14 minute read
CASE in Point
Mark your calendars now for Engineers Week, February 19-25, 2012. This year’s theme of 7,000,000,000 People – Seven Billion Dreams highlights engineers’ vast reach, making dreams real all over the world. ASCE invites you to take part in the festivities whether as an individual, civil engineering organization or ASCE Section or Branch. To make planning easier ASCE has celebration ideas, tips for planning outreach events, low cost and free resources, and staff standing by to answer your Engineers Week questions. Take advantage of online information, available on the ASCE website at www.asce.org/Outreach/Engineers-Week-2012/. Order free Engineers Week posters at outreach@asce.org. Tips to get started: 1) Start by naming an Engineers Week contact for your Section or Branch. Name one contact to receive this year’s support information for Engineers Week. 2) Recogize a special volunteer at the ASCE Multi-Regional Leadership Conferences. Send the name and mailing address of one community volunteer from your Section/Branch who deserves special recognition to outreach@asce.org. Questions? Feel free to contact Leslie Payne, Senior Manager, Pre-college Outreach at ASCE. Call 703-295-6364 or email outreach@asce.org.
Wind Beam Trial Design Problem
Call for Participation
Submit a Trial Design Solution and be entered in a drawing to win a copy of ASCE/SEI 7-2010 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures. Trial Design problems are an investigation into how structural engineers interpret code provisions. The exercise is designed to take about an hour, and all solutions will be anonymous in the publication of results. Your participation will help ensure that ASCE/SEI standards continue to provide information clearly. Send in your solution today and encourage your colleagues to participate as well. Visit the SEI website at www.asce.org/SEI for more information and to download the exercise. Submit your solution by March 1, 2012 to: Suzanne Fisher at sfisher@asce.org.
EMI/PMC 2012 South Bend, Indiana June 17-20, 2012
The College of Engineering at the University of Notre Dame is proud to host the 2012 Joint Conference of the Engineering Mechanics Institute and 11th ASCE Joint Specialty Conference on Probabilistic Mechanics and Structural Reliability (EMI/PMC 2012) June 17-20, 2012. The joint conference provides a major forum for the exchange of ideas and discussion of recent developments in all mechanics, materials, probabilistic-methods and structural reliability fields. Mark your calendars for June 17-20, 2012 and visit http://emipmc12.nd.edu/index.html to stay abreast of all the latest news on EMI/PMC 2012.
SAVE THE DATE
ATC & SEI Advances in Hurricane Engineering Conference
Miami, Florida October 24-26, 2012
www.atc-sei.org/
2012 Electrical Transmission and Substation Structures Conference
Columbus, Ohio November 4-8, 2012
http://content.asce.org/conferences/ets2012/index.html
ASCE’s Annual 2012 Conference in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Make your plans to attend ASCE’s 142nd Annual Civil Engineering Conference in Montreal, October 18-20, 2012. With a cutting edge conference theme of Civil Engineering in the New Global Economy and a world crossroads location of Montreal, there are certain to be sessions and events that spark ideas for new solutions to worldwide challenges and emerging markets. Or, hear topics and discussions on matters you will be facing in the future; stay ahead of the competition. Visit the ASCE Conference website at www.asce.org/conferences for more information about ASCE’s 142nd Annual Civil Engineering Conference.
CASE in Point
The Council of American Structural Engineers (CASE) is a national association of structural engineering firms. CASE provides a forum for action to improve the business of structural engineering through implementation of best practices, reduced professional liability exposure and increased profitability. Our mission is to improve the practice of structural engineering by providing business practice resources, improving quality, and enhancing management practices to reduce the frequency and severity of claims. Our vision is to be the leading provider of risk management and business practice education, and information for use in the structural engineering practice. Your membership gets you free access to contracts covering various situations, as well as access to guidance on AIA documents, free national guidelines for the Structural Engineer of Record designed to help corporate and municipal clients understand the scope of services structural engineers do and do not provide, free access to tools which are designed to keep you up to date on how much risk your firm is taking on and how to reduce that risk, biannual CASE convocations dedicated to Best Practice structural engineering, bi-monthly Business Practice and Risk Management Newsletter, AND free downloads of all CASE documents 24/7. For more information go to www.acec.org/case or contact Heather Talbert at htalbert@acec.org. You must be an ACEC member to join CASE. You can follow ACEC Coalitions on Twitter – @ACECCoalitions.
CASE to Present at NASCC: The Steel Conference 2012
Shop Drawings and the SER: To Do or Not To Do? That is the Question.
In today’s world of sophisticated structural analysis and design software, Building Information Modeling (BIM) and 3D steel detailing software, has the time come for the SER to prepare the shop drawings for the Fabricator? This process has been used routinely for many years for highway bridges, and is occasionally being used today for buildings. Should this practice become the standard? While this seems to answer the question of responsibility for connection design once and for all, it raises many new concerns. Are engineers properly trained and experienced in the preparation of shop and fabrication drawings? How does this affect the allocation of risk and responsibility on a project? What impact would this have on the business practices of both engineers and fabricators? Would this practice help or hinder the process? Moderated by CASE Programs and Communications member Edward W. Pence, Jr., P.E., S.E., F. ASCE, the panel of experts consisting of a fabricator – Chet McPhatter, COO Banker Steel Company, an engineer – Darren R. Hartman, P.E., LEED AP, Vice President, Thornton Tomasetti, and a detailer – Tom Vossmeyer, P.E., President, International Design Services, Inc. will each present their particular experiences and ideas regarding this practice, and predict how this would affect them. This will be followed by a Q&A period from the audience. The results of this presentation and discussion will be presented as a “white paper” to the AISC Code of Standard Practice Committee. To learn more about the CASE session and the Steel Conference 2012, scheduled for April, go to www.aisc.org.
Donate to the CASE Scholarship Fund!
The ACEC Council of American Structural Engineers (CASE) is currently seeking contributions to help make the structural engineering scholarship program a success. The CASE scholarship, administered by the ACEC College of Fellows, is awarded to a student seeking a Bachelor’s degree, at a minimum, in an ABET-accredited engineering program. We have all witnessed the stiff competition from other disciplines and professions eager to obtain the best and brightest young talent from a dwindling pool of engineering graduates. One way to enhance the ability of students in pursuing their dreams to become professional engineers is to offer incentives in educational support. In addition, the CASE scholarship offers an excellent opportunity for your firm to recommend eligible candidates for our scholarship. If your firm already has a scholarship program, remember that potential candidates can also apply for the CASE Scholarship or any other ACEC scholarship currently available. Your monetary support is vital in helping CASE and ACEC increase scholarships to those students who are the future of our industry. All donations toward the program may be eligible for tax deduction and you don’t have to be an ACEC member to donate! Contact Heather Talbert at htalbert@acec.org to donate.
CASE Updates its Risk Management Toolkit with Tool 2-3: Employee Evaluations
Act Now! Early Bird Rate for the ACEC Spring Convention 2012
It is understood that employee evaluations are common practice, and that the importance of a regular evaluation may not need to be explored. But perhaps your fi rm could benefi t from viewing the evaluation process from a diff erent perspective; instead of a once-a-year check-in where staff and management exchange thoughts on performance, use the employee evaluation as a form of risk management to proactively monitor performance, and to protect the business. CASE Tool 2-3: Employee Evaluations assists the structural engineering offi ce in evaluating employee performance. Th e evaluations provide a method to assess employee performance and serve as an integral part of the company’s risk management program. Th e tool is set up as a document that can be selectively edited and customized by the user to best suit their engineering fi rm. It is understood that many, if not all, engineering offi ces already implement some form of an evaluation procedure, whether it be a formal and regularly scheduled event or an informal, more impromptu meeting that is not regularly scheduled. In any case, the goal is not to advocate for the introduction of evaluations into a fi rm’s regular practice, as this should already be a fi rm policy. Th e goal is to present diff erent options, new questions, new ideas and techniques that will make your fi rm’s evaluation procedure better. It is the third tool related to the Second Foundation for Risk
Management, Prevention and Proactivity.
Developed by the CASE Toolkit Committee, this tool is available at www.booksforengineers.com.
ACEC’s Spring Convention 2012 will be held April 15-18, 2012 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, DC. Speaking highlights for this year’s convention include Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour on the 2012 Election, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell on Infrastructure Politics, a keynote address from Lee McIntire, CEO CH2M HILL, and a CEO Panel with Steven Blake, ARCADIS, Andrew Buckley, Cardno, and George Little, HDR. In between helping ACEC’s lobbying eff orts on the Hill, you can participate in the Small/Large Firm Teaming Fair and Federal Markets Conference, earn PDHs at leading-edge business seminars, and network with players in key markets. Th e conference culminates with the Engineering Excellence Awards Gala. Th e “Academy Awards” of the engineering industry recognizes preeminent engineering achievements for 2011 from throughout the world, including the Grand Conceptor Award for the best overall engineering accomplishment. A distinguished panel of judges representing a variety of professions will select this year’s best engineering triumphs using criteria such as uniqueness and originality, complexity, and technical, economic and social value. Th ese awards affi rm the vital role of ACEC member fi rms in enhancing the quality of life and security of America and the world. Take advantage of the early bird registration and save $100 if you register by March 7, 2012. For more information and to register, go to www.acec.org/conferences/annual-12/index.cfm.
100 Years of Excellence
AnnuAl Convention and legislAtive summit
April 15-18, 2012 Grand Hyatt Hotel Grand Hyatt Hotel Washington, D.C.
CASE in Point
What is Structural Engineering Exactly?
By Erik Nelson, P.E., S.E.
This is the first in a series of articles that will lay out my thoughts about my profession. I start with some common definitions of structural engineering and then present my own perceptions. A popular but limited definition of structural engineering is “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.” (For its history, see Jon Schmidt’s “InFocus” column in the January 2009 issue of STRUCTURE, “The Definition of Structural Engineering.”) This is clever and fun but only addresses uncertainty of forces and materials. What a limited understanding of what we do! Yes, we are experts in the ability to make decisions under great amounts of uncertainty, but that is only one aspect of our work. Stress and strain are necessary calculations but represent only a small fraction of all that we do; otherwise, we could be completely replaced by computers. Those of us who do genuine engineering are never concerned about this. Another flawed definition comes from the British Institution of Structural Engineers: “Structural engineering is the science and art of designing and making, with economy and elegance, buildings, bridges, frameworks and other similar structures so that they can safely resist the forces to which they may be subjected.” This sounds pretty good, right? Unfortunately, it fails completely in describing how one goes about designing. Like most other definitions, it puts too great an emphasis on force resistance. Yes, we proportion members based largely on forces, but that is only one of many design considerations – we also have to take construction practices, architectural constraints, client needs, and many other factors into account. As Hardy Cross famously put it, “Strength is essential, but otherwise unimportant.” The American Society of Civil Engineers unfortunately defines civil engineering thus: “The profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and physical sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize economically, the materials and forces of nature for the progressive well-being of humanity in creating, improving and protecting the environment, in providing facilities for community living, industry and transportation, and in providing structures for the use of humankind.” How could a definition of engineering omit the most important word – design! This one is lengthy and dull, and fails to describe what we do, instead focusing on the end product, what we make. Saying that a cook makes cake does not describe cooking very well. Here is more of the same from the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE): “Engineering is the creative application of scientific principles used to plan, build, direct, guide, manage, or work on systems to maintain and improve our daily lives.” This suggests that our creativity is not employed for artistry, self-expression, costs, or constructibility, but solely for science. That is just plain weird – and wrong. The applied science portion of what we do is actually the easiest and most straightforward. It is objective and has its own linear, step-wise methodology. That is why young engineers are doing the calculations and the modeling, while more experienced engineers are doing less. Yes, it needs to be right, so there is a lot of responsibility in this phase; but that does not necessarily make it difficult. The experienced ones are doing the other 90% of what we do, the more difficult tasks that require much more than calculations. Design is the other 90% of engineering that is only achieved after one graduates from being a mere applied scientist (or technician) to being a genuine engineer! It is a widespread misconception that engineers are applied scientists. Scientists are applied scientists. Most of our engineering educators are applied scientists. Scientists make sense of what exists in nature. They test and examine nature. Scientists discover. Engineers take nature and make what exists outside of it. Engineers invent and create. Engineers are makers. Engineers are designers. Alan Harris put it succinctly: “Engineering is no more applied science, than painting is applied chemistry.” Here is my own definition: “Structural engineering is the design of BIG things.” The know-how required to do this is immense and is only obtained via lifelong learning. Engineers are 1% to 10% of each of the following: • Scientists • Mathematicians • Computer Scientists • Information Seekers (State of the Art) • Specialists in Systems • Experts in Construction • Citizens of a Locality of Construction
Practices and Material Availability • Cost Estimators or Experts on Best
Practices to Reduce Cost • Experts on Local Fabrication and
Construction Technologies • Experts on Building Codes,
Specifications, Standards, Guides, and
Regulations • Risk Evaluators and Code Interpreters • Experts in Calculations • Experts in Three-Dimensional
Representation in the Mind • Experts in Synthesizing Complex/
Unsolvable Things into Simple/
Solvable things. • Experts in Analysis Modeling Using
Software • Skeptics of Engineering Software • Debaters of Efficiency, Economy, and
Elegance • Artists, Philosophers, Poets, and
Dreamers with Unconstrained
Self-Expression • Drafters and/or BIM Specialists • Collaborators Working Within
Design Teams • Listeners of the Vision and Needs of the Project/Client/Architect • Users of Rules of Thumb (Heuristics) • Experts in the Ability to Make
Decisions Under Great Amounts of
Uncertainty Structural (and civil) engineering is the design of big things. This definition may contribute to a positive “rebranding” of the profession which may improve the career appeal of our profession and hopefully help with the dismal 50% retention rate in our engineering schools. We have a marketing problem of clearly describing what we do. Engineering is so much more than completing calculation procedures!▪ Erik Anders Nelson, P.E., S.E. (ean@structuresworkshop.com), is owner of Structures Workshop, Inc. in Providence, RI. He teaches one class per semester at the Rhode Island School of Design and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Please visit and comment on his blog at www.structuresworkshop.com/blog.