The Golden Gate Bridge is a 1.7 mile long suspension in San Francisco that had several design constraints considered in designing this bridge. With the large length of the Golden Gate Bridge, strong winds common to the area would cause more torque and twisting of it than a shorter bridge. Due to the windy conditions in the area, designers had to strengthen the support of the bridge by adding truss causeways, so the harsh winds would pass through it. San Francisco is also known to have frequent earthquakes which resulted in the designers adding even more support to the bridge. In order to prevent corrosion, they painted the bridge with a sealant to protect it against the water and humidity.  

http://www.legends1027.com/May-27-2015-Golden-Gate-Bridge/14567509?pid=489496

In the video, "To Err is Human", we explored the numerous structural failures in engineering along with many unfortunate events. Some causes of structural failure include: failure by fatigue, failure by torsion, or twisting, and poor maintenance. Since some bridges are neglected of repairs, this causes them to weaken and develop cracks. These cracks sometimes go unnoticed or ignored, and the structure collapses resulting in many deaths. When bridges were getting thinner, they would twist back and forth on very windy days. They would then collapse bringing cars and civilians with it. 
Stresses and materials are a large contributing factor in structural failure. For example, the Kansas City sky walk failure occurred because there was too much force on the support system. Also, in the Tacoma Narrows incident, the materials used to build the bridge were not designed to withstand the windy conditions of the area. However, these failures are necessary for success. We learn from our failures and improve upon them.  When the Kansas City walkway was rebuilt, large supports where put underneath it, so it could support a lot of weight. Failures are a key aspect in making new advances in engineering. After the Tacoma Narrows incident, engineers created a new bridge that allowed the wind to pass through it without torsion.
Engineers today experience failure in the design process without risking human lives. Engineers make scale models of their structures before construction. They perform tests to ensure safety, durability, etc using various equipment, such as a wind tunnel. Some engineers use computers to help them with complex calculations however they are not always effective.