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Hello all,
I would like to bring your attention a move by the Florida Structural Engineer's Association to make a separate Structural Engineer license (SE) from the current Professional Engineer (PE) license that a civil engineer now must have to design structures. Here is a link to the Structure magazine where you can read more on page 21.
I disagree with this move by the FSEA because it is part of a pattern to push more regulation onto businesses in the name of “safety.” Currently, a PE has an 8 hour exam, on top of another 8 hour fundamentals of engineering exam, on top of 4 years of experience. A PE is required to only practice in areas where he is competent, just because you have a PE license doesn’t mean you design structures if your knowledge is in waste water. An SE license is a 16 hour exam, and most SEs will take that on top of their PE license. Where does it end?
I think the truth is that structural engineers pushing for this are looking at their bottom line. To me, this nation wide push for a 16 hour exam, in the nation where the Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building, and Hoover Dam were designed without such an onerous requirement, is guildism. Not only that, but it sets a bad precedent. Pretty soon, we’ll see a push for a separate geotechnical license, after all, foundations are important too and people can die if they fail; a separate license for mechanical engineers designing hospital HVAC, after all, people can get really sick when the HVAC is malfunctioning and they can die.
While we're at it, let's just dismember civil engineering as profession and have a separate license for all our niches. As long as we can have the word "death", "catastrophe", or any fear words, I'm sure we'll have a license for it.
Finally, for all the talk of STEM education in our society, how do we promote civil engineering to young people by saying “well, you see, you take an 8 hour exam, then wait 4 years, then another 8 hour exam…but that’s not enough see, you need to then take another 16 hour exam…oh, and you have to fill out lots of paperwork and documentation too.”
If you want to end the madness, find a Florida legislator and let them know your thoughts.
I doubt the FSEA or the "experts" are going to change their minds; they've made them up a long time ago and are pushing this on all 4 cylinders because it'll mean more money for a few at the expense of the many. Make sure you mention that businesses and governments will incur greater costs overpaying overqualified engineers and that will kill jobs.
Don't believe me, just look at the "great" state of Illinois, one of the most business unfriendly states, where, (suprise, suprise), you cannot even design a 3 story building, 20 foot bridge, any structure without an SE license. Manufacturers in Illinois felt too warm and fuzzy about the safety of their structures, so they've been moving them across the border to Indiana, Kentucky, Wisconsin...any place but the land of Lincoln.
I would like to bring your attention a move by the Florida Structural Engineer's Association to make a separate Structural Engineer license (SE) from the current Professional Engineer (PE) license that a civil engineer now must have to design structures. Here is a link to the Structure magazine where you can read more on page 21.
I disagree with this move by the FSEA because it is part of a pattern to push more regulation onto businesses in the name of “safety.” Currently, a PE has an 8 hour exam, on top of another 8 hour fundamentals of engineering exam, on top of 4 years of experience. A PE is required to only practice in areas where he is competent, just because you have a PE license doesn’t mean you design structures if your knowledge is in waste water. An SE license is a 16 hour exam, and most SEs will take that on top of their PE license. Where does it end?
I think the truth is that structural engineers pushing for this are looking at their bottom line. To me, this nation wide push for a 16 hour exam, in the nation where the Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building, and Hoover Dam were designed without such an onerous requirement, is guildism. Not only that, but it sets a bad precedent. Pretty soon, we’ll see a push for a separate geotechnical license, after all, foundations are important too and people can die if they fail; a separate license for mechanical engineers designing hospital HVAC, after all, people can get really sick when the HVAC is malfunctioning and they can die.
While we're at it, let's just dismember civil engineering as profession and have a separate license for all our niches. As long as we can have the word "death", "catastrophe", or any fear words, I'm sure we'll have a license for it.
Finally, for all the talk of STEM education in our society, how do we promote civil engineering to young people by saying “well, you see, you take an 8 hour exam, then wait 4 years, then another 8 hour exam…but that’s not enough see, you need to then take another 16 hour exam…oh, and you have to fill out lots of paperwork and documentation too.”
If you want to end the madness, find a Florida legislator and let them know your thoughts.
I doubt the FSEA or the "experts" are going to change their minds; they've made them up a long time ago and are pushing this on all 4 cylinders because it'll mean more money for a few at the expense of the many. Make sure you mention that businesses and governments will incur greater costs overpaying overqualified engineers and that will kill jobs.
Don't believe me, just look at the "great" state of Illinois, one of the most business unfriendly states, where, (suprise, suprise), you cannot even design a 3 story building, 20 foot bridge, any structure without an SE license. Manufacturers in Illinois felt too warm and fuzzy about the safety of their structures, so they've been moving them across the border to Indiana, Kentucky, Wisconsin...any place but the land of Lincoln.
