Structural Engineers
The Accreditation Scheme for Structural Engineers was set up in 1958 by the former Society of Danish Engineers and Ingeniør-Sammenslutningen (now together the Danish Society of Engineers or IDA) and the then Ministry of Housing.
The background to this was the dramatic growth in residential construction seen in the 1950s. This growth led to greater pressure on the municipal building authorities, which at that time did not have the requisite technical capacity to cope with the many building cases. The result was slow case processing and a long waiting time for building permits.
The purpose of the scheme is to make the authorities’ work easier, so that building cases are processed more quickly without any reduction in the quality of the structural documentation for the projects.Under the scheme, the authorities do not need to check standard house building designs when the project has been prepared and signed off by an accredited structural engineer.
Part 1, section 4-5 of the Danish Building Regulations 2008 (BR 08) states that the municipal council must order that calculations relating to the load-bearing constructions be certified by a structural engineer who is accredited under the rules set out in Appendix 3.
The scheme is voluntary for the municipalities and not all of them have joined.
Once a year all the affiliated municipalities receive a complete and updated list of accredited structural engineers; the list is also available on the IDA’s website:www.ida.dk. This list contains each engineer’s name, position, year of qualification and specialism, place of employment and the dates of their accreditation and renewal.
Responsibility for the scheme lies with the IDA in Denmark’s rules for the Accreditation Scheme for Structural Engineers, see Appendix 3 in BR 08.
If you wish to pursue a career as a structural engineer in Denmark, you will need accreditation from the Accreditation Committee for Structural Engineers.
The Accreditation Committee is managed by The Danish Society of Engineers (IDA), under an agreement with the Danish Enterprise and Construction Authority (DEACA).
How to apply
To apply for accreditation as structural engineer in Denmark, fill out one of the forms found in IDA’s Guidance paper for The Danish Society of Engineers’ (IDA) accreditation scheme for structural engineers (This guidance is attached to each of the application forms)
Application form 1:This form is used to apply for accreditation or renewal for civil or college engineers specialising in building technology - Download form here.
Application form 2: This form is used to apply for accreditation or renewal if the applicant is not a civil or college engineer specialising in building technology - Download form here.
Application form 3: This form is used to apply to pursue the profession of accredited structural engineer on a temporary or occasional basis - Download form here.
