How to improve myself for the structural engineering industry 1

[jRodCE]

My current situation is that I have just been working in the civil industry for a year and a half. I have been trying to get into the structural engineering industry but do to the current condition of the economy no one is hiring right now plus everyone did most of their recruiting at the beginning of the year. I am 100% committed to get into the structural industry but it seems that probably won't be happening until early next year so I have about half a year to improve myself. I am enrolled in a graduate structural engineering program and I have even re-read all of my undergrad design textbooks just to refresh my memory and go over material which was not covered in school. I have also started familiarizing myself with programs like SAP2000 & EnerCalc using their trial versions.

Is there anything else I should be doing to prepare myself? Are there any other books that are a must have for Structural EIT, other than the design textbooks for concrete, masonry, steel, and timber? Are there any areas which you know most EIT usually need to work on? I would really like to hear from both EIT and more experienced engineers. I'm sure I didn't ask everything I should, so please feel free to comment. Thank you to all who reply.

 

[abusementpark]

Sounds good. We have a lot of spreadsheets for wood and masonry, and use Ram Advanse a lot for design of steel.

We have been using the Simpson Anchor Designer for Addendix D of ACI. It is free and here is the link.

http://www.simpsonanchors.com/software/anchor_design.html

I have verified its results once, which by no means completely checks it, but is a good start. Perhaps, when you are done with your sheet, you can compare the results.

 

[Lion06]

I actually made the sheet because someone in our office tried the Simpson program and couldn't verify it for cast-in anchors. I haven't tried it myself, but I have verified the tension spreadsheet I did with several examples in PCA Notes and random selections from the tables in PCA Notes.
I suppose I'll check out the Simpson program for myself.

 

[sandman21]

There is also DSanchor which is a really good program. Simpson has a "full" version in the works, meaning it can do more designs then it can now.

 

[Lion06]

I had a chance to check out the simpson program. It seems to work ok for very basic situations. Once I tried throwing some eccentricities on the anchors it messed everything up. Additionally, it doesn't use the hef that you input in the calculations - it knocks 3/4" off the hef value for some reason. It also requires edge distances for the base plate. That seems irrelevant for the calculations it is doing. I don't like it at all. I definitely will not use it.
I input an axial load of 11k and a moment of 1.83k-ft (an e of 2") and it gave me a total anchor load (on all 4 anchors) of somewhere around 14.2k. How does that happen? If I take the moment away, then it's ok. It's not distributing the forces properly to the anchors. And I've only looked at it for 15 min. I would definitely double check this program by hand or with another program and then check both by hand.

 

[jRodCE]

StructuralEIT,

Blodgett's Design of Welded Structures is a really great book. After going through it I understand why this is definitely must for any ones structural library.
For those of you who don't have the book, you really need to get it. Lincoln Electric has it for a better price than anyone else.

https://ssl.lincolnelectric.com/lincoln/apdirect/item.asp?prodnum=DWS

 

[RVSWA]

If you were to read and study these three books, you would have quite a good understanding of some of the lateral design procedures you will quite a leg up, that's in addition to all the texts mentioned above...

2006 IBC Structural Seismic Design Manual Volumes 1-3

 

[McQSE]

This is not on topic but StructuralEIT you may be interested in looking at this program for anchor design.

http://www.excelcalcs.com/repository/func-finishdown/442/

 

[McQSE]

Try this one instead.

http://www.excelcalcs.com/repositor...g/appendix-d--anchor-bolt-anchorage-aci-318/

 

[Lion06]

That's in SI units!

 

[Lion06]

I just found the US units sheet. All I can say is I am going to give myself a HUGE pat on the back. My sheet is so much easier to use and more comprehensive. That sheet doesn't even account for eccentricity for the steel strength in tension. You can't input spacings to get an accurate bolt group analysis, you have to actually enter ca,min and ca,max, Ase, and Abrg; you have to check both failure modes for shear breakout (breakout of group and breakout of first row), you can't select whether the anchors are welded to the plate or not, etc....
My sheet has all of the steel, and nut properties embedded. Simply pick an anchor size, nut type (square, heavy square, hex, heavy hex, nelson, or other) and it automatically inputs the Ase and Abrg. It does an elastic bolt group analysis to accurately capture the effects of eccentricity in all relevant failure modes. You can select whether the anchors are welded to the plate. It automatically calcs ca,min and max. It calcs both breakout modes and reports the controlling case. You can select if the shear force is parallel or perpendicular to the edge. I could go on, but I don't have all day, so I'll end with my sheet calcs everything...... all you do is input the geometry and the relevant things like supplemental reinf., ductile steel, f'c, etc. It even automatically determines if you have 3 or more sides affected by edge distances. You even have to input Avc for that sheet from that website.

 

[sandman21]

StructuralEIT, Nice job on the spreadsheet for App. D, mine is halfway done. I was also hoping you could answer a couple of questions about Ram Advanse, do you know if it does tapered beams? In addition, would you say it has the same 3-D capabilities as RISA 3-D. They do not give out demos for some reason so we cannot really compare answers or get a feel for the software. We currently have Enercalc and we want to drop it but it is hard to find good information about Ram Advanse.

 

[Lion06]

I only used RISA 3-D briefly in school and during my 1-year internship. I liked it and it is comparable to RAM Advanse in terms of capabilities, but I like the ease of use of RAM Advanse. I use it almost exclusively - even over RAM Structural Stystem.
You can do tapered beams in Advanse. The flange width and thickness have to be constant, but you can taper the depth.
Additionally, Advanse has some modules that mimic Enercalc (beams, RC columns, retaining walls, masonry walls, etc), though they're not quite as comprehensive.
Have you checked the website for RAM Advanse? I think you can get a trial copy.

 

[abusementpark]

RAM Advanse

 

[TimmyH76]

I haven't read all the previous post . But just so you know where I'm comng from I've been out of school ten yearsand in structural workfor eight. I've had a PE for 4 years. I started out in civil and waste water engineering and really wanted to get into structural (sounds simlar to you). My advice is to learn the codes...they don't each that in school. And this is not something that you will hear much, but if you can afford it, get a job as a "worker" on the jobs that you want to design. In 6 months or a year you will understand the problems that most engineers out of school have no idea about with respect to constructibility. This is a real asset to design buidl firms!! Best of luck.