Professional Organizations

[shemp]

My company will pay for membership in two professional organizations (such as ACI, AISC, ASCE, etc...)and I am trying to decide which ones to join. Which ones seem to be the most beneficial?
I'm most interested in helpful publications regarding building design.

 

[Polecat]

Shemp:

It all depends on what you do primarily.
If you are strictly structural, then ACI and AISC would be a good bet. However, ASCE offers not only structural info, but also a whole host of other valuable stuff.

I would put ASCE first, and then one of the others depending on what your particular design discipline is.

http://www.spiraleng.com

 

[dison]

Shemp,

I agree with Polecat that ASCE would be the most appropriate organization for membership to cover structures and all of civil engineering. ASCE has the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI), to which you can be a member for free if you are an ASCE member (with the publication Structures). In my experience, ASCE also has the more active local groups where technical meetings and conferences along with networking can be advantages.

If publications are your main incentive, some may be obtained without membership (for example, Modern Steel magazine from AISC). Many other publications are only discounted by memberships.

To summarize:
1) The organization that you will be most active in will provide the best membership rewards, so choose what you want to do.

2) The organization that can best help you career-wise will be the one most closely linked to your business class and technical skills. ~dison

 

[dlew]

shemp,

I would choose ASCE and ACI. Membership in them will give you access to regular publications as "Civil Engineering", and "Concrete International". On ASCE you can subscribe also to specialized journal as Structural, Geotechnical, and many others.

Normally, you will get a reduced price for publications and seminars.

I think membership in AISC is more appropiate for companies rather than individual engineers. I may be wrong on that.

AEF