Blog

TSEC 11: The Structural Engineering Engagement and Equity (SE3) Project

November 1, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

In episode 11 of The Structural Engineering Channel podcast, we talk about The Structural Engineering Engagement and Equity Project, which is also known as the SE3 Project – a project focused on attracting and retaining the best talent into the structural engineering profession, and ensuring all structural engineers have a clear pathway to success in their careers. We’ll be talking with two volunteers that have been heavily involved with SE3. They are Dani Paxson who is the project director at Holmes Consulting and Nick Sherrow-Groves, P.E., who is a senior engineer with Arup.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Dani and Nick:

The Key Roles of AI Engineers

October 28, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

This is a guest blog by Jim Hughes

AI engineering is a relatively new field that is becoming more and more important in various industries, especially in the industrial and manufacturing contexts. It has even found its way into the stock market. Some of the most interesting and meaningful applications of AI are in the field of engineering and that is why more and more people are becoming AI Engineers.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Engineering

TCEP 129: Two Civil Engineering Presidents on the Steps They Took to Success

October 23, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

In episode 129 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, our fourth episode in our Women in Civil Engineering series, I talk to two female civil engineering presidents from different cities in Texas. They are Julia Harrod, P.E., F.NSPE who is the President of MWM DesignGroup and Bonnie Moss, P.E. who is the President of MBCO Engineering. We talk about the steps they took to become successful civil engineering presidents and they also provide some great advice on how you can become a productive and successful civil engineering professional in your field.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask These Two Civil Engineering Presidents:

What are the ups and downs of being a business owner?
Tell us about the philosophy of work/life balance.
How do you prioritize your tasks for the day?
How did you obtain the necessary financial experience and skills to run a company?
What is it like to be a civil engineer in Texas?
Tell us about the hiring process you follow.
Did you always want to be the president of a firm?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode:

Engineering in the 21st Century: 3 Most Essential Basics to Remember

October 21, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

This is a guest blog by Anastasia Moore

Rapid change has become the epitome of the 21st century. Over the past years, humanity has made a significant step in the development of all industries known to us, and even more changes are yet to come.

Fast-paced technological progress has made tangible adjustments to every sphere of our lives, and engineering is not an exception. What people thought was impossible twenty years ago is now our new reality, and there is no way to hide from these changes.

How to stay relevant and competitive as an engineer? What should a specialist keep in mind to succeed? In this article, we are going to take a closer look at this matter and find the answers!

Licensing an Engineering Firm and Facilitating Organic Growth

October 14, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

This is a guest blog by Christian Haring of Harbor Compliance

You want to grow your firm, yet when a prime opportunity arises in a new state, it’s not as simple as writing a proposal and jumping in. You have to consider the feasibility of licensing and registering your firm. Can you get a license in time to respond? Since licensing an engineering firm can take anywhere from four weeks to five months, that can be a difficult question to answer with any sort of confidence.

Yet there are resources that provide clarity on state requirements for registering and licensing an engineering firm. In addition, there are best practices you can use to facilitate organic growth in your own time, and on your own terms.

TCEP 128: Becoming a Well Rounded Civil Engineering Professional

October 9, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

In episode 128 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, which is our third episode in our Women in Civil Engineering series, I visit with Michelle Briehof, P.E. who is a project manager at Maser Consulting.

Michelle talks about some of the non-technical aspects and actions you can take as a civil engineering professional to build confidence and equip yourself as a well rounded civil engineering professional. She walks us through her career journey, from the beginning of her career up to where she is now and the experiences that have helped her to attain her position. She also tells us about the Maser Women’s Organization and how it has helped all employees at Maser, men and women, to build confidence and get the necessary exposure needed to become well-rounded engineering professionals.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Michelle:

Tell us more about the Maser Women’s Organization
How has the Maser Women’s Organization impacted you?
How does being a mother impact your career?
Tell us about your involvement in the different disciplines at your firm?
Have you found that developing knowledge in different civil engineering disciplines has been helpful in your efforts?
How important is it to have confidence as a manager?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Becoming a Well Rounded Civil Engineering Professional:

3 Uncommon Engineering Skills That Engineers Should Develop for Extraordinary Success

October 7, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

This is a guest post by Nader Mowlaee

There comes a time in every engineer’s career where they’ll want to take their roles to the next level by managing others, overseeing projects, and even running their own engineering startups. It’s a given that to catapult your engineering career, you have to do what’s necessary to be successful in outshining the rest, and sometimes that calls for identifying and fine-tuning the skills companies need. Research shows that companies desire soft skills, such as complex problem-solving, people management, creativity, and critical thinking—four essential soft skills that are projected to be the top desired soft skills by 2020. While these skills are essential for being successful in your engineering career, they often overshadow the uncommon engineering skills that engineers need to achieve exceptional success the way Apple’s Tim Cook or Tesla’s Elon Musk did.

Yet, everyone can’t transform into Elon Musk overnight. If you want to accomplish extraordinary success, you have to look beyond the ordinary. You won’t achieve far-reaching goals by simply working harder or longer hours than everyone else on the job. Instead, shift your focus to developing the unconventional skills that engineers often neglect. Here are three uncommon skills every engineer needs to achieve next-level success:

TSEC 10: The Design of Amusement Industry Roller Coaster Projects

October 3, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

In episode 10 of The Structural Engineering Channel podcast, we talk to Richard C. Maloney, PE, Discipline Leader for Bridges and Structures at Maser Consulting, about the design of amusement industry roller coaster projects. Rich talks about the design of these interesting projects, and also discusses some of the roller coaster projects that he and his team at Maser Consulting have worked on which include some of the world’s tallest and fastest roller coasters and thrill rides in the world.

Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Rich in This Episode:

What is different about these roller coaster projects versus other structural projects, if any?
What does the design process for roller coasters look like?
Tell us about the process of determining and designing the load of foundations for roller coasters.
Tell us more about The Six Flags Great Adventure Joker roller coaster.
What type of foundations do you use for uplift loads?
Tell us about the Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom ride?

Here Are Some of the Key Points Discussed About The Design of Industry Amusement Roller Coaster Projects:

Community Outreach Initiatives for Engineering Professionals

September 30, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

This is a guest blog by Holly Welles

If you’re an engineer, you chose your path because you love to solve problems, no matter how challenging. These characteristics make you a vital asset to society. Put your skills to good use by joining community outreach initiatives like one of the six below. Not only will it look good on your resume, but you’ll also learn vital skills, meet new people and gain experience.

TCEP 127: Digital Twins for Digital Cities

September 25, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Bob Mankowski, P.E., Vice President of the Bentley’s Digital Cities Business unit with a 3D representation of the The City of Helsinki. The City of Helsinki used Bentley’s reality capture technology for geo-coordination, optioneering, modeling, and visualization throughout the Helsinki 3D+ project.

In episode 127 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I will be taking you on a road trip to Connecticut, to the offices of Bentley Systems, to visit with Robert (Bob) Mankowski, P.E. who is a civil engineer and also the Vice President of Bentley’s Digital Cities Business Unit. Bob will discuss the power of digital twins for digital cities and emphasizes the importance of having technological advancement as a tool in the preparation and mitigation of city-wide projects. This episode is also available on YouTube.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Bob:

Tell our listeners about your background and career journey and how you got to where you are today.
What is your role with Bentley Systems?
Are there cities that are already using the digital twin process?
What excites you about the future of civil engineering?
What worries you about the future of civil engineering?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Digital Cities for Digital Twins:

Obtaining field experience early in your career makes a big difference in terms of understanding how your work as an engineer will impact other people around you.
A digital twin is a digital replica of a physical product, process or system that bridges together the physical world and the digital world. It does not only involve the geometric or physical replica in a digital world. It also includes engineering technology which allows you to understand and model the behavior and performance of the infrastructure as well.
A digital twin is built up from a variety of different sources containing different data. You will then typical connect it to an IOT which provides the real-time and historical performance of the system into the digital replica.
One of the ways in which you would start creating a digital city and a digital twin of a city is through a process called reality modeling. The idea is that your vertical replica reflects the actual reality. An example of doing this would be by transforming photos into 3D models. The 3D model would then become the integration point for other data. Having this 3D model is a way of indexing all of this information and accessing it in a very intuitive and immersive environment.
The demand for civil engineers is growing dramatically and it is uncertain whether the enrollment rate and graduation of civil engineers are going to be able to keep up with that demand.
There are so many things that civil engineers can have an impact on in this world, so we need to make sure that we have enough skilled and professional civil engineers out there.

More details in this episode…

About Robert (Bob) Mankowski, P.E.

Bob joined Bentley Systems in the company’s 2004 acquisition of Haestad Methods, where he served as chief technology officer. He is a co-inventor of seven patented technologies. Prior to serving as the Digital Cities business executive, Bob was the leader of the product teams that created AssetWise capabilities for water, wastewater, geospatial, and communications infrastructure. Bob has a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Drexel University and is a licensed professional engineer.

Sources/References:

Bob Mankowski’s LinkedIn|
Bentley Systems
TSEC 07: Drones and Structural Engineering Inspections – A Marriage in the Making
EMI’s YouTube Channel

Here Are Some of the Digital Twins for Digital Cities Projects Bentley Has Worked On:

Helsinki, Finland Project
Oporto, Portugal Project

This episode is brought to you by Maser Consulting P.A., a privately owned, multi-discipline, consulting and engineering design firm with a unique balance of public and private sector experience. Established in 1984 by Richard M. Maser, PE, PP, CME, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, the firm has an expert staff of licensed engineers, planners, surveyors, landscape architects, and environmental scientists with offices strategically located nationwide. Click here to learn more about Maser Consulting P.A. today.

If you are interested in taking our FREE CMAP Diagnostic Case Study, please email Betty at >> betty@engineeringmanagementinstitute.org

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

Dynamics of Software Development

Objectives and Key Results: Driving Focus, Alignment, and Engagement with OKRs

Please leave your comments or questions in the section below on Digital Cities for Digital Twins.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider downloading our free list of 33 Productivity Routines of Top Engineering Executives. Click the button below to download.

Download the Productivity Routines

To your success,

Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success

« Previous Page