The value of a structural engineer is still pathetic in Indian construction field....

Once I myself told about the condition prevailing in the construction field. Once again I have to point out those things. Especially in Kerala what happens is when someone need to make a house or any kind of structures they usually approach a contractor. It doesn't matter for the client whether the contractor is qualified or not. But now the scenario is changing a bit, people are approaching an architectural consultancy or a structural consultancy. But not to full extend.

We had many bad experiences with the clients and contractor. I am not blaming all the contractors or all clients, but majority of this we had such bitter experiences. Generally people approaches us for getting structural drawing, the reasons differ for their need for such structural drawings. Sometimes contractor ask for a structural drawing, sometimes by clients knowledge about the requirement of structural drawing they approach us and sometimes since the clients are our friends or relatives. Whats happens is that we start doing all such works and we are not paid well. Some times client takes the structural details up to first floor and they ask the contractor to do the remaining using the available drawings and they wont pay us in full. But we people are spending our time and abilities on the full structure even to give that portion of the structure. But we are not paid in full. They are not even thinking about themselves, they also earn by doing whatever works they know, rite? Anyway they are not concerned about such things. Even though we people are not even charging 1% of the structural cost, they are not paying in full. All sectors are increasing their remunerations , but we people can't afford enough staff for our office. Don't you people think this should not happen with us, or any professionals??  

And about contractors, even now there are contractors who is doing structure of a building without consulting a structural engineer. Sometimes what happens is that when a client ask the contractor to do the structure according to the drawings given by a structural consultant, the contractors convinces the client that the reinforcement provided is more than enough or sometimes saying that the reinforcement provided is much less. We should note that the structural engineer who is a post graduate in his field and contractor who sometimes even wont have a diploma in his field, and such a person is criticizing the drawings. What to say about such kind of ignorance??
We had many such experiences in this field. The general awareness of people about a structure and the value of structural engineering shall be brought. Otherwise the real talent can't be seen in field. I think we structural engineers should unite and create an awareness among people.