Structure Magazine

Behind the sweeping timber curves at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo is a carefully engineered structural system designed to disappear from view. This article explores the concealed connections, custom detailing, and collaborative problem-solving that made these 75-foot mass plywood beams possible — without compromising the architectural vision.

📖 Continue reading: https://www.structuremag.org/article/design-that-disappears-strength-that-endures/

Princeton University’s new engineering and environmental studies campus is more than a collection of buildings — it’s a case study in hybrid structural design. By combining exposed mass timber, structural steel, and reinforced concrete, the project demonstrates how material selection can support sustainability goals, complex performance demands, and architectural expression all at once.

📖 Continue reading: https://www.structuremag.org/article/hybrid-vision/

Mass timber continues to expand beyond offices and residential buildings — and warehouses may be next. This project demonstrates how mass plywood can reduce emissions, speed construction, and create efficient large-scale structures without sacrificing aesthetics or performance.

📖 Continue reading: https://www.structuremag.org/article/mass-plywoods-future-in-warehouse-construction/

Bringing together steel, exposed concrete, and mass timber, Princeton University’s new Art Museum pushes the boundaries of hybrid structural design. The result is a series of interlocking pavilions that deliver flexibility, transparency, and expansive gallery spaces while navigating complex structural coordination.

📖Continue reading: https://www.structuremag.org/article/princeton-universitys-art-museum/

Designing for impact doesn’t always mean standing out—it can mean blending in. Bentonville’s Gateway Park uses innovative structural solutions to create elevated trails and gathering spaces that enhance the natural landscape while bringing the community together.

📖Read the article: https://www.structuremag.org/article/bridging-nature-structure-creating-a-gateway-to-bentonvilles-trail-system/

Great structures don’t just solve for forces—they reflect the values and environments that shape them. From historic vaults to modern icons, this piece shows how structural engineering in the Arab world blends technical rigor with cultural meaning.

📖 Continue reading: https://www.structuremag.org/article/vaults-values-and-the-vernacular/

The Equivalent Lateral Force procedure is widely used in seismic design — but certain stepped diaphragm buildings may expose important limitations in its assumptions. This article explores how common low-rise structures with varying roof heights can lead to underestimated lateral forces and examines alternative analysis approaches that may better capture real structural behavior.

📖 Read more: https://www.structuremag.org/article/equivalent-lateral-force-and-the-pitfalls-of-stepped-diaphragm-buildings/

From mass plywood warehouses to hybrid campus design and historic warehouse preservation, the May edition of STRUCTURE magazine highlights projects pushing structural engineering forward while honoring the past. Explore innovative uses of timber, steel, and concrete — and the engineering stories behind them.

📖 Read more: https://www.structuremag.org/issues/2026-digital-issues/may-2026/

Before bridges spanned the Mississippi at Memphis, trains relied on ferries to cross. The 1892 Frisco Bridge changed that—combining ambitious cantilever design with evolving federal requirements to create a structure that still serves today.

📖Continue reading: https://www.structuremag.org/article/historic-structures-frisco-bridge-memphis-bridge-1892/

In mass timber construction, lifting operations leave little room for uncertainty. This article examines the research behind reusable timber lifting screws — exploring how testing, screening protocols, and conservative safety measures could help move a common jobsite practice toward a verified and more sustainable process.

📖 Read more: https://www.structuremag.org/article/reuse-of-timber-screws-for-lifting-from-jobsite-practice-to-verified-reuse/