Engineering Analysis

Engineering and construction projects face numerous challenges related to structural integrity and safety. Structural failures and inefficiencies often lead to significant financial losses, project delays and safety risks. To mitigate these issues, engineers must understand how structures react under different forces and loads. This is where structural analysis becomes essential—it allows professionals to assess the strength, stability and overall performance of everything from buildings to bridges and industrial facilities.

In this article, we’ll explore what structural analysis involves, the different types in use today, how it’s applied across industries and why it plays such a key role in engineering. 

Defining Structural Analysis

Structural analysis is a branch of engineering focused on evaluating how structures respond to external loads, forces and conditions. It ensures that buildings, bridges, dams and other constructions can endure environmental stresses and function safely under operational demands.

Its fundamental principles such as loads—dead loads, which are permanent, and live loads, which vary over time—and the resulting forces that impact materials. There are other forces that could be due to environment such as wave loads, earthquakes, wind, or tornadoes.  These forces create deflections, stresses, and strains in the structural members when combinations of the above-mentioned forces act. Stress is the internal resistance within a material, and strain is the physical deformation that occurs as a result. Engineers have to calculate forces before a structure is built to anticipate how it will function in any given environment.

The importance of structural analysis goes beyond theoretical knowledge; it plays a critical role in preventing structural failures. Take, for example, the collapse of Champlain Towers South, a tragedy that claimed 98 lives in June of 2021 in Florida. According to an investigation published in Structure Magazine, the collapse could have been prevented with better design, which, of course, would have been informed by better structural analysis.

Types of Structural Analysis

Several methods for structural analysis exist, as described below. Each offers unique advantages and applications.

Hand Calculations

For more complex systems, engineers turn to Finite Element Analysis (FEA). FEA divides a structure into smaller, more manageable elements, which allows for detailed simulations of stress, strain and displacement. This computational method is especially useful when hand calculations would be too time-consuming or imprecise.

Finite Element Analysis

For more complex systems, engineers turn to Finite Element Analysis (FEA). FEA divides a structure into smaller, more manageable elements, which allows for detailed simulations of stress, strain and displacement. This computational method is especially useful when hand calculations would be too time-consuming or imprecise.

Linear and Nonlinear

Structural analysis can also be divided into linear and nonlinear approaches. Linear analysis assumes materials respond consistently under load, making calculations straightforward. Nonlinear analysis, by contrast, accounts for changes in material properties as loads increase—critical for structures expected to experience large movements or extreme conditions.

Static and Dynamic

Other key types include static and dynamic analysis. Static analysis looks at how structures handle steady, unchanging loads, while dynamic analysis considers time-based forces such as earthquakes or wind. Each method is suited to different engineering challenges. For complex projects, static and dynamic analyses are both used.

Thermal Analysis

Thermal analysis evaluates the effects of temperature changes on a material’s performance, causing expansion, contraction or even failure. If engineers know how structures respond to heat, they can design more resilient systems in industries like energy, aerospace andor manufacturing.

Applications of Structural Analysis

Structural analysis plays a crucial role across civil, mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Civil engineers use it to verify the integrity of roads, bridges and high-rise buildings. They must ensure structures remain stable over time, even when handling different traffic loads and weather conditions.

Mechanical engineers apply structural analysis to machinery, piping, vehicles and components. It helps ensure moving parts can handle repeated stresses without breaking down.

In aerospace, analysis is a part of the aircraft and spacecraft design process. Such vehicles operate in extreme conditions, so engineers need to accurately predict how wings, fuselages or engine mounts will behave under pressure, vibration and thermal stress.

Structural analysis is used in biomedical engineering to design alternatives to human bones, ensuring they can withstand forces. It is also applied in consumer electronics to design phones that can sustain impact forces and maintain structural integrity.

Ultimately, structural analysis doesn’t just improve safety—it enhances cost-efficiency. Engineers can use it to pinpoint design flaws early, which in turn, can reduce overengineering, cut down on material waste and optimise construction workflows. 

Importance of Structural Analysis in Engineering

Structural analysis is central to both the safety and performance of any built environment. Engineers rely on it to verify that materials, joints and frameworks can withstand all anticipated conditions—whether static or dynamic, internal or environmental.

When applied correctly, it prevents catastrophic failures, saves lives and protects financial investments. Every bridge that doesn’t collapse in a storm, every tower that remains steady in an earthquake, owes its resilience in part to thorough structural analysis.

It also plays an important role in legal and regulatory compliance. Governments and industry bodies impose strict codes and standards that all projects must meet. Engineers are required to demonstrate that their designs are structurally sound and legally compliant. Failing to do so can result in lawsuits, penalties or even criminal liability.

Getting Started with Structural Analysis

For those new to structural analysis, one of the first hurdles is understanding all the design codes and standards used across different regions. These vary significantly depending on location and sector.

This is where the right tools make a significant difference. One such tool is Hexagon’s GT STRUDL, a comprehensive software package designed specifically for structural analysis and design. Engineers can leverage state-of-the-art structural modeling techniques to simulate how structures respond under various conditions. These tools help identify potential weaknesses and optimize designs. Built-in features streamline complex calculations and support a broad range of international codes and standards, enhancing both accuracy and compliance.

From bridges and buildings to machinery and spacecraft, structural analysis enables engineers to design with confidence, build with precision and operate with assurance. As demands for safer, smarter infrastructure continue to grow, structural analysis remains at the core of responsible, forward-thinking design.

Further reading: Learn how Learn how GT STRUDL®, Hexagon's structural analysis solution, helped an Owner Operator save $3 million on their analog to digital transition.