What is structural engineering, Part 2 1

[samdamon]

The best definition I ever heard was:

" A structural engineer is a person who can design something to be built for one dollar that any damn fool could get built for two".

 

[csd72]

I think this one comes from the UK.

"The art of molding materials we do not wholly understand into shapes we cannot precisely analyze so as to withstand forces we cannot really assess in such a way that the community at large has no reason to suspect the extent of our ignorance."

 

[haynewp]

"The art of taking the most responsibility, enduring the most pressure, getting paid the least and doing it with a smile"

I love structural engineering itself but there are some things I wish I could change about it as a career.

 

[swearingen]

csd72,

The quote you list is my favorite and is posted right here on my office wall. I saw it attributed to Dr. A. R. Dykes in Desktop Engineering Magazine.

Non-engineers are often shocked when I tell them that the quote is precisely true and accurate.

 

[RockEngineer]

csd72's quote has been on the door to my office for years. Every once in a while it brings up a little controversy.

 

[mbullism]

I have the same quote pasted on my monitor, lol. It was then attributed to James Amrhein, 1985, but I'll be darned if I can remember where I came across it...

Along the lines of haynewp's quote, we live by "You can have it Fast, Cheap or Correct...Pick TWO."