So is the Structural Designer dead? 1

[WARose]

Lately I've been going to a lot of interviews.....and one key thing I keep hearing is: I can't expect much in the way of drafting help. I talked to a group the other day (on the phone) and asked them point-blank: do you have anyone that can take a set of GAs and equipment drawings and (with some input from me) give me a framing/foundation layout? After a lot of throat clearing.....the answer was "no".

Has anyone else noticed this? I worked with a lot of designers early on in my career (at the large EPC outfits)....now, it seems like there is no one left. Furthermore, a lot of companies don't seem to be grooming people for that role. At best, they'll try to turn a engineer into that role.

 

[12345abc6ttyui67]

Here the norm is about 2 structural designers for every 1 engineer.

Depending on the job scope it goes one of two ways:
1) Lots of space for the new thing - engineer sketches what they want and the designers do the modeling and drawings.
2) Lots of constraints on the space - structural designers model and draw what they think will work (which avoids the constraints) and the engineers check it is suitable / modify as required. Input from engineer during modeling if required.