Structural engineering theory is the science behind designing buildings, bridges and other structures that are safe and strong. Imagine building a big tall tower out of blocks. You don't want it to fall over, right? So, you need to make sure that you put the blocks in a certain way so that the tower will stand up straight and not fall down.
Now imagine building a much bigger tower out of concrete and steel. It's just like building the block tower, but much more complicated. Engineers use math and science to figure out how much weight the structure has to hold and how it will resist wind and earthquakes. They need to make sure that everything is balanced and strong so that the building won't fall over and hurt anybody inside.
Some other things that engineers need to think about when designing structures include the materials they will use, like steel or concrete, and how they will join them together. They also need to figure out what size the beams and columns should be to make sure they can hold up the weight of the building.
Basically, the idea behind structural engineering theory is to make sure that buildings and bridges are designed so they won't collapse or fall over. It's really important work because it keeps people safe and helps us build bigger and better things.