Engineering Management Institute

TSEC 91: Renovation and Restoration of Existing Buildings (And the Importance of Teamwork)

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Existing BuildingsIn this episode, we talk to Geoff Smith, PE, LEED AP, a Senior Associate at Silman, about the process of existing buildings renovations, and how teamwork plays a major role in these types of projects.

Engineering Quotes:

Existing Buildings

Existing Buildings

Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Geoff:

  • What is meant by the words “existing building” and how can an existing building be sustainable?
  • Retrofitting an existing building can oftentimes be more cost-effective than building a new facility. How do you determine if the investment is worthwhile?
  • What is a probe campaign and how does it affect the renovation process?
  • Why are reviews of existing documents important when retrofitting a building?
  • What about the existing building history? Do you also have to review that?
  • What were some of the pros and cons of working with government agencies?
  • What makes a good collaborative team and how does it affect the projects they work on?
  • When working on renovations over a long time, how do you manage and improve team dynamics?
  • Do you have any career advice for structural engineers when working on building projects?

Here Are Some of the Key Points Discussed About Renovation and Restoration of Existing Buildings:

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TCEP 224: Civil Engineering Career Paths: The Options Are Endless

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Civil Engineering Career PathsIn this episode, I talk to Paul Lee, P.E., ENV SP, Energy Policy Analyst at the City of Los Angeles, Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, about a great opportunity that presented itself to him, touch on the different civil engineering career paths and their role in climate change, and discuss some of the challenges they face when working on renewable energy projects.

Engineering Quotes:

Civil Engineering Career Paths

Civil Engineering Career Paths

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Paul:

  • Can you please tell us about yourself and your career paths to date?
  • What made you get interested in policy?
  • What are some of the major challenges civil engineers face when working on renewable energy projects?
  • What is the role of civil engineers in combatting climate change?
  • How did you end up transitioning from a civil engineer associate into a policy-making role?
  • You were chosen for the lead role in the new ASCE film, called “Cities of the Future: Reimagining Our World.” How did you end up being chosen for the movie?
  • What is the movie about and how do you think it can help educate civil engineers on important industry-related changes?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Civil Engineering Career Paths: 

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How to Stand Out in High-Stakes Meetings

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This is a guest blog post by Dr. Angelique Adams

High-Stakes MeetingsHigh-stakes meetings are meetings where you want to impress people. You know that this kind of meeting is a great opportunity to get your ideas heard and possibly dazzle leaders with your brilliance.

The problem is when you get to the meeting, you choke!

You are nervous that you are going to say the wrong thing and that people are going to think you are stupid. Or, you are worried that you might inadvertently make a colleague look bad. You might have trouble following along in the meeting because they may be referring to terms, locations, or people that aren’t familiar to you.

What started out as an exciting opportunity, morphs into you spending the meeting thinking, “What should I say, and when should I say it?” Eventually, about halfway through the meeting, you start saying to yourself, “Oh my goodness, I am going to miss this opportunity”!

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone. Fortunately, there is an easy fix — if you’re willing to change your mindset.

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AECT 005: How 360-Cameras Are Becoming the New Standard for AEC Projects

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360-CamerasIn this episode, I talk to Brian Vizarreta, construction tech and marketing manager with StructionSite, about how 360-cameras are becoming the new standard for AEC projects and the impact it has on architectural and engineering projects.

Engineering Quotes:

360-Cameras

360-Cameras

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Brian:

  • Can you please tell our listeners about yourself and what you do daily?
  • How can 360-cameras make an impact on architectural and engineering projects?
  • How do you approach projects with the problem and then apply the correct technology for it?
  • How do you scale an internal technology program?
  • What implementation strategy would you suggest to field teams for successful product implementation?
  • How is the data being used in ways that were not always possible before?
  • How important do you deem feedback to the clients and how can companies create a feedback loop to track the return on investment?
  • Do you have any thoughts on best practices for bringing your product into a company?
  • What strategy are you using to market your product up to company operations levels?
  • What advice would you like to give our listeners?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About How 360-Cameras Are Becoming the New Standard for AEC Projects:

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TGEP 63: Keys to Success in Managing Successful Tunneling Projects

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tunneling projectsIn this episode, we talk to Conrad W. Felice, Ph.D., P.E., S.E., P.Eng, D.GE., F.ASCE, the Managing Principal at C. W. Felice, LLC as well as the Adjunct Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Florida, about soft ground tunneling projects and his experience working with design-build projects and industry associations.

Engineering Quotes:

tunneling projects

tunneling projects

Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Conrad:

  • What does the committee of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) do, and how it is helping the tunneling industry?
  • How does a tunnel built in soft ground — such as clay, silt, sand, gravel, or mud — compares to hard rock?
  • What are some of the factors to consider when selecting the most appropriate method for a particular tunnel?
  • When working on tunneling projects, how do you maintain product documentation?
  • How has reading contracts properly helped you in your tunneling projects?
  • Why would you say it is important to take risks in your career?
  • Can you talk to us about your participation in industry associations and professional development, and how it has benefited your engineering career?
  • What final piece of advice would you like to give to geotechnical engineers out there?

Here Are Some of the Key Points Discussed About Keys to Success in Managing Successful Tunneling Projects:

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Engineers Leave Companies When Their Career Paths Are Unclear

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career pathsHiring and training new employees is one of your biggest expenses, and it is costing you a lot more than money. In this post, I would like to provide strategies for improving your firm’s retention rate, regardless of how good (or bad) it may be.

The Cost to Replace a Highly Trained Employee Can Exceed 200% of Their Annual Salary. 

Many engineering companies are aware of this expense, yet they hold back on investing in initiatives that can reduce this expense by greatly improving retention and also making it easier to recruit when the time comes.

At EMI, we have surveyed and provided career coaching to thousands of engineers, and they continue to tell us that the most important thing to them in their careers is the opportunity to grow. Therefore, before anything else, including salary increases and promotions to new positions, you should consider how you can provide your employees with growth opportunities. That should be your number one focus.

One great way to do this is to chart out clear career paths for your staff. People really like to see the full length of the career paths they are traveling on as opposed to just the next one-hundred feet.

career paths

According to Willis Towers Watson, 76% of employees who fall into the “high-retention-risk” category are itching to leave because they have nowhere else to go on their current organization’s career ladder.

So, give then somewhere to go and offer professional training and development to help them get there.

Two Engineering Firms That Are Getting This Right

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TEQC 19: Quality Control Explained (For Young Engineering Professionals)

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Young Engineering ProfessionalsIn this episode, we talk to Kenneth James Taylor Jr., PE, a licensed Professional Engineer and a Senior Project Manager/Civil Engineering Group Leader at Verdantas about quality control for young professionals and how engineering managers can ensure their staff uses the correct quality control procedures in their projects.

Engineering Quotes:

Young Engineering Professionals

Young Engineering Professionals

Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Kenneth:

  • As a young engineering leader, why is quality control important to you in your career?
  • What is the outlook of a young professional on quality control?
  • How has your involvement with professional associations helped grow your engineering career?
  • Verdantas was created as a part of private equity acquisitions and they used a different approach to develop their quality control procedures. Can you tell us more about that and the procedure you use for quality control?
  • What technology are you using across your team to assist with quality control?
  • How can engineering managers ensure that young professionals are using the correct quality control procedures in their projects?
  • What suggestions would you have for someone who would be considering a career similar to yours?
  • What is the best way to connect with you should someone want to get in touch or learn more about what you are doing in your career?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Quality Control For Young Engineering Professionals:

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TEPM 5: How to Hold Your Project Managers Accountable (And Why It Matters)

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Project ManagersIn this episode, I talk about how you can hold your project managers accountable and why it matters by providing you with three specific steps you can start implementing right away.

Engineering Quotes:

Project Managers

Project Managers

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About How to Hold Your Project Managers Accountable:

The reason that holding project managers (PMs) accountable is important is that your project managers are the cash flow engine of your firm. They dictate how profitable your projects are. If they are not performing at a high level, the ship may be sinking, so to speak, in terms of your company financially. And unfortunately, oftentimes what happens is if your PMs are not accountable, their projects aren’t going to do well financially, although they may do well enough that you won’t notice it fast enough to rectify this problem.

Your PMs must be held accountable regularly. That being said, let’s look at how you hold your PMs accountable. Here are three specific steps that you could take to do this:

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How to Delegate Tasks Effectively (And Why You Should Do It)

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This is a guest blog post by Pamela A. Scott

This piece is on delegation, why you should do it, and how to do it right. First, though, check out how to do it badly.

My husband and adult daughter were both working from home, as was I. I kept hearing them shout from the other room: “Is the internet down?” “Why does the web keep crashing?” “What’s wrong with our wireless?”

Then the suggestions started coming in.

“You (me) should call ACME and tell them their service sucks.”

“My friend found a different jiggambob that speeded up his service. You (me) should call him.”

“I think it would work better if you (me) turned the refrigerator upside down.”

I was on deadline; I didn’t have time for their problems. That’s when I actually said the following. I can’t believe I said it, but I did.

“Bring me solutions, not problems,” I barked.

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TSEC 90: A New Vision and Goal for the Structural Engineering Channel Podcast

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Structural Engineering ChannelIn this episode,  Mathew Picardal. PE, SE introduces our new co-host for the Structural Engineering Channel podcast, Rachel Holland, P.E., an engineering supervisor for the south-western region at Simpson Strong-Tie. They discuss the kind of work she does and how she plans to serve you as the new co-host of the show.

Engineering Quotes:

Structural Engineering Channel

Structural Engineering Channel

Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Rachel:

  • Tell the listeners more about yourself and what you do daily at Simpson Strong-Tie.
  • What attracted you to Simpson Strong-Tie, and how did you decide to move from design work to manufacturing?
  • What are some of the qualities of Simpson Strong-Tie that make you want to stay working for them?
  • The R&D side of engineering is always interesting, can you tell us more about what you did as an R&D engineer?
  • Can you tell us more about the work you do that relates to deck design and building code-compliant decks?
  • What excited you about the opportunity to become a co-host, and what is your goal of being a co-host of The Structural Engineering Channel Podcast?
  • To end off here, do you have any career advice for structural engineers based on your journey?

Here Are Some of the Key Points Discussed in the Episode:

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