Shazeb Mirza:
You don’t really take advantage of the codes, they take serious and full advantage of you, and you pretty much have to abide by them as you do your designs, depending upon the locale and its particular codes. You read them the first time (or the first few times) just to start to understand what’s there and where it is. Generally, you read them very carefully, and in detail, not like any pleasure reading. Read the commentaries too, for each section as you study it. They give you some insight as to the thinking behind the code requirements. Study the textbook you learned from, again, as it relates to each code section, and see how they relate. Then, you have to start using the code for everyday design problems, that is really the only way to learn the various codes and stds. You might look at various design guides for the various materials and codes, or look at old plans, designs and calcs. and study them, along with your textbooks, for how they are done and how the code sections apply to them. This learning process is not easy the first time around, and it is getting more difficult as the codes get ever more complex, and the designs we are required to do become more and more complicated too. Help from senior engineers or mentors at your work place is always helpful too.
Good to know the trick.
