Structural Engineers! Suggestions? 1

[davab]

Hello everyone,

I have been working at a structural engineering firm for about two months now. As I am sure everyone experienced, the codes can be really long and tricky, especially without much experience. IBC, CBC, ASCE, ACI, NDS, etc..
Do you guys read the codes to study them on your on? What would be a nice way of studying them, if any.
Thank you.

 

[msquared48]

Definitely in certin subject areas, especially when writing computer programs.

Also, searching for "outs", or exceptions, in the code due to jurisdictional comment answers.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

http://mmcengineering.tripod.com

 

[kylesito]

Yes, I have been known to pick it up and read it. They are quite long but most of the studying I do is for a particular subject when they come along...it's not like I just sit down and try to learn topics that I don't need for a specific job at the time.

Getting started though there is no substitute for experience and most of what you are probably going through will just take time to work through.



PE, SE
Eastern United States

"If a builder builds a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built falls in and kills its owner, then that builder shall be put to death!"
~Code of Hammurabi

 

[FSS]

Look on the bright side. They change every few years and you have to relearn a whole new set of rules, many of which don't make any sense.....

 

[kylesito]

They change every few years and you have to relearn a whole new set of rules

..sigh...but very true.

PE, SE
Eastern United States

"If a builder builds a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built falls in and kills its owner, then that builder shall be put to death!"
~Code of Hammurabi

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Do it on corporate time

 

[SLTA]

ASCE has seminars on ASCE-7 occasionally. That would be helpful in getting familiar with that one. The best way I learned the codes was studying for the PE.

 

[MrHershey]

I'll usually read them when looking to clarify things for others or looking for 'outs' as m^2 said.

Also have a habit of once a month or so scaring myself into thinking I screwed something up on a long lost project, so usually end up digging into the codes to convince myself otherwise.

Find it's also helpful to read journal articles and then the monthly magazines from AISC, ACI, etc. to dig even deeper.

 

[Ron]

It's a good idea to go through each code as it is produced. The current IBC cycle (and most state cycles) is to release a new version every 3 years. Some subcodes (ASCE 7, ACI 318) are on different cycles than the model code. As an example, ASCE can't decide whether it wants to be on a 2, 3, 4 or 5 year cycle....

ASCE 7-88
ASCE 7-93.....5
ASCE 7-95.....2
ASCE 7-98.....3
ASCE 7-02.....4
ASCE 7-05.....3
ASCE 7-10.....5

You don't have to study it, but you do need to know it in general and know where/how to find things.

Agree with FSS...many of the provisions don't make sense, are poorly defined and contradictory in some instances....but, in most cases you are required to follow the code.

Keep in mind that the model code does not always list the most recent version of the subcodes. Check the Reference Standards chapter (Currently Chapter 35 in the IBC) for the proper version of the subcodes and reference standards.

 

[dvd]

Books-on-tape and listen to them in the car on the way to work?

 

[steellion]

Codes can put you to sleep, so listening in the car could be dangerous.