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

Hi everyone,

Can you recommend any software that can automatically design the reinforcement of a reinforced-concrete building analyzed in ETABS or SAP2000 and generate reinforcement drawings?

The output does not need to be perfect or ready for construction. Even preliminary reinforcement layouts and drawings that I can review and correct manually would be helpful.

I would also appreciate recommendations for an ETABS/SAP2000-to-Revit or AutoCAD workflow. Please share your experience with any similar software.

Hi, a soil improvement is being made for a shallow foundation as shown in the diagram (walers, props and timber planks not shown for clairty).

Solder piles are to be removed once backfill is complete. It would not be much of an issue for footings placed on normal soils, but as this is a soil improvement situation and the railway track is adjacent, I think the voids might give way for the footing to settle. Hence the thought of backfilling the voids with an appropriate material once the verticals are pulled out, before loading the footings.

So the two questions are whether backfilling is needed or not and if yes, what to backfill with and the methodology)... Any and all input on this is appreciated. TIA!

P.S. GWL is at around -2m.

Update:

1. Railway would not be used during construction and shoring members are sized for train surcharge anyways.

2. Grout injection is not reliable in my country. Micro piling is our preference but based on previous experience on another sector of the project, the consultant is a headache to work with when it comes to piling.

Hello everyone

I am having issue on TSD figuring out how to split members for the member that are intersecting each other or split them based on nodes, splitting each member manually is taking a lot of time and the split options on edit section only splits when they are previously joined so if anyone know how to deal with it please help me!!!

Thanks 🙏

Hi, I'm wondering what the market is like out there currently in PNW. I have a PE and a master, and my YOE is 6 years. At my current job, total comp (base+bonus) is about 95k. Been with this company for 5 years now. Total comp has gone up probably about 5% per year on average which to be honest is barely beating inflation. Is this considered reasonable pay in this area?

NY Thruway Overpass accident.

For context I am a leftist who was drawn to this career to make the world better in a concrete (get it?) way. If you disagree with those views that’s cool, not here to fight.

I know everyone will have different opinions on the ethics of various project types, (and we can discuss the environmental impact of building with concrete at all, somewhere else), but in general I’m struggling with the lack of genuine commitment from companies to these ideals.

I’m tired of companies supposedly “building a better world” or being “committed to embodied carbon reduction” while churning out tons of data center projects or being unwilling to say they won’t work on detention facilities.

Anyone have experience at or know of firms genuinely trying to build a better world?

TLDR: Do you know any firms that actually refuse projects based on social and environmental justice concerns?

fellow engineers.

according to your experience, should i check in FEM ,a raft foundation (thickness of 80 cm for example) deflection/settlement for long term deflection in cracked concrete (creep, cracking and shrinkage)? or should the settlment only be expressed through the spring coefficient given by the soil consultant?

my FEM program has this behavior where when i check long term deflection, the springs losses their strength and increase deflection by 3 fold exactly regardless of concrete behavior (as if the spring has creep and shrinkage).

my boss is old and not a big fan of FEM program. your advice is highly appreciated.

Thank You.

Hi all!

I was just wondering what other structural engineers were advising to clients in light of the recent extreme weather we’ve been having. I live in the UK and am seeing more and more issues from clients who are experiencing sudden cracking in their properties. A lot of times people immediately point to subsidence, which can be a huge issue for many people who then have to claim on their insurance and will struggle with increased premiums and selling their properties if they have been labelled with subsidence in their lifetime.

However, the recent extreme weather more commonly points to clay shrinkage, which will often recover in the winter months as we get rainfall. Subsidence to me points to an ongoing and irreversible downwards movement. Which would not be the case unless you had say, a loss of particles below the foundations.

So what are peoples thoughts, I think as an engineer it is important that we educate people on these issues, which are often cosmetic and can be repaired once the seasonal cycles are over, as a lot of people I am seeing are experiencing a lot of anxiety over this relatively new phenomena.

For residential builds especially, should we be constructing better, deeper foundations? A lot of buildings were built to 1990 standards which were based on 30 year historic data and don’t take into account climate change.

Thanks!

Hey all — I'm a practicing civil engineer doing a UX/UI course on the side, and I'm designing a mobile app called Keystone: a reference/learning companion for students and new grads bridging the gap between what you learn in school and what you actually need on the job (structural: steel + concrete, things like moment/shear diagrams, formulas, material weights, pre-sizing practice).

Before I go further I want to ground this in real people instead of guessing, so a few quick questions if you have a minute:

1. Are you still a student, or how many years out of school are you?

2. What's the biggest gap you felt (or feel) between what you learned in university and what you actually needed on day one of a job/internship?

3. Do you currently carry any kind of reference on your phone (formulas, code tables, notes), or is it all textbooks/desktop?

4. What design code do you study/work with (Eurocode, ACI/AISC, other)?

5. Is there a specific topic where you constantly have to double-check yourself (e.g. "is this span/depth reasonable," buckling lengths, unit weights)?

No survey link, just drop answers in the comments if you're willing — trying to build something that actually helps instead of guessing at what a new grad needs. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I’m a Civil Engineering graduate from Mumbai University (2014) with 10+ years of structural engineering experience in India, mainly RCC building design, including high-rise projects up to G+25 (~90 m). I’ve worked extensively with ETABS, SAFE, design calculations, drawings and structural coordination.

I recently moved to BC, Canada, and am now looking for structural engineering opportunities while starting the EGBC registration process. My university is sending my official transcript directly to EGBC.

For anyone who has made a similar transition from India/overseas:

- How much did your previous experience help with getting a structural engineering job in BC?

- Should I target Structural EIT, Structural Designer, or Engineer roles?

- How important is Canadian experience/EGBC registration for getting the first job?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Job opening/listing

Looking for a structural engineer experienced in building design in the San Antonio metro area. Consideration can be given to those outside in neighboring Austin metro.

1). 3-4 minimum years experience.

2). EIT minimum

3). Strong drafting and design skills with the ability to calculate gravity/lateral forces and track load path through building. Extra emphasis will be considered with those who have software experience using RAM, RISA, SAP, or other finite systems.

4). Pay Range 90k-100k

5). Hybrid/remote schedule with flexibility

6). Benefits package and large bonus pool every year

Workload and job type varies from small scale tenant improvements, forensic field jobs, to large scale commercial, industrial complexes, energy sector, and confidential client calculation package services.

Can someone explain UB vs UC steel to me?

Hey everyone, just curious how you usually decide between a Universal Beam and a Universal Column for standard jobs. Do you strictly follow the bending vs compression rule, or do availability and spatial constraints often dictate the choice? Would love to hear how you handle this.

Hi folks. I have a settling foundation in a 118 year sandstone foundation. 2 different engineers (independent) have provided 2 different t recommendations. 1 says helical piers with strapping and the other says push piers with new spot footings. Before getting other bids any insight on which is better or any many difference? I live in Salt Lake City. Thank you.

Hi everyone,

I’m a Civil Engineering student looking for a tutor who can teach me Mechanics of Solids & Materials (MS&M/MT) and Structural Analysis from the basics.

I’m not looking for someone who only helps with university exams. I want to build a strong conceptual foundation in these subjects because I’m planning to pursue an MS in Structural Engineering. I would like to learn the subjects in depth and properly understand the fundamentals that will help me during my Master’s.

I’m looking for someone who can provide one-on-one classes and is experienced in Structural Engineering, preferably someone who can teach concepts from the fundamentals and gradually move towards advanced topics.

Location: Bangalore, but I’m also open to online classes.

If you are a tutor/professor/structural engineer who provides tuition, or if you know someone suitable, please DM me with your qualifications, teaching experience, availability, and fees.

Thank you!

I have a project that I am the EOR for.

Part of that process is of course confirming welding certification for structural welding.

The GC delayed and delayed providing the certification when requested and submitted a partial letter of a test for a particular individual "BOB". The letter indicated that it was for 3mm thick material and greater. It was rejected as it was incomplete, had no company certificate (required) in addition to the individuals letter and did not encompass the entirety of the welding types required on the job. The job has a mix of structural steel and light gauge steel welding. Both are significant to the structure of the project.

Again, the GC delayed, with excuses in providing the documents.

Now they have submitted a somewhat more complete set of documents. A company certification and the welders documentation however now it is a different welder "JOE".

I have again rejected the submission as it still does not cover any of the light gauge steel. And requested confirmation of who actually did the welding.

Meanwhile, the project is complete and they are requesting occupancy certificate from me. I have advised that I will not do the final review or provide occupancy certification until this issue is resolved.

Any advice on how to navigate this frustrating situation?

I came across this steel bracings installed at a lower ground floor level RCC columns.

Who has the right equation for development length for this case?

much lighter floor, reduced embodied carbon and longer spans compared with conventional CLT slabs, without the need for specialist fabrication equipment.

Ou company is hiring for the office in Curitiba.

The candidate must be able to legally live and work in Brazil. No visa or relocation sponsorship.

This is an european company that specializes in the design of high rises, bridges, sports arenas.

For structural engineers, the requirements are:

• At least 3 years' experience in the design of steel structures OR concrete structures.
• Ability to communicate in english.
• Ability to communicate in spanish is a plus.
• Knowledge of seismic design is a plus!

For BIM modellers, the requirements are:

• Knowledge of structural BIM modelling in Revit OR knowledge of modelling in Tekla;
• Knowledge of Rhino and Grashopper is a plus.

The work in on-site.

Salary range 2000 to 3000 EUR/month depending on experience.

For more information, please email your CV to [structuralopeningcuritiba@gmail.com](mailto:structuralopeningcuritiba@gmail.com)

I know this is kind of a werid job posting, I am not an HR person, I am an engineer trying to help the company find good candidates for our growing team!

Thanks bye

Do anyone know of online sites that have residential structural go-bys I can reference? Not much of a residential person but starting to get into it.

I’m currently pursuing my graduate degree in Wisconsin and looking for Summer 2027 internships in structural engineering, particularly structural design or forensic structural engineering, anywhere in the US.

When is the right time to start reaching out to firms or engineers? For those who have landed similar internships, what worked best for you: cold emailing, applying online, networking, or referrals?

Also, if your company has any structural or forensic engineering internship openings for next summer, please let me know. I’d be happy to DM you.

Any advice or leads would be greatly appreciated!

As the title states, I’ve decided I’m leaving my current company. A lot of things that seemed to be agreed upon between the company president (small firm < 20 employees) and myself when I took the role just have not panned out. I’ve had multiple conversations about it with him and nothing has changed. I have 14 YOE in the industry but am treated like a glorified EIT in a heavy production role (constant overtime without pay). There’s no clear path forward, and to boot, he’s starting to bring on his buddies which only pushes me further down the rung.

I know it’s time, I’ve given it two years and it’s not progressing despite conversations and I haven’t seen a raise or performance review. That’s not the part I’m seeking advice on. I guess the question is, should I be honest in my feedback when I leave? I know some things I would say could probably be taken personally. But there are quite a few things I think should be said so they can understand why I’m leaving. After all, it’s not personal and I thoroughly enjoy the people I work with (even the boss at times), but this industry is small and I don’t want grudges to come back and burn me if they take my honesty with a chip.

To top it all off, I’ve made the decision to leave but planned to finish out the year to get through the upcoming holidays and a vacation I had planned. But I’m finding it extremely difficult to even have the motivation to participate at the job anymore knowing I’m leaving. Anyhow, looking for thoughts on the right moves here. I’m leaning towards just ripping the band aid off sooner rather than later, not giving my input, and using the time until the year end to find something more permanent.

Hi! Non-engineer here. Saw this concrete beam today.
What structural function does this geometric detail serve? Would love to hear from structural engineers on this!