President's Column September 2025

08/09/2025

Category: General, President's Column

The rise of the machines?

Almost every day we see articles and views on AI and how it’s going to revolutionise all we do. In March this year, Bill Gates stated that “within 10 years, AI will replace many doctors and teachers - humans won't be needed for most things”. In July, Google introduced Google AI mode, a feature that uses generative AI to deliver conversational answers rather than a list of links to questions. It's clear that AI is going to be a big part of our future lives, but how might it be used in our industry?

There are papers on how architects are using AI to develop more efficient layouts for buildings, and how a combination of structural data together with design standards can be used to develop more efficient designs. It seems that AI design is coming to our industry.

At one of BCSA's seminars, a speaker presented an AI design for a portal frame. The AI algorithm manipulated the input through varying section sizes, applying loading combinations and carrying out design code checks on the members with iterations to achieve the lightest weight. The design was very efficient, giving a 15% weight saving compared to one developed by an experienced designer. The member design was also fully code compliant with the requirements given in the design standard. However, on close examination by an experienced designer, it was clear that the design wasn't safe. AI had managed to find a way through the standards for an unsafe compliant design.

There are already concerns in the industry regarding the use of ‘black box’ style analysis packages where the design methodology cannot be verified easily by hand. When utilising these packages, it is only possible to carry out a full design check through examination of the input/ output and independent verification using an alternate software package. The AI application described above manipulates the design input with the result, which makes the checking process even more complicated. Our latest design standards are already written based upon the assumption of design using computer analysis, and do not necessarily lend themselves to the simple hand checks of individual members and components many of us have used in the past.

AI designs are coming and will be with us soon, but we need to be cautious. I would encourage those involved in projects to make it clear to the supply chain that an AI design has been used, so others can carry out the necessary checks. I would also encourage designers to check AI designs. While this might be straightforward for simple structures; with more complex structures and details, a simple check may not always be possible. I would therefore encourage the BCSA to develop simple approaches for checking complex structures/details based on engineering principles and good old-fashioned engineering judgement.

For those who think AI designs are a thing of the future, BCSA recently made me aware of a new development. CEN/TC250/SC3, the European committee responsible for the development of the steel design standards, has just agreed to develop a standard for AI design of steel structures.

AI is coming and it will change our lives… sooner than you think.

Chris Durand,  BCSA President

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