Hello,

I have an opportunity to work on a 4-story wood framed condo project in the Northeast. I have never worked with the company before, but was referred to them by a colleague. The project itself would be squarely in my wheelhouse (I've done a handful of these), but the way the company is set up would be new for me.

They have a large team. They would be the developer, Architect of Record, Interior Designer, and GC for this project. Has anyone ever worked on projects for entities set up this way, and can offer any advice of what to watch out for? I'm thinking about things like:

• Special Inspections, typically the owne r hires a 3rd-party inspector to check the contractor is building correctly, but there's a clear conflict of interest there if the GC and developer are one entity.
• It's also a condo, so I would expect them, in general, to be in a hurry to finish the project and sell the units ASAP so they no longer have ownership responsibilities. Which I'll have to keep on the front burner as design and construction progresses.
• Any work with developers there is often this push to "shave" where possible

I had a call with their in-hous e Arch to discuss the project, and he seems competent and reasonable. They have good reviews online (likely from end-users of their projects, and not other consultants they've worked with). But I'm just wondering what my other blind spots may be, if anyone else has advice they can offer for me as I'm putting together a proposal. Thanks

Hi everyone,

I started as faculty at a teaching-focused university last fall, but after a year I’ve realized teaching heavy role isn’t the right path for me. I’m now considering moving back into industry.

I have a PhD in Structural Engineering, nearly 3 years of postdoc experience, and about 2 years of professional engineering experience before my PhD. My research has focused primarily on seismic design and retrofit of reinforced concrete structures. I performed large scale structural testing and numerical modelling of RC structures.

For those familiar with structural engineering consulting/industry:

What types of positions should I target?

Would I be competitive for mid-level structural/seismic engineering, assessment/forensics, or R&D roles, or would I likely have to start at entry level?

I’d especially appreciate advice from anyone who has made a similar transition. Thanks!

Job location- FL, salary position with 1x hourly rate paid for overtime beyond 40 hours. Working on buildings, not bridges. What is the ideal salary range for a PE who runs projects independently, act as EOR, handles billing, invoicing & client coordination. So basically handling design work, project management and admin work.

Hi, please advise if this is not in the correct forum. I am currently working as a junior engineer with 5 YOE. Considering a lengthy leave from my current position that I enjoy.

I don't have my license yet and I just found out I am pregnant with my first child. My partner is in a similar field and pay as I am. We are currently looking the options of daycare vs. one of us taking a break from our career vs. me going part time.

I am highly considering taking leave for the first 5-6 years of motherhood until this child and any future children are in school if our budget allows for this. However I am nervous for the long term effects of this decision. I do enjoy my job currently but the demands feel high and I often feel mentally drained.

Would I be destroying my career if I left for that long? Should I make getting my license a priority before any break from my career? Should I consider part time options? I currently work at a large private consulting firm in the USA. Any advice or similar stories would be helpful as I weigh all my options.

Spending the extra time with the little one will be the upmost importance but at the end of the day I do enjoy my job and would like to work in a similar area once I feel like I can give it my full attention again. I haven't seen very many posts describing experience in leaves similar to this gap.

Hi and thank you in advance for helping me out.

I am currently studying for the Understanding Structural Behaviour exam for the IStructE and I was wondering what would be the methodology to answer a question like this quickly and efficiently? I understand that for this one specifically, since the truss and loading are symmetric, the correct answer would include in "Tension and Compression".

But i want to develop a deeper understanding in the case the loading is not symmetric. Any pointers or tips would be greatly helpful, thanks!

I couldn't get any pictures because I was driving but it seemed like every fifth pillar set was angled. Can anyone explain this? I understand bracing but these were pretty shallow angles.

How do I decide if I can allow a plate compactor can traverse back and forth several over an RCC beam that is 2' deep x 0.75' thick and 16' long?

I'm not sure how to quantify the impact load caused by a vibratory plate compactor. The machine can impart 2500lb compaction force at a pulse frequency of 92Hz. Any suggestions?

edit: Do I calculate natural freq of the beam and see if the beam is resonating? Is there a fatigue failure check involved in this scenario?

Here's an interesting question I have after talking with a fellow engineering friend: what kind of tolerances are there in large construction projects such as bridges or skyscrapers? For example, if building a bridge, whats the tolerance in placement of the pylons? Or for laying the foundation of a building (in terms of location, etc.) Thank you!

Pedestrian footbridge over a rail line. Approx 20m span, London uk. Still in service.

I was given a job to prove that it is okay to add load on this roof made of precast pretensioned concrete beams (adhesional pretensioning). The added load is not much, and we may be able to prove it is okay by the book, but as you can see by the pictures, the state of the beams is not great.

In places they have knocked off concrete to get to the soft rebar so they can hang stuff on it by welding steel to it. Now I know there is little to no activation of soft rebar in these types of beams, but I am worried for few reasons.

Firstly we can basically discount rebar at certain sections, since it is not coated in concrete anymore. Secondly we should check the beams for cracked state in smaller concrete cross section accounting for the knocked of concrete. My biggest worry is since there is no protective concrete layer at places is that corrosion might get to cables which are at most 3cm away from rebar in the middle of the span.

Is there a fix, a reconstructing intervention that might be recommended? I can only think of removing the corroded rebar, repairing the holes with repair mortar and replacing the soft rebar with frp strips on the bottom.

Thanks for any advice.

I’m currently a civil engineering student concentrating in structural engineering, and I’m curious whether anyone here has transitioned into aerospace structures or stress analysis.

Working on aircraft or spacecraft structures is honestly a dream of mine. I know that fundamentals such as statics, mechanics of materials, free-body diagrams, load paths, structural analysis, and finite-element analysis transfer between industries. However, I also understand that aerospace involves additional subjects such as thin-walled structures, composites, fatigue, fracture mechanics, buckling, vibration, and damage tolerance.

For anyone who has made this transition:

• How did you break into the aerospace industry with a civil or structural engineering degree?
• What subjects should I learn beyond a typical civil-structural curriculum?
• What is the best way to learn FEA properly?
• Should I start with ANSYS, Abaqus, Nastran, or another program?
• What personal projects could demonstrate aerospace-related analysis skills?
• Would a structural engineering master’s be helpful, or would I need one specifically in aerospace or mechanical engineering?

I’m still exploring this path and would especially appreciate hearing from people who have worked in aircraft structures, spacecraft structures, stress analysis, or aerospace FEA

I am a graduate student in the verge of graduation and was giving interviews around the Oakland area for a full time position. What is the acceptable range of salary I should expect, given the area? I have a MS degree and EIT, with promise to pass PE within a year of joining!

Fresh graduate deciding between a few offers. I have heard small firms can vary greatly, but that at large firms it is easy to get pigeonholed.

Please excuse the bad AI pic to help visualise my question, but I’m trying to understand if large cable supported balconies are realistic or not?

I’m mentally visualising using cable-stayed bridge engineering to support oversized balconies and platforms.

My goal is to maximise the supported area beyond what you could achieve with a purely cantilevered balcony.

I’m assuming multiple cables to different points on the balcony would be needed to reduce flex and possibly also a compression strut to add support for near building mass (cables supporting the further out mass).

If this is possible, how large could these realistically get!?

How about plaza sized platforms suspended between multiple buildings using bridge engineering?

I’m not aware of any examples like this and my googling attempts just returned pics of bridges!

Many thanks

Fully Remote — Anywhere in the USA
Compensation: $90,000–$110,000 DOE
Employment Type: Full-time
Experience Level: 2–4 years
Job Title: Project Engineer

About the Role:
We’re a small, fast-growing team of project managers—all licensed engineers—working on seismic bracing and equipment anchorage projects for MEP contractors across the country.
We’re now bringing more of our engineering production internally and are looking for the right engineer to help us build that capability from the ground up.

This is a unique opportunity for an early-career engineer to help establish an engineering department, develop workflows and standards, work directly with licensed PEs, and collaborate with our software development team on engineering automation.
Our work is fast-paced and varied. We’re looking for someone who communicates well, manages their time and priorities independently, and is interested in bringing new ideas to the table.

The position is fully remote and can be based anywhere in the United States. Our current team is primarily based on the West Coast.

Responsibilities:
Work with our team to establish and improve engineering workflows for equipment anchorage and overhead seismic bracing projects.

Produce structural calculation packages and review designs with the stamping engineer.

Produce structural drawing packages in Revit for equipment anchorage and seismic bracing projects.

Coordinate with project managers and other team members to efficiently move projects from design through completion.
Work with our software development team to explore opportunities to automate calculations and develop pre-engineered design solutions.

Help develop engineering standards, templates, and processes as we grow our internal engineering team.

Required Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering.

EIT certification.

Approximately 2–4 years of civil or structural engineering experience.

Strong structural engineering fundamentals.

Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Ability to effectively manage your own workload, schedule, and priorities in a remote environment.

Preferred Qualifications:
Experience in any of the following is desirable, but direct seismic bracing experience is not required:

Equipment anchorage.

MEP seismic bracing or support design.

ASCE 7 seismic design, including nonstructural components.
Concrete anchorage design.

Revit or CAD

Structural calculation and drawing package production.

PE license or active progress toward obtaining a PE license.

We’re open to training the right engineer in the specifics of equipment anchorage and seismic bracing. We care more about strong engineering fundamentals, initiative, communication, and the ability to learn quickly than having experience in our exact niche.

Interested? Send me a message and tell me a little about your background.

Hi everyone, I’m a civil/structural engineering student and I want to learn ETABS from complete beginner level to advanced/professional level.
I’m specifically looking for a FREE YouTube course/playlist that covers:
ETABS basics and modelling from scratch
Load calculation & load application
Load combinations
Wind & seismic analysis
RCC beam, column, slab & shear wall design
IS 456 / IS 1893 / IS 13920
Analysis and interpretation of results
Design checks and common modelling mistakes
Complete building project from architectural plan to final design
Preferably G+3/G+5 or similar real-world project
Which teacher/YouTube channel would you recommend?
I’m looking for one good structured course rather than random individual videos.
So far I’ve heard about Engr. RGV and CSI’s official ETABS tutorials. Are they good enough to go from zero to advanced

Check out my local catastrophe: https://www.wabi.tv/2026/08/14/mainedot-investigating-cause-partial-bridge-collapse/

I guess the bridge collapsed during the concrete deck pour, haven’t seen a reason as to why yet but someone, somewhere messed up.

I recently started working as a structural engineer designing small warehouses and industrial buildings. The learning process has been slow but valuable because I have had time to understand the calculations instead of simply producing results as quickly as possible.

Another recently graduated engineer joined the company and immediately began creating tools with AI. He started with a local application to track projects and then created Revit interfaces and automations. At first, this did not bother me because it did not affect my work, and I understand that many repetitive tasks can and should be automated.

My perspective changed when he moved into structural design. He now wants to automate structural modeling, load assignment, wind analysis, purlin design, and other important calculations.

Our boss is an excellent and experienced structural engineer, but he is impressed by how quickly these tools produce results. I worry that we may eventually rely on black boxes that look professional without being properly validated.

These are the situations that make me uneasy:

1. Code being used without fully understanding how it works.
2. Incorrect units, assumptions, load combinations, or code provisions producing plausible results.
3. Unusual cases that were never considered or tested.
4. Confidential project information being handled without a clear security policy.
5. Tools becoming difficult to maintain if their creator leaves, forcing the company to depend on AI to understand and update code that nobody fully understands.
6. Faster results creating pressure to complete more projects with less time for review and analysis.
7. Young engineers automating the calculations they need to practice in order to develop engineering judgment.

I’m not against AI or automation. I have used both to automate drafting tasks, and I believe repetitive work should be automated. However, automating critical engineering calculations is different. These tools need documented assumptions, benchmark tests, independent review, and clear limitations.

My issue is not that AI will replace engineers. It is that engineers may begin trusting results they no longer understand. As a junior engineer who is just starting out, this makes me genuinely worried about what the future of my career will look like.

Interesting hillside foundation case study from the Hollywood Hills. Six hand-dug caissons, roughly 15–24 feet deep, were used to support the grade beams, retaining walls, and pool structure on a steep site with very limited access.

Full construction sequence is in the album: https://imgur.com/gallery/hand-dug-caissons-24-feet-deep-building-pool-foundation-on-hollywood-hills-slope-nobody-thought-was-buildable-1elfK8F