7 Things Your Structural Consultant Needs Before Starting Design

Building a new structure whether it’s a commercial high-rise, a bespoke residential home, or an industrial warehouse is an exhilarating journey. It’s the process of turning a sketch on a napkin into a physical reality. However, the bridge between that sketch and a standing building is built on data, calculations, and physics. This is where your structural consultant steps in.

Many clients assume that once they have an architect’s drawing, the engineers can immediately start pouring concrete (figuratively speaking). But the reality is a bit more nuanced. To design a building that is safe, compliant, and durable, an engineer needs specific inputs. Without them, the project faces delays, revisions, and spiraling costs.

If you want to ensure a smooth workflow and avoid the “back-and-forth” email fatigue, preparation is key. Here are the seven essential things you need to provide to your structural consultant to kickstart the design phase effectively.

1. Architectural Drawings: The Vision Guide for Your Structural Consultant:-

It might seem obvious, but the level of detail in the architectural drawings matters immensely. Your structural consultant cannot design a skeleton if they don’t know what body it needs to support.

Preliminary sketches aren’t enough. The consultant needs dimensioned floor plans, elevations, and sections. These drawings tell the engineer where the walls are, where the openings (windows and doors) are located, and what the overall aesthetic intent is.

For example, if your architect has designed a floating staircase or a cantilevered balcony that extends ten feet out with no visible support, your engineer needs to know this immediately. These “wow factors” dictate specific structural systems. If the drawings are vague, the engineer has to make assumptions, which usually leads to over-engineering (costing you more money) or re-designing later (costing you time).

Pro Tip: Before handing these over, ensure you have the right team in place. The synergy between architect and engineer is vital.

2. The Geotechnical Report: Ground Rules for the Structural Consultant:-

You cannot build a great building on bad soil at least, not without knowing about it first. One of the absolute non-negotiables for any structural consultant is the Geotechnical Investigation Report (often called the Soil Report).

The soil report tells the engineer what is happening beneath the surface. Is the ground hard rock? Is it loose sand? Was there a high water table that might flood the basement?

Bearing Capacity: How much weight can the soil support?
Settlement: How much will the building sink over time?
Liquefaction: How will the soil behave during an earthquake?

Without this data, your consultant is flying blind. They would have to design for the “worst-case scenario” soil, which means massive, expensive foundations that you might not actually need. Providing this report early allows for an optimized foundation design that saves materials and money.

3. Site Survey and Topography: Context for the Structural Consultant:-

While the soil report tells us what is under the ground, the site survey tells your structural consultant where the ground is.

A topographical survey maps out the contours of the land. Is the site flat, or is it on a steep slope? A building on a slope requires entirely different retaining wall designs and drainage considerations than one on a flat lot. Furthermore, the survey identifies legal boundaries, existing structures, trees to be preserved, and utility lines (gas, water, electricity) running through the property.

If your consultant designs a footing that accidentally crosses a property line or hits a main water pipe because the survey wasn’t accurate, the legal and construction cleanup costs can be astronomical.

4. Intended Use and Loading Requirements for the Structural Consultant:-

A library has different needs than a dance studio, and a warehouse holding heavy machinery is different from a residential apartment. Your structural consultant needs a clear “Brief of Usage” to calculate the Live Loads.

Dead Loads: The weight of the building itself (walls, floors, beams).
Live Loads: The weight of people, furniture, equipment, and vehicles.

If you plan to install a heavy server room on the second floor, or a rooftop swimming pool, the engineer needs to know now. If this information comes up halfway through construction, it could require strengthening beams and columns that have already been cast, which is a nightmare scenario for everyone involved.

5. Local Codes and Environmental Hazards for the Structural Consultant:-

Every location has its own set of rules. A building in Tokyo faces different threats than a building in London. Your structural consultant needs to know the specific jurisdiction to apply the correct Building Codes and Standards.

This includes:

Seismic Zones: Is the area prone to earthquakes?
Wind Speeds: Is it a hurricane or cyclone belt?
Snow Loads: Will the roof need to hold three feet of snow in winter?

While a local engineer will likely know these, if you are hiring a specialized consultant from a different region, providing the local planning briefs and hazard maps is essential to ensure the building doesn’t just stand up, but stays up during a disaster.

6. Material Preferences and Sustainability Goals for the Structural Consultant:-

Do you have a preference for the skeleton of your building? Some clients prefer the speed of steel erection, while others prefer the cost-effectiveness of reinforced concrete. Recently, there has been a massive shift toward sustainable timber (CLT) and green materials.

Your structural consultant can certainly make recommendations, but they need to know your philosophy and budget early on. If you are aiming for a LEED or BREEAM certification (Green Building rating), the engineer needs to design with specific materials that have a lower carbon footprint. Changing from concrete to steel halfway through the design essentially means starting the math over from scratch.

7. Technology Workflows (BIM) for the Structural Consultant:-

In the modern AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry, we rarely just use 2D CAD anymore. We use Building Information Modeling (BIM). Before starting, you should define the “BIM Execution Plan” or at least the expected deliverables. Does your structural consultant need to provide a 3D Revit model? Will they need to coordinate with the Mechanical and Electrical teams using Navisworks to check for clashes?

Clarifying the technology requirements upfront ensures that your consultant sets up their project files correctly from Day 1. It facilitates better collaboration and visualization, helping you see the structure in 3D before a single brick is laid.

Conclusion:-

Hiring a structural consultant is an investment in the safety and longevity of your asset. However, they are not magicians; they are applied scientists who rely on accurate data. By providing these seven items architectural plans, soil reports, site surveys, usage briefs, code requirements, material preferences, and tech workflows you empower them to do their best work.

The result? A design that is efficient, safe, and delivered on time. A little preparation in the beginning prevents a mountain of headaches during construction.

FAQ’s:-

1. When should I hire a Structural Consultant?
A. Ideally, you should hire a Structural Consultant as soon as the preliminary architectural concept is ready. Early involvement allows the engineer to spot potential issues and suggest cost-saving structural systems before the design becomes too rigid.

2. Can a Structural Consultant work without a Geotechnical Report?
A. Technically, they can start preliminary designs based on assumed soil values, but they cannot finalize the foundation design. Proceeding to construction without a soil report is highly risky and illegal in many jurisdictions.

3. Does the Structural Consultant decide what materials to use?
A. It is a collaborative decision. The consultant will recommend materials (Steel, Concrete, Timber) based on cost, structural efficiency, and availability, but the final decision usually lies with the client and the architect based on aesthetics and budget.

4. What happens if I change the building layout after the Structural Consultant has finished?
A. Changes to walls or columns after the design is complete usually require a “revision.” The engineer will need to recalculate loads to ensure the changes don’t compromise safety. This often incurs additional fees and time delays.

5. Is a Structural Consultant different from a Civil Engineer?
A. Yes. Civil Engineering is a broad field covering roads, bridges, water systems, and buildings. A Structural Consultant is a specialist within that field who focuses specifically on the framework (skeleton) that holds man-made structures up.