"A vital member of a design team. the structural engineer has a role in every aspect of a project...The design of passenger terminal buildings is a complex, dynamic and ever-changing undertaking. A successful design team includes many specialized consultants who understand the operations of a terminal building from at least two different but significant perspectives: how operations relate to their specific discipline and, more importantly, the much broader sense of the independence and interdependence of systems that are part of any terminal facility.

Selection of the structural engineer -- an integral member of any successful design team -- is a critical component because, on any given airport project, the cost of the superstructure and other structural systems might range from 15% to 20% or more of the overall cost..."