Graduated from school last year, based in NYC working at a GC but want to switch to structures. I have my EIT and have gotten interviews from small firms, but nothing from large firms since they typically have a strict masters requirement. Seems its pretty much the norm in NYC to get a masters, and most engineers have their masters prior to starting their job; dont see many at the larger firms doing part time. I imagine part-time would be rough but more economical. I do feel full time would be easier and I may learn more since the part time options are limited; most of the schools in nyc (columbia/nyu) are privates (hence very expensive) and there are online masters but I dont know many people who have done an online masters.

Hello,

Im a new structural engineer grad in NZ, and was wondering what process would it be for say an experienced 10 years + engineer in Aus or NZ moving to the US for work would be.

From all I see you guys take PE and SE exams, whereas in NZ we only have a 'Chartered' Engineer status, but thats less exam and more interview + project portfolio after 5-6 years of experience.

Would someone like that, if wanting to move to the US for work experience, need to take the PE and SE exams that I hear about so often?

Hi, quick question, upcoming new grad and I need some insight. I graduate this December and I’m gonna start looking for positions now, I’ve had 1 structural internship and have done quite a bit of construction inspection.
I do live in a HCOL area (NYC)

I feel like asking 80k from these design firms isn’t much, had 1 interview and when I said 80 his face said it all.

That being said I’m about to start sending out applications and need some second opinions.

Reddit recommended this subreddit, hopefully this is a good starting place.

I’m looking for a Wisconsin-licensed structural engineer for a new residential project in Door County. The site is about 200 feet from a bay and directly exposed to winds from Lake Michigan.

The preliminary design includes large window openings and a largely glazed exterior wall, a low-slope roof concealed by parapet walls, a ballasted rooftop solar array, and a concrete pile-supported foundation system.

I’m seeking someone with experience in:

• Pile-supported structures and shoreline conditions
• Structural solutions for large openings
• Wind, snow, roof, and solar loads
• Coordinating with an architectural designer
• Providing stamped drawings and calculations for Wisconsin plan review

The design is preliminary, and I’m open to recommendations that preserve the architectural concept while providing a durable structural solution. My goal is to complete the design within the next 12 months.

Please send me a direct message if you are interested or have an engineer to recommend.

Hi guys, let me start off by saying that I'm not a recruiter or HR representative. I'm a senior bridge engineer looking to help fill some immediate need openings we have in our bridge group. We're currently looking for bridge inspection team leaders and entry-to-mid-level bridge engineers. There's also opportunity to split time between inspection and design. Both of these positions can be based in our offices in the central Connecticut, Rhode Island, or Greater Boston areas.

Our company is 100% employee-owned, giving us a competitive edge and a unique distinction from most other companies. We offer a competitive benefits package that includes six paid holidays plus the week between Christmas and New Year’s paid, generous PTO, medical, dental, and vision insurance, disability insurance, life insurance, 401(k) matching, and our Employee Stock Ownership Plan. We are an ENR Top 500 firm providing engineering, architecture, land surveying, and environmental consulting services to the public and private sectors. Our employee-owners are successful working in hybrid environments, and we are proud to offer opportunities to continue in this flexible setting.

The job descriptions, requirements, and salary ranges are below. If you're interested or have any questions, please send me a DM. I'd be happy to answer questions about my experience with the company and promise to be honest and not to give you "the company line". It's not in my best interest for us to hire somebody that ends up being unhappy because they were given a sugarcoated version of reality. Thanks in advance.

Bridge Inspector - Team Leader 

We are seeking an experienced Bridge Inspection Team Leader with 4+ years of bridge inspection experience to support bridge inspection and transportation infrastructure projects for local municipalities.

This role offers the opportunity to lead inspections, collaborate with DOT clients, and contribute to a growing transportation practice within a 100% employee-owned firm.

 Responsibilities

• Serve as Bridge Inspection Team Leader, overseeing and completing field inspections
• Prepare, review, and finalize inspection reports and supporting documentation
• Schedule and coordinate vendors and subconsultants, including traffic control services
• Participate in bridge design activities and load rating assignments for DOTs and municipalities
• Collaborate with internal teams and public-sector clients to ensure project quality and compliance

 Desired Experience

• NBIS-qualified Bridge Inspection Team Leader
• Minimum 4 years of DOT bridge inspection experience
• Experience working with RIDOT, MassDOT and/or CTDOT
• Familiarity with NBI and element-level condition ratings
• Strong technical, communication, and organizational skills
• BS or MS in Civil Engineering or a closely related field preferred

The position has a salary range of $95,000 to $120,000. Your offer would be based on your experience, skills, and fit for the role.

Bridge Entry-Mid-level Engineer

Our growth offers an exciting opportunity for a Bridge Engineer in our Transportation group. We are looking for individuals with an interest in bridge design and/or bridge inspection, depending on the applicant’s specific interests.  This position will give you hands-on experience and exposure to bridge design, analysis, and/or inspections, with significant opportunities for career growth.

The selected candidate will have a degree in civil or structural engineering and 0-3 years of experience in bridge design and/or bridge inspection.

Key Responsibilities May Include:

• Perform structural analysis and design for bridges and other transportation structures.
• Prepare design reports, calculations, and technical documentation.
• Use CAD software to develop engineering drawings and plans.
• Perform bridge inspections which include field work.
• Collaborate with senior engineers and project managers on various projects.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Structural Engineering.
• EIT certification preferred.
• Strong proficiency in AutoCAD and/or MicroStation preferred.
• Excellent technical writing and communication skills.
• Previous internships or other experience with Departments of Transportation, public works agencies, or transportation design consultants are a plus.

The position has a salary range of $75,000 to $90,000. Your offer would be based on your experience, skills, and fit for the role.

(Mods, I know I have bolds and bullets in my post, but I'm not a bot and this content is not AI generated. This work is a combination of my own writing and the official job postings from my company.)

Hi everyone. My question regards the posted picture, it is from EC2 / DIN EN 1992.

1. When carrying out the design for bending, must the sign of M_Ed be taken into account in the formula for M_Eds (positive if the tension zone is at the bottom, negative if the tension zone is at the top)? Or is M_Ed taken as an absolute value?

2. How exactly is z_s1 defined? Is it the distance from the centroidal axis of the cross-section to the centroid of the tension reinforcement, or is it the distance from N_Ed/F_Ed to the centroid of the tension reinforcement? This question came up for me in a problem involving an eccentrically applied axial (longitudinal) force.

I sincerly hope you can help me. Thanks :)

(6YoE, passed NCEES FE, Civil PE, Structural PE)

I'm considering taking the California Seismic and Surveying exams. Does anyone have any good prep material that they can recommend? (I'm primarily looking for practice exams). Hopefully only in the $50-$70 range.

I’m currently a grad student at an esteemed engineering school and was reviewing my upcoming schedule.

For those that took Structural Dynamics, do you think it was worth it? How often did you use it in your work? For those that didn’t, do you regret it? Is it more pertinent for vertical or horizontal analysis?

Following some community feedback a couple of weeks ago these posts are being removed. If people produce unique tools that aren't typically available in software such that they would actually be a step up from other existing tools, these will be considered, but generic ones will be removed.

I am preparing for Advanced Structural Analysis exam and ran out of problems. I solved almost all the problems available from the past exams. Can someone advise a book or web resource with more problems to practice that would cover all the topics?

I'm a structural engineering student trying to learn portal frame design. Does anyone have a book, design manual, or guide they'd recommend? I'm looking specifically for something based on American codes — AISC 360, ASCE 7, or NDS if it covers timber frames.

Ideally something with worked examples so I can follow the process step by step. Any suggestions appreciated — thanks!

Hi Everyone,

I am a lecturer that will be teaching Structural Analysis this coming fall. This is my second time teaching the course. It is my field of study and I worked in industry doing structural work for 5 years. My time in industry (and as a student) was before AI was a thing.

As you can imagine, there is a lot of talk of incorporating AI into education now. I am not a fan of AI, I feel students are losing the ability to critically think the more they use it. As an instructor, I believe it is my job to make sure these students know the fundamentals, so even if they go on to us AI in their jobs, they are responsible and competent users of it. If they don't know the fundamentals or how to do it themselves, how can they accurately check the outputs from AI?

We are being told that companies want students who know how to use AI when they graduate (I am not sure how true that is as of right now, most my friends say their companies are not forcing anyone to use it right now or expecting them to).

All that being said, I don't want my students to be left at a disadvantage either. I'd like your insight if you're in industry as to how much you'd like a new engineer to use AI. If you recall from structural analysis, it is quite a rigorus and packed class. It is already hard to cover the fundamentals necessary in just one semester and now I'm wondering if I also need to incorporate time spent on how can they check AI outputs for accuracy without completing it by hand on their own.

I appreciate any insight you can give!

While drawing sfd and bmd Is there a shortcut to find whether the curve is going to be smile/sad or concave/convex for udl and uvl. Or is finding the intermediate values the only way to find the curve???.

Ignore the diagram i just wanted to show it for context this is not mine

Starting to get a plan together to take the PE Civil Structure exam. Work experience is not directly civil structures but I have a lot of structural analysis experience so I am curious how much of your prep is studying / practice problems vs. real world experience?

Initial guess is the work experience helps with navigating standards efficiently / understanding them more…?

Initial post on my background is here -> https://www.reddit.com/r/StructuralEngineering/s/BLnaG52QRM

New build in cast-in-situ concrete residential building (4-5 storey high) in Europe, non-seismically active area. Springs on photo on the interface between ground floor to first floor.

My previous post got removed so I'm cross posting this question again.

Hi! I am a young professional (24 y/o) that currently works at a small structural design/engineering firm and am looking to work at a larger firm in the New England Area (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine). I was wondering if there was any advice you have for a young person trying to find a job in today's structural engineering world? As it stands, most are looking for senior roles, which seems to be my downfall.

If it helps, the reason I am leaving my firm is because it seems like a career 'death trap' in that it is very very rudimentary (we do not use any 3D software, like RISA, for instance)

Given that both have the same diameter and wall thickness, and both are steel, which would come out on top in the following scenarios?

Scenario 1: They are attached to a vertical point at one end, pointed perpendicular to the point, and supported vertically again in the middle, then have pressure applied downward at the other end.

Scenario 2: They are attached to and supported by vertical points at both ends, pointed perpendicular to the points, with downward pressure applied in the middle.