Structural engineers make the building stand up. Their model shows what can't move without calculations, and every hole, chase and heavy load is a question they have to answer.
Structural engineers design the frame that carries the building: foundations, columns, beams, slabs and load-bearing walls. Their decisions are backed by calculations, which is why their elements are the hardest to move and the most expensive to change late.
Loads (people, furniture, plant, snow, wind) travel from slabs to beams, to columns, to foundations. Change a load, or cut a hole in a member, and the engineer may need to re-check the members below it. That's why they ask about weights, openings and positions.
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