Throughout ancient and medieval history most architectural design and construction was carried out by artisans, such as stone masons and carpenters, rising to the role of master builder. No theory of structures existed, and understanding of how structures stood up was extremely limited, and based almost entirely on empirical evidence of ‘what had worked before’. Knowledge was retained by guilds and seldom supplanted by advances. Structures were repetitive, and increases in scale were incremental.
No record exists of the first calculations of the strength of structural members or the behaviour of structural material, but the profession of structural engineer only really took shape with the industrial revolution and the re-invention of concrete (see History of concrete). The physical sciences underlying structural engineering began to be understood in the Renaissance and have been developing ever since.
Structural engineering has been applied since mankind commenced building of structures. Structures are designed, with the aim to accomplish the desired functions of creation, ensuring the visualization of all the loads that could be applied on the structures, and adequate safety of structures. * What Is Structural Engineering Structural engineering is a specialty of civil engineering that deals with the design and analysis of structures used to support loads in the most economical manner, with maximum element of safety. The loads applied could be of a varied nature, including the load