ETH Zurich — 150 Years at the Pinnacle of Structural Engineering

Introduction Structural Engineering is an important subset of Civil Engineering worldwide. It is responsible for the design and safe construction of large buildings, bridges, industrial plants, and other structures such as towers and stadiums. The discipline blends assessment of loadings, properties of materials, efficient proportioning of structural systems, and elements of architecture and maintenance into an integrated design philosophy to develop safe, economical, and durable structures for the use and protection of the public. Structural Engineering is a combination of art and science. In the western world the Romans and Greeks built substantial structures, some of which have lasted and are in use in modern times, relying more on art than science. Civil Engineering is one of the oldest engineering disciplines (its name distinguishing it from military engineering). Structural Engineering has been a major part of Civil Engineering from the beginning especially because of its critical role in providing life safety to users of buildings and bridges. In spite of the two-century history of modern Structural Engineering, the field is still rapidly developing and changing. The advent of new materials, advances in material sciences, the phenomenal impact of electronic computation on analysis, and the improved knowledge of the power and characteristics of wind, wave, vehicle, and seismic loadings continue to stimulate rapid change in the field. These changes drive research and development which in turn make education of designers more complex and comprehensive. ETH Zurich (ETHZ) has been at the hub of such activities for 150 years and has worldwide identity in the Structural Engineering community both as a leading development force in its research and as a producer of highly competent and gifted engineers through its excellent teaching programs.