural engineers, and it has established a set of ten core objectives that its members are expected to demonstrate in their professional practice. These core objectives are essential for individuals seeking to become Chartered Members of the IStructE, which is a recognition of their expertise and commitment to the high standards in the field of structural engineering. These core objectives are listed below with links to the relevant section:
For each core objective there is a set level that you are expected to achieve, as shown above in brackets after each core objective. In order from lowest to highest level of understanding, these are knowledge (K), experience (E), and ability (B).
The following article provides an overview of each of the core objectives along with some examples and suggestions to help you develop, achieve, and demonstrate your knowledge / experience / ability for your initial professional development and in preparation for the professional review. This is not an exhaustive list so if anyone has any suggestions to add then please contact us as this will help improve the guidance and information available to engineers.
Professional standards and engineering responsibility (K)
The core objective of Professional standards and engineering responsibility (K) focuses on developing the ethical and professional standards of its members. It emphasises the importance of upholding high standards of integrity, professionalism, and ethical behaviour in all aspects of their work. The objective aims to equip members with the knowledge and skills to identify and manage potential risks, make responsible decisions, and act with integrity and transparency. The objective also emphasises the importance of understanding and adhering to the codes of conduct and professional standards of the engineering profession. Here are some examples of how to develop / achieve / demonstrate knowledge in professional standards and engineering responsibility:
Knowledge of IStructE: You should have a good understanding of the IStructE, including its purpose, history, and what they do. Be able to articulate how your career aligns with the institution's goals and values. Show that you regularly use the IStructE website and read The Structural Engineer journal and publications. Be familiar with the panels and committees. Become involved with the regional group in your area.
IStructE Code of Conduct: Familiarise yourself with the IStructE Code of Conduct and adhere to its principles. This includes maintaining the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and accountability in your engineering work.
Attend IStructE Events: Actively participate in IStructE events, such as conferences, technical lectures, and networking gatherings. These events not only provide valuable learning opportunities but also demonstrate your commitment to the profession.
Mentoring and Sharing Knowledge: Be involved in mentoring junior engineers and sharing your knowledge and expertise. This not only fulfils your responsibility to contribute to the profession but also helps maintain high professional standards.
Continuous CPD (Continuing Professional Development): Engage in continuous learning and development to stay current with industry trends and best practices. Attend workshops, seminars, and webinars related to structural engineering to enhance your knowledge and skills. Put together plans and aims for your ongoing CPD.
Professional Responsibility: Take on roles within the IStructE or other professional organisations related to structural engineering, this could include joining a committee, panel, or regional group. This demonstrates your commitment to advancing the profession and maintaining high standards.
Ethical: Carry out responsibilities in an ethical manner in line with the code of conduct, consider any situations where ethical issues have occurred during your career.
Needs of others: Be involved with helping the needs and concerns of others within the industry, demonstrate how you have been supportive in one of these situations, the IStructE states especially where this relates to diversity and inclusion.
In summary, it is important to have knowledge of the professional standards and engineering responsibility as a structural engineer. Hopefully, the examples provided above will help with your initial professional development (IPD).
Communication (B)
The core objective of Communication (B) focuses on developing an ability of effective communication skills. This includes the ability to communicate technical information to technical and non-technical audiences and to work collaboratively with other professionals. The objective also emphasises the importance of clear and concise written communication and the ability to effectively communicate in meetings and presentations. The goal is to ensure that IStructE members can communicate effectively and efficiently with a wide range of stakeholders, including clients, colleagues, and the public. Here are some examples of how to develop / achieve / demonstrate an ability in communication:
Verbal Communication: Engage actively in meetings with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders. Clearly and concisely communicate technical ideas, project updates, and recommendations to both technical and non-technical audiences. Deliver well-structured and engaging presentations on complex engineering topics. Use visual aids and storytelling techniques to convey ideas effectively to diverse audiences. Use good verbal communication to develop working relationships and resolve conflicts.
Written Communication: Write clear and professional emails when corresponding with colleagues, clients, and project team members. Ensure that technical details are explained in a way that is easily understood by non-technical audiences. Produce comprehensive and well-organised reports. Use clear language, charts, and diagrams to convey complex engineering concepts, analysis, and findings to various stakeholders.
Technical Information Communication: Create clear and accurate engineering calculations, drawings, sketches, models, and technical reports. Ensure that your technical documentation is not only precise but also user-friendly, allowing others to understand and use your work effectively. Clearly articulate the rationale behind structural design choices, demonstrating how safety, efficiency, and sustainability considerations have been addressed.
In summary, it is important to have an ability in communication as a structural engineer. Hopefully, the examples provided above will help with your initial professional development (IPD). If you are interested in learning about the basics of communication, such as verbal communication, emails, reports, presentations, calculations, and drawings, then please join our free course: ‘Communication Basics in Engineering.’
Conceptual creation and design (B)
The core objective of Concept Creation and Design (B) focuses on developing the ability to create and design viable and distinct structures. This involves a deep understanding of engineering principles, as well as creative thinking and problem-solving skills. The objective emphasises the importance of understanding and working to a design brief, and considering the whole life cycle of a structure, from concept design to construction and maintenance, and the need to consider environmental, economic, and social factors. The goal is, essentially, to ensure that IStructE members can create and design structures. Here are some examples of how to develop / achieve / demonstrate an ability in conceptual creation and design:
Understanding the design brief: Review design briefs and consider all project objectives, constraints, and client expectations. For example, when designing a building, be able to understand the required spans, load capacities, and aesthetics desired by the client. Engage in ongoing discussions with the client to ensure their vision is understood and incorporated into the design. Be involved in regular meetings and workshops to gather feedback and refine design concepts.
Loading: Determine suitable loading values and assess how these transfer through the structure. Develop load transfer sketches and write descriptions of how the load transfers through the structure.
Concepts: Develop different viable and distinct conceptual designs in line with the client’s brief. Be involved in meetings discussing the solutions. Create sketches and drawings to show the different concepts, you should be able to demonstrate how your concepts align with the brief and how the concepts have sufficient stability.
Design: Complete preliminary design and provide clear and comprehensive drawings, sketches, and 3D models that visually convey your design concept. These visuals should illustrate the key structural elements and their relationship to the overall design.
Feasibility: Evaluate multiple design solutions in a comparative review. Consider design criteria like cost, structural integrity, carbon, sustainability, buildability, aesthetics, and safety. Choose the most appropriate solution based on this assessment. Create feasibility reports that outline the advantages and disadvantages of each design option which serves as a guide for decision-making and helping stakeholders understand the rationale behind your choice.
Carbon: Produce calculations and assessments that quantify the carbon footprint reduction achieved through your design choices. This demonstrates your commitment to minimising carbon emissions.
Robustness / Accidental / Fire: Demonstrate how these have been considered and show that you are understand why they are important.
Design coordination: Create emails and attend meetings to discuss design coordination. Take responsibility in coordinating design documents and information with different disciplines on a project as this is important to ensure the best outcome, this could include project managers, engineers, architects, civils, façade, drainage, subcontractors etc.
Construction considerations: Be involved in meetings and discussions on how the structure is to be built. Develop designs with consideration of the construction phasing, site restrictions, how it is going to be detailed and the general constructability of the project.
In summary, it is important to have an ability in concept creation and design as a structural engineer. Hopefully, the examples provided above will help with your initial professional development (IPD). If you are interested in learning about the basics of structural design, such as Eurocode, framing, loads, analysis, design, drawings, and reports, and checking, then please join our free course: ‘Structural Design Basics in Engineering.’
Analysis and sizing (B)
The core objective of Analysis and Sizing (B) focuses on developing the ability to analyse and size structures effectively. This involves a thorough understanding of structural behaviour, analysis techniques for designing structures. The objective emphasises the importance of considering the loads that a structure may encounter, including dead loads, live loads, wind loads, and seismic loads, and the ability to size the structure and its members for the necessary loads in line with codes and standards. Here are some examples of how to develop / achieve / demonstrate an ability in analysis and sizing:
Structural Behaviour: Gain a deep understanding of how single elements and full structures behave under load by creating and interpreting bending moment and shear force diagrams, be able to explain how these diagrams influence design decisions. Determine and review deflection shapes in structures, displaying your ability to predict and manage structural deformations effectively.
Analysis: Be involved in analysing structures and choosing the appropriate analysis method for a given structural problem, i.e., simple hand calc or more complex analysis such as static analysis or finite element analysis etc. Clearly explain why you selected a particular method. Provide a thorough understanding of the input parameters, design criteria, assumptions, and boundary conditions for your chosen analysis method. Acknowledge and address the limitations of the chosen analysis method. Discuss how these limitations may affect the accuracy and reliability of your analysis. Show how you have verified the analysis.
Sizing: Determine suitable sizes for structural members (e.g., beams, columns, trusses, bracing etc.) while considering various factors, including the design brief, constructability, aesthetics, carbon minimisation, and strength and stiffness requirements. Choose appropriate materials (e.g., steel, concrete, timber, masonry) based on their properties and performance characteristics, ensuring they align with the design objectives.
Codes and Standards: Use relevant structural engineering codes and standards (e.g., Eurocode, publications from IStructE, ICE, SCI, The Concrete Society, etc.) to ensure that your analysis and design comply with industry regulations and best practices.
Design: Design various structural elements (e.g., columns, beams, trusses, moment frames, bracing, foundations) in compliance with codes and standards. Provide detailed calculations and drawings to support your designs. Provide examples of connection details for steel and/or concrete elements, and details of movement joints and expansion joints as needed.
In summary, it is important to have an ability in analysis and sizing as a structural engineer. Hopefully, the examples provided above will help with your initial professional development (IPD). If you are interested in learning about the basics of structural design, such as Eurocode, framing, loads, analysis, design, drawings, and reports, and checking, then please join our free course: ‘Structural Design Basics in Engineering.’
Materials (B)
The core objective of Materials (B) focuses on developing the ability to understand and work with a wide range of structural materials. This includes traditional materials like concrete, steel, timber, and masonry as well as new and emerging materials like composites and smart materials. The objective emphasises the importance of selecting the right material for a given application, based on its properties, environmental impact, and durability. It also focuses on understanding how materials behave under different loads and conditions, how to design structures that make the best use of their properties, been able to detail structural elements of different materials and design them in accordance with codes and standards. Here are some examples of how to develop / achieve / demonstrate an ability in materials:
Properties: Gain a thorough understanding of the behaviour and properties of different materials such as concrete, steel, timber, masonry, composites, and their common grades/subgrades. Ability in at least two of these materials will be expected along with a good understanding in the others. This includes analysing, designing, and detailing different structural materials.
Carbon: Calculate carbon emissions for different materials. Develop an understanding of carbon emissions of different materials and how it can be minimized, for example using GGBS / fly ash to reduce concrete carbon, sourcing steel from an electric arc furnace, using timber where suitable. Learn about carbon emissions associated with each materials use, such as production, transportation, and end-of-life.
Durability: Be familiar with the durability requirements for materials and how they impact design and maintenance requirements. This includes an understanding of the factors that affect material degradation and the measures that can be taken to prevent it.
Detailing: Understand the detailing requirements for different materials and how these will be assembled during construction, how it can be disassembled at the end, and then reused. This includes understanding of the design requirements for materials that can be easily disassembled, reused, or recycled, as well as those that require special disposal methods.
Movement: Learn about the movement behaviour of different materials, including creep, drying, and thermal movement. This includes understanding the effects of these movements on the structural performance of a building and how to accommodate them in design and detailing.
Codes and Standards: Apply the relevant codes, specifications, technical publications, and other relevant publications related to materials and their properties in the design and construction of structures.
Review: Review the materials available and gain an ability to make informed decisions about material selection, considering their performance properties, cost, availability, and environmental impact.
In summary, it is important to have an ability in materials as a structural engineer. Hopefully, the examples provided above will help with your initial professional development (IPD). If you are interested in learning about the basics of structural design, such as Eurocode, framing, loads, analysis, design, drawings, and reports, and checking, then please join our free course: ‘Structural Design Basics in Engineering.’ There is also some information on the construction methods for concrete and steel structures on our free course: ‘Construction Basics in Engineering.’
Sustainability (E)
The core objective of Sustainability (E) focuses on gaining experience in sustainability and therefore being able to design structures that meet the needs of economy, society, and the environment throughout its life cycle, from raw material extraction to demolition and disposal. The objective emphasises the importance of reducing carbon emissions, minimising waste, conserving resources, and promoting social equity and resilience. It also focuses on the use of innovative and sustainable materials, construction methods, and technologies to achieve these goals. Here are some examples of how to develop / achieve / demonstrate experience in sustainability:
Principles: Understand the principles of sustainable design, the pillars of sustainability (environment, society, and economy), and incorporate them into structural design decisions.
Environmental impact: Quantify the environmental impact of a structural design, including the embodied carbon and other life cycle impacts, and communicate this information to the design and client teams. Use carbon calculators to determine carbon quantities of a project and look at options to reduce the amount of carbon emissions.
Lifecycle: Taking a lifecycle approach to design, considering not only the initial construction but also the long-term environmental impacts of the structure, including maintenance, refurbishment, and eventual demolition.
Materials and construction techniques: Consider the use of sustainable materials and construction techniques that minimise waste, carbon emissions, and other environmental impacts. Be involved in meetings and discuss different options to reduce carbon.
Promote: Promote sustainability by reviewing the brief and proposing alternative design approaches to improve sustainability. Promote the option of reusing materials to reduce the environmental impact of new construction. Talk to clients and the public about the benefit of reducing carbon. Organise presentations or meetings to discuss carbon reduction.
Improvement: Stay up to date with new developments and innovations in sustainable design and construction and incorporate these into structural design decisions where appropriate. Try to think of new ways to improve current processes to reduce carbon and then suggest these for projects going forward.
Assessment methods: Learn about the different assessment methods, such as BREEAM and LEED. Use these methods in your work to make an assessment on your project.
In summary, it is important to have experience in sustainability as a structural engineer. Hopefully, the examples provided above will help with your initial professional development (IPD). If you are interested in learning about the basics of sustainability, such as the three pillars (social, economic, environmental), and assessment methods and improvements in sustainability, then please join our free course: ‘Sustainability Basics in Engineering.’
Construction (E)
The core objective of Construction (E) focuses on gaining experience to understand and manage the construction process of structures. Being involved in the design of structures makes it important to understand how the structures are built. This includes the selection of appropriate construction methods and techniques, the management of construction, and the communication between the design team, contractors, and other stakeholders. Experience in construction is commonly gained by a period of time on a construction site. Here are some examples of how to develop / achieve / demonstrate experience in construction:
Construction techniques: Be familiar with how structures are built, some of this can come from reading however most experience is from being on site, this is where you learn the techniques of constructing the different elements of a structure, such as how a pile is installed, how foundations are built, how concrete elements are cast, and how steel structures are erected.
Construction plant and machinery: Be familiar with the various types of plant and machinery that are commonly used on site, such as excavators, dump trucks, piling plants, cranes, concrete lorries and concrete pump lorries, MEWPs. Reading about plant and machinery will give some understanding and a period of time on site will develop your experience.
Construction site personnel: Be familiar with the different personnel that commonly work on construction sites. Communicate with different personnel on projects. Read up on site personnel to give you a basic understanding and then gain site experience to develop your experience. You will learn what roles and responsibilities each personnel has on site, including the supervisor/foreman, ganger, operatives, site engineers, site supervisors, and tradesmen.
Temporary works: Structures are designed to be stable in their permanent case, for example when concrete has achieved its desired strength, however before this stage there may be a requirement to provide temporary works to provide support or stability during construction, or a temporary method of access. This includes items such as temporary bracing, scaffolding, formwork, falsework. You can demonstrate experience with being involved in the temporary works such as designing, specifying, or reviewing temporary systems.
Construction programmes and sequencing: The construction programme and sequencing is important as this sets out how, when, and what order the structure is going to be built. By reviewing or creating construction programmes and construction sequencing, this demonstrates a good experience of construction.
Fabrication / shop drawings: These are detailed drawings indicating how specific elements are to be fabricated, for example a steel beam fabrication drawing will show locations of all the holes for drilling and the plates for welding, so that when it arrives on site it bolts together with minimal site work. Experience can be gained by reviewing or producing fabrication or shop drawings to ensure that they are accurate and reflect the design intent, and that the fabrication or assembly can be carried out as intended.
Erection methodologies: Be involved in assessing erection methodologies, such as craneage or lifting requirements, and ensuring that they are feasible and safe.
Errors: Be involved in identifying potential errors and producing solutions to rectify the errors with minimal impact on the construction process. Examples include errors such as misaligned members or incorrect bolt positions, and then developing a solution such as designing site bolted brackets to rectify the error.
Design approach: Site experience will give the opportunity to observe construction/fabrication methods, in addition to this you might see mistakes occur and learn from this. These observations will develop your experience and then you can improve how you design structures with more of a consideration for constructability, for example, identifying potential fabrication or construction issues and designing around them or improving constructability by simplifying details or connections to prevent mistakes or minimise the chance of mistakes.
In summary, it is important to have experience in construction as a structural engineer. Hopefully, the examples provided above will help with your initial professional development (IPD). If you are interested in learning about the basics of construction, such as site plant, site personnel, substructure, and superstructure construction, then please join our free course: ‘Construction Basics in Engineering.’
Health, safety, and risk management (E)
The core objective of Health, Safety and Risk Management (E) focuses on gaining experience in health and safety, including identifying and managing risks associated with structural engineering projects. This includes understanding the legal and regulatory framework relating to health and safety, as well as developing skills in risk assessment and risk management. The objective emphasises the importance of ensuring that structures are designed and constructed in a way that minimises risk to workers, the public, and the environment. It also focuses on the importance of effective communication and collaboration between the design team, contractors, and other stakeholders to ensure that risks are identified and managed throughout the project lifecycle. Here are some examples of how to develop / achieve / demonstrate experience in health and safety:
Standards: Gain experience with the different health and safety standards and legislation, such as Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM) etc. Develop safer designs with the use of health and safety standards and documents. Communicate the requirement for these standards to other stakeholders, such as ensuring that others are aware of their duties for CDM.
CROSS: CROSS (Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures) is a confidential reporting system for fire and structural safety issues. Be actively engaged with CROSS and review the publications to help with demonstrating experience in health and safety.
Risk assessments: Produce risk and hazard assessments for design and construction activities and implement appropriate risk management strategies. Ensure other members of the project team are also carrying out risk assessments. Review the residual risk and see if this can be further improved.
Design: Design structures with an important consideration for health and safety issues to design out the risk or minimise risk, such as designing for safe construction, maintenance, and use of the structure. An example could include developing a design that eliminates an unwanted risk such as working at height.
Site safety: Ensure safety on construction sites by reviewing construction programmes and sequencing, specifying appropriate construction techniques, plant, and machinery, and reviewing and approving fabrication or shop drawings.
Promote: Promote a strong health and safety culture within the project team, including contractors and sub-contractors, and ensuring that all stakeholders are aware of their responsibilities. Promote health and safety by reviewing the brief and proposing alternative design approaches that are safer. Talk to clients and the public about the benefit of good health and safety. Organise presentations or meetings to discuss health and safety.
Improvement: Continuously monitor and review health and safety performance during the design and construction phases and implementing corrective actions where necessary to improve safety and reduce risk. Stay up to date with new developments and innovations in health and safety and incorporate these into structural design decisions where appropriate. Try to think of new ways to improve current processes to improve health and safety and then suggest these for projects going forward.
In summary, it is important to have experience in health, safety, and risk management as a structural engineer. Hopefully, the examples provided above will help with your initial professional development (IPD). If you are interested in learning about the basics of health and safety, such as risk assessments, method statements, and legislation, then please join our free course: ‘Health and Safety Basics in Engineering.’
Management (E)
The core objective of Management (E) focuses gaining experience in management and developing the skills in managing structural engineering projects effectively. It emphasises the importance of effective communication and collaboration, continuous improvement, and understanding the legal and regulatory framework to deliver structures that meet high standards of safety, quality, and performance. Here are some examples of how to develop / achieve / demonstrate experience in management:
Management: Be involved in managing people, teams, and information in a structured and efficient manner. Examples may include effectively managing team members, allocating tasks and resources appropriately, providing guidance and support to team members, and ensuring the timely delivery of project deliverables.
Leadership: Gain leadership skills by learning and experience. Examples may include leading by example, motivating team members, and demonstrating strong decision-making skills. There are various leadership types, such as autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire; it is useful to be familiar with these and assess your own leadership style to ensure that your leadership is the most beneficial to the project.
Programming and project control: Managing the programming and control of projects is crucial in management. Examples may include developing project schedules, creating programmes, organising tasks and resources, planning for effective implantation of the project, monitoring and controlling project budgets, and overseeing project timelines.
Interdisciplinary/inter team liaison and interface management: Gaining an ability to effectively liaise with interdisciplinary teams and manage interface issues is essential. Examples may include ensuring clear and effective communication between teams, managing conflicting priorities, and facilitating the resolution of interface issues.
Quality Management System: Developing your understanding and experience to work within a quality management system is important (e.g., ISO9001). Examples may include following established procedures and protocols, ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations, and identifying areas for improvement within the quality management system.
Quality plan: Demonstrating your experience in contributing to and working within a quality plan is important. Examples may include providing input into the development of quality plans, adhering to established quality plans, and contributing to the continuous improvement of quality plans.
In summary, it is important to have experience in management as a structural engineer. Hopefully, the examples provided above will help with your initial professional development (IPD). If you are interested in learning about the basics of management, such as engineering management, leadership, managing tasks and resources, Plan Do Check Act, and SMART goals, then please join our free course: ‘Management Basics in Engineering.’
Commercial and legal (K)
The core objective of Commercial and legal (K) focuses on developing the commercial and legal knowledge and skills of its members. It emphasises the importance of understanding the business and financial aspects of structural engineering projects, as well as the legal and regulatory framework in which they operate. The objective aims to equip engineers with the knowledge and skills to understand contracts, manage risk, and deliver successful projects that are commercially viable. Here are some examples of how to develop / achieve / demonstrate knowledge in commercial and legal:
Commercial pressures: Learn about how the construction industry is affected by commercial pressures and current affairs, such as increasing material costs, labour costs, and energy costs. Consider any examples where this has affected your choice of design or how you have estimated costs.
Cost Variations: Gain knowledge in the cost variations of design solutions. Carry out a value engineering exercise on projects. Review and compare costs for different design solutions, such as comparing the cost difference between plate girders or rolled sections. Consider the effect of increased costs caused by variations in the later design stages.
Contracts: Gain an understanding of common forms of contract used in construction and engineering projects. Be familiar with the contract for the project you are working on. Be involved in interpreting and applying contract provisions. Become familiar with contract clauses, contract terms, and dispute resolution. Manage contract compliance. Learn about the common suites of contracts such as JCT and NEC.
Procurement: Learn about procurement types, for example, traditional procurement, design and build procurement etc. Demonstrating this may include showing in what way you have been involved in the procurement on a project, such as evaluating different procurement options and selecting the best approach for a given project, as well as managing procurement contracts and relationships with suppliers and contractors.
Legislation: Gain knowledge of statutory legislation, negligence/liability laws, health and safety legislation, decarbonisation legislation, and sustainability legislation. This may involve conducting research and attending courses on legislation and law.
Contract Law: Gain an understanding of contract law and how it applies to the design and construction industry. This may involve conducting legal research and attending courses.
In summary, it is important to have a knowledge of commercial and legal as a structural engineer. Hopefully, the examples provided above will help with your initial professional development (IPD). If you are interested in learning about the basics of commercial, such as procurement, contracts, legal, financial, and insurance, then please join our free course: ‘Commercial Basics in Engineering.’
Great Article with examples