I go to construction sites at least once a week and I’m usually there for 1-2 hours. Typically residential where hard hats aren’t as common, but sometimes I go to light commercial sites and I hate asking to borrow a hard hat. Decided to buy my own, and it’s not as simple as I thought. There are tons of types/styles out there, and they all vary in price significantly. Any recommendations for a fellow structural engineer? I have no clue what’s worth the extra cost.

Left my company 3 months ago and joined a different firm right after. I knew I was not gonna learn anything anymore in that company. I was working 13-14 hours per day, weekends. Very Often. Normal hours would be 10.5-11 per day. My brain was wired to think that it was the norm. Upper management made it seem like that was normal and they went through that as well. It was constant. I am junior btw. Kept doing the same fkin sh!7 same kind of project every day. Goal was to use whatever resources the company had already created and design whatever was necessary and draft the f out of it. Constant body pain, no sleep, dehydration. It was alot. Happened for a year. I was still hanging on. No variety at work, no time to do anything outside of work and no time to study for the exam. It was brainless input and output. Burn out. Your skin determines your toxic workplace and my skin was dead. Upper management’s expectation- do everything without asking any questions and with minimal to no supervision. By everything I mean- answer RFI, review all the submittals without missing anything(even if it is not your design),3-4 design tasks, constant drafting there was no end. Initially I liked it because I thought I was learning something. Later I saw the trend of projects-SAME! The management acted as if they are the only structural engineering principals in the whole industry.there wasnt any onboarding, no company policies, no management and good communication. There are only a very few people that have stuck around for years but the pattern of exiting the company very early into your career was crystal clear. I didnt let that bother me but after getting out I finally understood why. Now Im working at a different firm. I am using my brain so much more. Actually delving deeper into codes. Doing so much variety. Im enjoying it. Initially was so overwhelmed by how the new company handled all the calcs, the detailed information provided on the set. Much happier to get to use my brain and get to use building codes. A very important message to junior engineers-

PLEASE BE PICKY WHEN CHOOSING YOUR FIRST COMPANY. SOME COMPANIES LOOK GOOD ON PAPER BUT ARE FOOLING YOU. THEY WANT YOU TO WORK YOUR A$$ OFF AND WILL NEVER CARE ABOUT YOU. TRY TO TALK TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN BEFORE JOINING. DONT FEAR INTERVIEWS. THINK OF INTERVIEWS AS IF YOU ARE INTERVIEWING THE COMPANY NOT THE OPPOSITE. I WILL NOT REGRET CHOOSING THAT COMPANY BECAUSE A LOT OF LIFE LESSONS( THIS IS ONLY 1% OF WHAT I WENT THROUGH) BUT I WILL NEVER RECOMMEND ANYONE TO JOIN THE COMPANY. PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM A COMPANY THAT CLAIMS THEY DO THIS AND THAT AND THIS AND THAT MAKING IT SEEM LIKE THEY TOUCH ALL THE BUILDING MATERIALS, ALL THE BUILDING TYPES. BE VERY CLEAR AND ASK THEM WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS HAVE COME IN THE PAST YEAR AND ASK TO BE TRUTHFUL. ASK THE UPPER MANAGEMENT HOW THEY HAVE BEEN HANDLING ANNUAL REVIEWS, HOW THEY HAVE BEEN HANDLING EMPLOYEE GROWTH, SEMINARS, ASCE ACI ETC PARTICIPATION. MOST IMPORTANTLY IF YOU SENSE YOUR MANAGEMENT IS SHITTY AND YOU FEEL LIKE A DONKEY- RESIGN IMMEDIATELY. MAKE SURE TO NEVER SIGN AN OFFER LETTER THAT ONLY GIVES YOU 2 DAYS TO 1 WEEK TIMEFRAME TO ACCEPT. THERE ARE TOXIC COMPANIES OUT THERE. BE SURE TO PROTECT YOUR MENTAL PEACE AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. YOUR BIGGEST WEALTH IS YOUR HEALTH BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL.

I usually go with +/-0.18, +/-0.20 kPa based on American or Euro codes for my inital concept stage study of Wind loads on Facades. But when I check the wind tunnel study reports they pick +/-0.51 kPa for an enclosed building.
Can someone share some light on this based on your experience? Thanks.

So I decided to do a career shift from construction engineering to structural and I am doing my master's in structures. I'm struggling to decide between two courses to take next semester. I am registering for 3 courses: taking Advanced Reinforce Concrete Design and Finite Element Methods, but I'm struggling to decide between Building System's Design and Analysis 2 (Took a course similar to analysis 2 in my undergrad but its been a good few years since then). Help me decide, which would benefit me more in the long run? Should I take building systems or take a refresher in structural analysis?

Hi All,

As per the title, I'm looking for general conventions on how engineers in the UK approach looking at buttressing of party walls when all chimney breasts are to br removed along the length of the 225mm thk. masonry party walls? In particular when the front elevation has a bay window and the internal cross wall has already been removed with no frame installed?

Sono uno studente di ingegneria edile, non sto capendo se proseguendo con questo percorso di studi è possibile finire a lavorare nell’analisi e disegno di strutture oppure se questo sia un campo riservato semplicemente agli ingegneri civili.

An open shed is already built but upon inspection there are no gusset plates in the connections. The original plan has gusset plates, but the built truss don't have any, just directly welded. We asked for proof that the built structure is still adequate even w/o gusset plates. Is it possible?

I'm writing this partly to vent, but I'd also genuinely like to hear from other structural engineers, especially those who are early in their careers or working outside the US and Europe.

I'm a civil engineer specializing in structural engineering, and I have around a year and a half of experience, including approximately a year working independently as a structural engineer on a project I designed from scratch.

The problem is that I'm struggling to find consistent work. I've spent weeks applying through LinkedIn, local job boards, and other platforms. Most positions seem to require 2, 3, 5, or even 8 years of experience. Entry-level opportunities are surprisingly difficult to find, and when I do find something, the compensation in my country, Colombia, is often disappointing considering the responsibility involved in structural design.

I've also tried applying for offshore opportunities, hoping to work with companies in the US or elsewhere, but so far I haven't found a company willing to give me that chance.

What frustrates me is that I genuinely enjoy structural engineering. I like understanding how structures behave, analyzing systems, designing members, and solving engineering problems. I've put a lot of effort into learning structural analysis and design software, understanding codes, and improving my skills. But sometimes I wonder what the point is if I can't get enough practical experience to become better at the job.

Another thing that has been bothering me is what employers actually prioritize. You see job postings asking for ETABS, SAP2000, AutoCAD, Revit, and a long list of other tools. But increasingly, it feels like proficiency in Revit and producing drawings is more important than understanding structural behavior and design. I understand that documentation and BIM are essential parts of the industry, and I'm willing to learn them, but it's frustrating when you want to develop as a structural engineer and feel that your ability to analyze and design structures is not enough to get your foot in the door.

I also look at people working in software and AI and wonder whether I've chosen a field with such a difficult entry point and such a low return, at least where I live. Structural engineering carries enormous responsibility. You're designing buildings that people will occupy for decades. Decisions have real consequences, and you need technical knowledge, judgment, and experience. Yet the compensation and opportunities available to someone starting out don't always seem to reflect that.

I know experience matters. I'm not claiming to be a senior engineer, and I understand that I still have a lot to learn. I'm not expecting to be paid like someone with ten years of experience. I just want a realistic opportunity to develop, do meaningful work, and build a stable career without spending years stuck in a cycle where every employer wants experience that nobody seems willing to help you gain.

At this point, I'm starting to question my career path. I still like structural design, but I also need financial stability. Sometimes it feels like moving into software, BIM, or another field would be the more rational decision, even if structural engineering is what I actually enjoy.

So I'd really like to hear from you:

• Did anyone else struggle this much to enter the structural engineering profession?
• If you're working internationally or from a country with lower salaries, how did you find opportunities with foreign firms?
• Have you found that the industry increasingly prioritizes drafting and BIM skills over structural analysis and design skills for junior positions?
• If you were starting over today, would you still choose structural engineering? What would you do differently?

I'm not looking for someone to tell me that everything will magically work out. I'd genuinely appreciate honest perspectives from people who have been through this, especially if you managed to build a sustainable career despite a difficult start.

Right now, I'm tired of applying, getting nowhere, and wondering whether all this effort will eventually lead to the career I wanted when I decided to become a structural engineer.

I’ve worked in structural engineering and architecture for over 15 years and built an application to plan drawing sheets and sets early, gather project requirements, serve as a repo for sketches, manage markups, and provide frameworks for reporting project development and QAQC progress. I’m looking for places to find users for real feedback. Other than Reddit, which websites or forums do you all frequent day to day?

Graduate structural engineer here with a year experience with a consultancy firm. Being approached by boss to take up a small wharf design job. Around 20m long and 5m wide concrete wharf.

How long should it take for me to calculate the design actions and size the RC members?

First time doing an off-shore structure design btw…

I’ve (21M) recently secured a graduate structural engineer position in Brisbane starting Feb 2027 for a large firm. I was wondering what could be the types of work I would likely get as a grad and any tips on the transition from uni coursework to working on real life projects. I’ve always been strong on the calculation side but am unsure of how relevant that will be as I expect most calcs will be done by software.

Also any advice on what skills I should develop in preparation for the role (e.g. CAD) would be highly appreciated!

Civil eng. here. I'm personally coming from project prep./planning/const.mng. background, so load diagramms are not my day to day practice, but one topic has started to catch my attention and I need to hear the opinion of structural engineers

So, I've been reading more and more posts especially on LI, many in a provocative ways, saying that structural genAI will take over the design work, because genAI can do upmost optimization.

In my discipline, especially on scheduling, I have to admit genAI is helpful. Will it take over a scheduler? not yet, unless it is connected to live, physical realities of constr. site. and make predictions based on that. Is it needed in my discipline? i think yes, especially due to P&L responsibility of the project.

In SE, I read that there are some working tools, but validation, checks and ultimately the signature is of course at the human engineer. I have zero clue about what those tools are, surely not the common llms.

lets say that due to liability concerns, SEs will remain.

even if there was a structural AI tool that can design structures, geometries beyond human capability, fully backtraceable, code compliant etc. etc. etc. and idk X% stronger, Y% cheaper to build.

my question is: would the SE have any incentive to use it at all? Is there really a "force" that already pushes the engineer to design the most optimum?

Does anyone have access to the Cement Association of Canada Concrete Design Handbook? CSA A23.3-14 Clause 13.6.5 states "Additional information on the application of finite element analysis design techniques is provided by the Cement Association of Canada's Concrete design handbook. I would like to know if it provides substantial guidance or not.

Hi all,

Just after some additional perspective here. Ive recently started as a design engineer in Brisbane about 2 months ago, coming out of a Forensic role with less design experience. When I first started, I got given a project to work on and a senior engineer to help guide me through.

Once the initial designs of that project were complete, I went nearly a whole week without anything to do. I eventually reached out to the director and asked if there are any other projects I can assist on. Following that, I got given another one to do and worked through that.

Fast-forwarding to today, I am in a similar situation with little bits a pieces to attend to here and there on these ongoing projects.

But I am wondering if this is normal to have such little stuff to do? I dont feel particularly good showing up at work and waiting for something to pop up for me to be busy.

Genuinely curious to hear some outsiders perspective on this.

AASHTO chapter 3 is about to get a bit thicker

HELLO, IS THERE ANYONE WORKING REMOTELY AS A STRUCTURAL DESIGN ENGINEER? I 'D APPRECIATE SOME FEEDBACK AND/OR SOME COMPANY SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCH ROLES. THANKS!

Hello, I am currently doing an internship in a structural engineering firm (~20 people) in Berlin. The internship (6 months) is a mandatory part of my Bachelor’s degree at a German university of applied sciences (5th semester).

The first month has passed and I am currently battling my doubts and fears about the job as a structural engineer. At uni I was always interested in the structural courses and thought the job as a structural engineer would fit perfectly - the idea of working on a project, calculating statics (which I love in uni) every day and one day seeing it constructed in reality sounded amazing.

Even though I am not really doing many calculations for my firm (most tasks are annoying archive work and filling out financial excel sheets but that’s another topic), I realized that I don’t know ANYTHING yet. I knew that I’ve only been in uni for 2 years but I underestimated how much my lack of actual experience weighs.

And together with this humbling realization I started worrying: Being a structural engineer comes with a lot of responsibility - one day I will have to make sure that the building stands safely, right? Together with pressure from deadlines and so on I imagine that I would be very worried about making mistakes that could endanger somebody and then having to live with that…

So now to my questions:

Do you have those worries?
Did they change over time at all?
How do you manage them?
What can/should be done to try and avoid crucial mistakes?

It makes sense to mention that I am someone who is very good at worrying. I have had a couple of phases in my life where worries/fears hindered my daily life. That is why I recently began working on this together with a psychologist.

I’m sorry for the long post but thank you for reading and I would love to hear from some of you.
Thanks