Structural Forum is intended to stimulate thoughtful dialogue and debate among structural engineers and other participants in the design and construction process. Any opinions expressed in Structural Forum are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NCSEA, CASE, SEI, C3Ink, or the STRUCTURE® magazine Editorial Board.
Most of us would agree that simplicity is an admirable characteristic of design. Indeed, simplicity has historically been considered a virtue. This article considers the question of simplicity in structural engineering practice. It concludes by critiquing the advancement of the profession in the area of design specifications. …