Introduction
In this content, a graduate structural engineer named Ben Hielscher, shares his insights on how he would go about learning structural engineering from scratch. For context, he has been in the engineering world for a little over five years now and currently works at a mid-size structural engineering firm. While he was at Uni, he did two internships, one at a small company and the other at a large one. Also, he ended up graduating with class one honors and the university medal for academic achievement.
He introduces the structural engineering roadmap, which covers all the important aspects that he believes you should focus on while you're at university. This content focuses on the "practical" section of the roadmap. Please refer to the section 'Keep exploring engineering ideas' for the remaining parts.
The structural engineering roadmap (Source : Ben Hielscher)
1. Structural Drawings
First up, we have structural drawings. Structural drawings are the final product of all the calculations and analysis we do as engineers, and these drawings are the only thing that builders actually care about because they have the detailed picture of exactly what they need to construct. But funnily enough, at uni, no one teaches you how to read or even make these drawings.
And although learning how to make these drawings is something that you can master over time when you start working, learning how to read these drawings is something that you can master now. You're going to need to get your hands on a set of drawings and then just do some practice. He suggests getting on Google and doing a search for a set of structural drawings and then just getting familiar with how things get displayed and referenced.
2. Construction Terminology
Learn the names of as many different things used in construction as possible. For instance, in steel construction, you'll need to be familiar with various building components such as rafters, struts, bracing, outriggers, fin plates, cam plates, tee plates, stiffeners, and fillet welds.
There are many different things you need to learn the names of in construction, and by simply attending class, you’re not going to learn those things. It is recommended to search for annotated diagrams of timber, concrete, and steel construction on Google. Try to memorize as many of these names as possible to enhance your understanding. One of the most overwhelming experiences for a graduate engineer is when people constantly discuss things you're unfamiliar with, so this process will undoubtedly pay off in a big way.
3. Software Programs
Obviously, these days analysis and design programs are a huge part of every engineer's workflow, so learning how to use these programs is not only going to make you a lot more employable, but it's going to make you a better engineer. He would learn four programs: Space Gass, Strand 7, RAM Concept, and RAPT. These programs may not be popular depending on your region, but as long as you're getting familiar with some sort of Steel design and concrete design program, you should be fine because amany of the skills are transferable to other programs.
(Editor's Note: The reason popular engineering software varies by region is because software produced in that region is likely to be optimized for the design codes of that region. For example, in the Asian region, midas Civil is widely used. I recommend you get information about which software is widely used through mentoring from professors and internships.)
For the remaining parts: Experience and Study Techniques, please refer to the section 'Keep exploring engineering ideas' for further details.
Reference
This content is based on Ben Hielscher's YouTube video, you can watch MOTIVATOR's original video titled "How I Would Learn Structural Engineering If I Could Start Over" for more insights.
Topics
#Structural engineering
#Ben Hielscher
#Motivations
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I’m Ben, a structural engineer. I make videos about tech, engineering, productivity and self-development. If you want to get in touch with me, please leave a comment on any of my videos, or for anything business related, send me an email.
Those who are interested, please feel free to visit my YouTube channel.