Services
Introduction
Advanced structural designs is a leading structural engineering firm established by Mal Wilson in 2001. Over the years we have grown into a firm that offers full structural engineering services on a wide range of project up to $100 million in value.
Specialist Expertise
We specialise in providing innovative and practical building solutions to a wide client base. Our expertise covers all forms of construction from complex post-tensioning to intricate detailing in glass, steel and timber.
Prestressing companies have engaged our office to detail their 'design and construct' work located all over the country so we are never far from the industries cutting edge and have an excellent understanding of the benefits and limitations of this form of construction.
We have also designed a number of tension structures over swimming pools and car yards using the latest software available and are familiar with the detailing and materials used in this market sector.
We have been engaged to design the support structure for deluge systems on Sydney's Cross City Tunnel and the M4 tunnel extensions so we have a detailed understanding of large hydraulic pipework systems and how to deal with the hydraulic forces and thermal loads on complex arrays of piping. We have carried out similar work on spray lines to settle the dust in large coal loading facilities in Newcastle.
Buildability In Design
We are regularly requested by builders to re-engineer fully documented projects to provide more cost effective solutions and to shorten construction programs. Our reputation for this type of work stems from our keen interest in all construction aspects of each project including physical, timing and staging constraints as well as a thorough knowledge of the local and regional resources available and their relative costs.
Whilst some of our competitors appear to repeatedly offer the cheapest solution to design and document we always offer the fastest and most cost effective solution to build which is why we offer a portion of our fees back to the client if we opt for a precast design where the precaster does much of the documentation for us.
Safety in Design
Not one person in our office ever considers designing a single item of structure without first considering who may be building it and with what resources. Inherent in each of our designs is a consideration of just how safe the construction will be and how we can build safety into our designs. At no stage is it cheaper for the client to build safe work practises than in the design phase itself which is why we keep it front and centre at all times.
On all major projects we identify the risks inherent in final designs and advise on procedures to mitigate those risks.
Computational Methods
This is one area where we believe we excel as we only use the latest and best software on the market. Whilst complex and intricate structures are modelled and analysed in 3D by finite element approaches, steel section and concrete design is carried out using specialist design software that also incorporates 3D analysis.
More basic calculations are completed using in house developed spreadsheet based software that has been independently checked. This automated approach to everything we design leaves our engineers free to think outside the box rather than waste time 'reinventing wheels'. The result is that we spend less time doing calculations and more time thinking about innovative ways to save money, hasten construction or increase site safety.