The best structural design is usually the boring one.

Simple. Repeated. Easy to build.

I don’t mean lazy design.

I mean you are thinking about the whole project, not just trying to make every member as small as possible.

Here are a few examples:

Line things up where you can

Sometimes the best move is to talk to the architect and shift a window slightly so your columns can line up.

Question the odd one out

If one beam, slab, footing, or connection looks much heavier than all the others, stop and ask why.

Maybe there is a good reason.

But maybe the layout can be simplified so similar parts can become similar again.

Don’t chase the lightest floor at all costs

Yes, concrete volume matters.

Yes, steel tonnage matters.

But the cheapest floor is not always the lightest floor.

A slightly thicker slab with simple, repeatable geometry can be cheaper than an ultra-thin floor with irregular shapes, complex setdowns, and changing beam depths.

Why?

Because someone has to build the formwork.

If the carpenters can reuse the same setup week after week, the job is usually faster, cleaner, and cheaper.

We are often taught to optimise every part of a design. But I prefer to zoom out and ask:

“Will this project actually work smoothly?” in the calcs, in the drawings and on site.

PS: Tonight at 6pm (Brisbane time) inside BengLab, we’re hosting a live webinar with the Inducta team on suspended concrete slab modelling and design for beginners.

If you’re already in, I’ll see you there.

If you’re not, you can join us here: https://www.skool.com/benglab/about​

Cheers,
Gabe