From the establishment of the educational institution in 1832, and until the beginning of the twentieth century, at the Construction School, and then at the Institute of Civil Engineers, there were no such structural divisions as departments. The number and content of disciplines devoted to calculations of building structures changed in accordance with the requirements of the time.

From 1832 to 1842, the mechanics course was taught by Matvey Stepanovich Volkov (1802–1875).

Structural mechanics as an independent discipline appeared at the Construction School in 1842. The first course of this discipline from 1842 to 1860 was taught by Pyotr Ivanovich Sobko. In 1848, a new course on practical mechanics appeared, taught by Professor P. Ya. Yastrzhembsky. Since 1853, structural mechanics was taught as an independent course by Professor Rudolf Bogdanovich Bernhard (1819–1887), who was the director of the Construction School from 1874 to 1886.

From 1876 to 1896, teaching of structural mechanics was conducted by Stanislav Borisovich Lukashevich. In 1878, he published the first textbook, “Lectures on structural mechanics and its application to the calculation of individual parts of civil structures.” From 1896 to 1899, the course on statics of structures was taught by Professor Felix Stanislavovich Yasinsky (1856–1899), who attracted the famous civil engineer Pyotr Ivanovich Dmitriev (1870–1941) to teach.

Until 1891, the discipline of structural mechanics included sections: strength of materials, statics of structures and theoretical mechanics. In 1891, Vladimir Nikolaevich Sokolovsky (1864–1947), a student of S. B. Lukashevich, began teaching structural mechanics. Theoretical mechanics was separated into a separate discipline in 1891 and included statics, kinematics and analytical mechanics.

Since 1899, two separate disciplines were separated from the general course of structural mechanics: statics of structures and strength of materials, which were taught, respectively, by P. I. Dmitriev and V. N. Sokolovsky. In 1905, the Department of Strength of Materials was formed, the first head of which was Professor V.N. Sokolovsky. In 1927, the Department of Theoretical Mechanics was formed (head of the department was Professor N.P. Pavlyuk).

Thus, the methodology for teaching the currently existing discipline of structural mechanics was consistently formed by the following outstanding scientists and university teachers: M. S. Volkov, P. I. Sobko, R. B. Bernhard, S. B. Lukashevich, S. F. Yasinsky , V. N. Sokolovsky, P. I. Dmitriev.

The Department of Construction Mechanics was created in 1931. It was headed by famous scientists: P. I. Dmitriev, I. G. Popov (a well-known specialist in the field of bridge design), I. I. Gordanov (a specialist in the study of the dynamics of structures), A. M. Maslennikov (initiator of teaching matrix methods of calculation and the finite element method in Russia). Later, the department was headed by V. I. Pletnev, known for his research in the field of calculation and rational design of high-rise buildings and spatial systems; Yu. V. Bondarev, specialist in improving software systems and calculating complex above-ground and underground structures. From 2009 to September 2015, the department was headed by L. N. Kondratyeva, a specialist in the field of analytical calculation of flat shells with an irregular surface. From 2015 to 2018, the department was headed by V. M. Petrov and A. G. Chernykh.

In September 2013, the Department of Strength of Materials and the Department of Theoretical Mechanics merged. The new department was named the Department of Technical Mechanics. In September 2015, the Department of Structural Mechanics and the Department of Technical Mechanics merged. The new department was named the Department of Mechanics. After another reorganization, from 1 September, 2019, the department again received its historical name in accordance with the focus of the university - the Department of Construction Mechanics. From 2018 to 2023, the department was headed by PhD of Engineering Sciences, Associate Professor Evgeniy Anatolyevich Kobelev. Today the department is headed by PhD of Engineering Sciences, Associate Professor Nikita Aleksandrovich Maslennikov.