• Looks at what structural engineering is and how it fits into other branches of engineering
• Examines the close relationship between architectural and structural form
• Explores how structures work including issues such as safety and logistics
• Considers its affects on the material world around us
• Includes a number of different structures from civil, mechanical, aeronautical, and aerospace engineering

 
Have you ever wondered how it's possible to build a skyscraper, a big bridge, a jumbo jet, or a cruise liner? 
 
Everything has structure. Structure is the difference between a random pile of components and a fully functional object. Through structure the parts connect to make the whole. Natural structures vary from the very smallest part of an atom to the entire cosmology of the universe. Man-made structures include buildings, bridges, dams, ships, aeroplanes, rockets, trains, cars and fair-ground rides and all forms of artefacts, even large artistic sculptures. The wide range of different industries in which structural engineers work includes construction, transport, manufacturing, and aerospace. 
 
In this Very Short Introduction, David Blockley explores, in non-technical language, what structural engineering is all about, including examples ranging from the Shard in London and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to jumbo jets like the A380 and the Queen Elizabeth cruise liner.