The Future of Structural Design: Integrating AI and Automation
28 November 2025The pace of technological change in structural engineering has never been faster. What once may have required entire drafting teams and countless manual calculations can now be achieved more efficiently through intelligent modelling, automation, and data-driven analysis. At Stride Consulting Engineers, we’ve embraced this shift, integrating digital tools and emerging technologies to improve precision, efficiency, and sustainability across our projects.
From CAD to Intelligent Design
AutoCAD has long been the foundation of our industry — a trusted tool for documenting and detailing designs with accuracy and clarity. But as the complexity of projects grows, traditional 2D workflows can only take us so far.
The next frontier is intelligent, model-based design, where data and geometry work together to inform better engineering decisions.
At Stride, we’re combining AutoCAD’s drafting capabilities with advanced modelling environments that allow us to integrate analysis, documentation, and design refinement in one seamless process. This not only reduces duplication and error but enables real-time collaboration between disciplines — architects, services engineers, and structural designers all working from a unified digital model.
Smart Modelling and Performance Analysis
Modern design isn’t just about how a structure looks — it’s about how it performs. Tools like MUSIC Modelling (Model for Urban Stormwater Improvement Conceptualisation) help us evaluate hydrological performance, water quality, and runoff behaviour directly within our design workflow.
By simulating stormwater and environmental responses early in the design phase, our engineers can proactively balance compliance, sustainability, and constructability — long before construction begins. This integration of environmental modelling with structural design ensures we deliver solutions that are both resilient and responsible.
Precision and Efficiency Through Automation
Programs such as Structural Toolkit, an Australian-developed engineering suite, has become another cornerstone in our digital ecosystem. It automates core calculations — from footing design to beam and slab analysis — with rigorous compliance to Australian Standards.
Where once engineers might have spent hours checking spreadsheets, automation allows us to reallocate that time toward higher-value engineering: conceptual design, optimisation, and client collaboration. Every automated task frees up cognitive space for what engineers do best — solving complex problems creatively.
The Human Element in a Digital World
While technology continues to evolve, one principle remains constant: good engineering still depends on sound judgment, experience, and communication. At Stride, we see AI and automation not as replacements for engineers, but as amplifiers of human capability. They allow us to explore more design options, reduce risk, and deliver more efficiently, while maintaining the integrity and accountability that underpin every structure we design.
Looking Ahead
As digital tools become more integrated and AI continues to mature, structural engineers will have access to unprecedented design intelligence. But the key will always be thoughtful application — using these tools to inform, not replace, engineering expertise.
At Stride Consulting Engineers, we’re committed to staying at the forefront of this evolution. By blending the precision of technology with the insight of experience, we’re shaping the future of structural design — one intelligent model at a time.