Day in the Life of a Structural Design Engineer: Office & Site Inspection
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 มิ.ย. 2024
- In this video I take you through a complete day in my life as a Structural Design Engineer in a buildings team based on the east coast of Australia. From working from home, to site inspections, office work and other daily activities. Enjoy!
Also, don't forget to leave a like if you liked the video :)
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Intro
00:53 Morning Routine
01:07 Working From Home
01:56 Design Work
02:59 Commute
03:25 Site Inspection
04:41 Lunch
04:48 Working at The Office
06:56 Gym Workout
07:09 Evening Routine
CONNECT:
👨🏼💻 - TH-cam / benghielscher
👷🏻♂️ - Linkedin / benhielscher
📩 - Email: BEngHielscher@gmail.com
🔥 - My Concrete Design Notes & Spreadsheet: payhip.com/b/WATdL
WHO AM I:
I’m Ben, a graduate structural engineer. I make videos about tech, engineering, productivity and self-development. On this channel I hope to provide entertainment, advice and knowledge for aspiring and young students and professionals.
I can not wait to start working as a civil engineer (structural engineer). Your videos are a motivation. Watching from South Africa.
This has been, by far, the best “come to work with me” video that I’ve seen to date
Our work is something that has little content on TH-cam. This what you doing here is very good. Keep it up
As a civil engineering student, I must say your videos are very valuable. There are not many people on TH-cam that are filming such high quality civil engineering videos and I'm thankful to you for that.
Hey thanks so much!
For real!
I've been on a binge spree watching these videos. And I'll come back to them again and again.
Dear struct engg are paid very less
Yeah.
Structural engineer watching power - you are goated my friend.
Hahaha it’s a great show!
Learned a lot in this one!
God bless you brother..
Thank you!
really great videos ur making i'm sooo greatful
Glad you like them. Thanks!
Based on Denver but spent 6 months in Newcastle, Australia. Hope all is well down under!
A very well edited video as always. Very interesting what you do in your day. 👍
Thank you!!
Thanks for amazing content. Being a structural engineer aspirant myself these are valuable
My pleasure! Thanks for the support :)
I love your videos. They are very nice produced and informative.
Thank you!!
We need some tutorials about wind and seismic loading according to AS3600
Perhaps in the future! Thanks for the comment :)
@@BEngHielscher best wishes for you💐
Seismic code for Australia is AS 1170 Part 4 2007, Wind code for Australia and New Zealand is AS/NZS 1170 Part 2 2021, AS 3600:2018 is code for design of concrete structures only
Great 👍
Thank you!
Love the editing mate. So good. 👏
Thanks mate!
yeah quite some good editing
Best Video sir ❤
Structural Engineering is Love 💕
Thanks!
I am in my last year of civil engineering and want to get into structural engineering. It seems like a structural engineer can have a decent work life balance. Your amazingly quality videos have instilled a positive outlook towards this profession.
Hey thanks so much for the nice words! Appreciate the support :)
Great video! Thanks for sharing and always pumped to see more structural engineers on youtube!
Cheers Daniel!
Does Australian houses mostly used timber-composite for low-rise structures? In Thailand, there are barely of them and I used to design roof truss or warehouse with cold-formed steel instead. But for now I changed my industry due to the need of more challenges.
Anyways,
I like your videos that showed some engineering detailed also, that made my passion comes back to improve myself.
Excellent video. Thanks for sharing. Power is a great TV Series BTW 😎
Thank you and yes it is!! :)
Hey, mechanical engineering student here with an internship. I recently found your videos and love them. I watched your "How to Study Effectively as an Engineering Student" video. I ended up buy an iPad for my notes based on your recommendations - I love it! I currently have a MacBook so it's super easy to transfer materials/diagrams/pictures from textbooks/lec videos/etc. through airdrop - this saves me a ton of time since I don't have to recreate diagrams for physics based classes, I can simply mark up a FBD on the picture from the textbook. However, now that I have an internship, I've been frustrated with the integration between a windows computer and my iPad. I create drawings and/or review them and it's super easy to have the PDF on my iPad and then zoom in to highlight, redline, etc. but since I can't airdrop I have to go through email which is frustrating. I see you have windows products for work but I believe I've seen you have apple products in some of your videos too. Have you found any work arounds for this?
Haha yep, this is definitely a frustration that I’ve run into… the apple ecosystem is just so smooth when working across multiple devices. Typically when I need to send something like pdfs or pictures between an apple and windows device I do it through a messaging app. Usually Microsoft teams if it’s work related. I haven’t found a super convenient way that I can share, sorry!
@@BEngHielscher we need some comp sci or software engineers to code an airdrop app for windows to apple!
Woohoo Griffith!
Hi I'm a 16 year old who's trying to decide their career. I do like maths and physics but I don't know what actually work we do in engineering . I also like to have fun alongside job. Watching this video, I don't think there's much fun
I don’t think many jobs are inherently fun. Instead, I think a job should interest and challenge you. With a strong interest and ongoing challenges the work can become gamified. Also, the people and culture you work in can make things fun. There’s a lot to think about as a young person trying to figure out what to do with their life but I would suggest you optimise for interest and everything else will fall into place :)
If you are good at math and physics try for pilot career its fun and also has pros and cons as any other fields.
Like many others have said. Thank you for your time and effort in making these videos. Very high quality, and very well thought out. I am sure you will achieve all the success that you want in life brother just keep it up. Thanks from Norway.😁
Wow, that’s very nice of you to say! I’m really happy to hear you like the videos :)
Very informative Ben. Thanks. Big fan here. I'm a recent graduate in structural engineering so your channel really helps alot.
Thanks!!
I worked for three small engineering firms in nyc. They never had designated drafters so engineers draw everything they design. I like it this way becasue I think CAD skills are also important for engineers.
Drawing your own designs definitely helps. I have to draw my own design a lot of the time too. Thanks for sharing this :)
great video, just out of curiosity, what is the pay like in the UK. I dont expect you to tell me exactly what your making but just a ball park. Thanks.
Much valuable content bro
Thank you!
Very well documented. It is very insightful. Also it would be best if you could share some of the basics checks and handcalcs that you do which a newbie should be aware of, as you know that what taught at university is different from real world applications.
Thank you!! Maybe will do something like this in the future :)
@BEngHielscher It would be much appreciated, just subscribed, going through your videos. Many helpful specifics thanks!
Please make more Day in The life videos, although its going to be repeatative there will never be enough of them. thanks
Haha sure!
I am a building construction and technology student I would like to specialize in designing structures which software would you recommend.
Im 25 years old i decided to continue my education by trying to be a structure engineer any advice that can i get from you. ?
Just found your channel and the video content & quality is so good and practical. Wish there’s an Electrical Engineer doing the similar content that you do as I’m doing electrical engineering.
Thanks! I’m glad you like it :)
what is the analysis sofware do you use?
what kind of software do you use for analysis/design?
Working as an undergrad structural engineer at the moment for a relatively small consulting firm (about 50 staff members) in the housing department. The job is fun, lots of design work, frame/ slab inspections. However, as I'll be graduating in 6 months I just received a job offer from the government 6 months in advance. So contemplating whether to go the public route or stay in private sector.
Personally I would stay where you are. At a small company in the private sector you will learn so much in a short period of time and with these skills you will be able to choose whether you want to work in the private or public sector later on. If you go public straight away I think it will be very difficult to come back to the private sector in any sort of design capacity later because you will not developed that skill. It really comes down to what you want to do long term. If you’re not sure yet, I would go the safe route and stay in the private sector.
dope
The perfect life
So cute comments, I am Structural Engineer from Russia.
Which software do you use for structural design?
My sons is studying civil engineering BEng in the U.K. with the 4th year set to be as Masters in structural engineering… do you think the masters is necessary or best to leave with a BEng and try to get a job and gain experience
Hey! Is it so cold in Australia so you wearinng a coat indoor? Just wondering😁
Oh, nice video btw!
Haha thanks! Unless you live in the southern part of Australia, not many houses have heating. Our winters aren’t too extremely cold but you definitely need to wear a jumper to stay warm :)
Wow, can't really imagine a home without heating. Here in Russia it's a first issue to solve, so the architectural design must follow local HVAC regulations. And that's why we have heating radiators in every room :)
I’m a Civil Engineering Student in Melbourne, and I got a question. When I graduate will I be trained and helped in the workplace or are we just expected to know everything and work by ourselves? and also is it alright to not remember some stuff that you learnt a couple years back? Hope someone answers
Hey! You will definitely receive some training in the workplace but the basics you should of learnt at university will be assumed knowledge. I would look at getting an internship as early as possible so you can start regaining any lost skills. The first couple of years out of university are filled with learning but you need to be prepared to put in the work. In my experience small companies offer the best learning for grads as you get a lot more hands on and the volume of projects is higher. I hope this helps :)
hey thanks for so goood video. i’m korean engineer. what tool of simulation are you using?
Thanks! I’m using Spacegass for the steel structure
I graduated as a civil engineer lately, and would want to pursue structural engineering or architectural engineering for masters. B.T.W, would you mind sharing your salary range please?
What time do you code and for snacks
What’s the best way for me to get an internship that is likely to progress to a full time job in Australia? I have been unsuccessful in all my job applications. (Skilled recognized graduate visa holder)
Try approaching small to mid sized companies. If you are really desperate and need something asap, contact companies and start with an offer they can’t resist. Something like “Hey I’m prepared to work for you for the next month completely for free and if you don’t want to keep me around after 1 month I will leave with no questions asked. After 1 month if you think my skills and impact within the team is beneficial, my wish would be to transition to full time employment.” This could be an email, a phone call, a LinkedIn message or even a pitch during an in person meeting. I hope this helps!
Thank you for this video. I'm interested in pursuing an undergraduate degree in civil engineering. Are there many opportunities to design homes or building to be environmentally beneficial as in material or layout or overall design? I'll like to work with companies who's concerned with nature.
Architecture would have far more control over things like that. The structural system is only part of the materials in the building.
@@somber_soul Thank you for the info.
Yes, architects do have a lot more control over the environmental impacts although as a structural engineer you do have control over how economical (cost and material saving) your designs are. The more efficient and technically proficient you are the more economical your designs will be. Hope this helps :)
@@BEngHielscher Thank you for the reply.
I don’t think I am getting enough atar points for engineering, are there any other pathways?
There are lots of pathways. Don’t be discouraged if you get a low ATAR. Definitely do your research :)
Hi do you mind if you can share the template of your resume ? It seems very good
Hey, check the video description of my video called “How to Create a Civil Structural Engineering Resume”. Here you will find the link :)
What are the softwares use for structure design?
Spacegass is the main program shown here :)
Where's the part where you and the job foreman get into a heated debate about him taking "liberties" the the engineering design?
HELLO... Could you please tell us some online internship platforms for structural engineers that will really help us .
I can't wait to spend my day as a structural engineer!
I have also one question to ask you. What do you think if I started as a construction engineer directly after graduation and spend 1 or 2 years there and go back to the office work as a structural engineer. This will allow me to fully understand what is going on in the site, so that I can design buildable structures?
You would learn a lot being on site full-time and actually seeing the construction process but if you want to be doing the design work I think it’s best if you go straight into this sort of role. As a structural engineer you still get to go to site so you can learn about the construction process at the same time as designing. It’s not easy to do both at the same time but after 1-2 years of not doing any structural analysis after uni it will be extremely difficult to pick this all up again.
@@BEngHielscher That make sense. Thanks!
1:27 : Is that Laptop support Windows 11 or bypass install it?
It supports Windows 11
A proper structural engineer is a design consultant and construction expert.......both in the best materials to use and their integration in the design; to simplify and make the construction process more efficient.......must read the design codes cover to cover upon getting to their first job on their own time..........the goal of the engineer should be licensure..........working in small firms will make your a more well rounded individual and give you the tools to becoming a true professional.........do not confuse structural engineering with coding for google.......this is a very serious profession with public safety ramifications and personal liability issues........requires strong ethical and moral values as well as gravitas.
Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks for the videos and explanations, could you please give me one of the structural design that you have completed. This is only to know how things are arranged one after another in drawings and calculations?
My pleasure, glad you are liking them! I can’t send you designs that I have done as it goes against company policy but there a lots of structural design pdfs that you can find for free online through a quick google
Primavera software any use?
Haven’t used it personally although it seems more like a program a project manager would use
What do you mean by sanity check?
Doing some manual checks so that I can be certain that I can trust the results from the software
@@BEngHielscher got mate thanks 😊.
What software do you use?
Some of the popular structural analysis/design programs where I live are RAM concept, RAPT, Strand7, Spacegass, Autodesk Robot and ETABS.
I'm wondering if you think AI will replace this job?
Which softwares do you use for design???
I use quite a few different ones. It depends on what sort of structure I’m designing
😂😂😂when are u getting your family. I’m sure lots of things will change. Great video by the way
I'm planning to take a post grad degree in Civil Engineering, i.e., Master of Professional Engineering, which school in Queensland do you think is better, UQ, QUT, or Griffith? By the way, I'm an international student.
They are all very similar and I couldn’t really say that one is better than another. I went to Griffith :)
@@BEngHielscher yeah just saw a few comparisons between UQ and QUT on reddit, then there’s Griffith in the Gold coast, was trying to get your inputs if there’s any. Anyway, thanks your videos are great!
No worries and thanks!
How many meetings do you have on a regular day?
Most days I don’t have any meetings, they are more like a once a week thing. When I worked for a large company I use to have one if not more meetings per day (most of the meetings were unnecessary and I didn’t get a lot out of them)
Hi. Which software do you use for designing and analysing structures?
Really depends on what type of structure or material I need to analyse. A few programs I have used are spacegass, strand7, tekla and ram concept
@@BEngHielscher I am a fresh graduate. Now I am planning to do MS in structural engineering in the U.S. soon. Which skills can make things easier for me and make me more valuable?
I think the best thing you can do is get experience through doing personal projects and doing internships. Also try and improve your software skills through using popular programs
@@BEngHielscher That's the reason I ask for which software I can learn. Could you please tell me that which specific programs can I learn for designing concrete structure and steel structure as well?
Certain softwares are more popular in different parts of the world so do a bit of research on programs that are popular in the part of the world you want to work in. In Australia, Spacegass is popular for steel design and Ram concept is popular for concrete design.
What do you have for fresh students studying civil
There’s lots of videos to check out on the channel: study tips, resume tips, insights into my daily work and much more. Feel free to watch what interests you :)
Hi Brother
im a civil engineer how to get into usa for job as a civil engineer
Great video.
A question for you.
You mentioned that you use an iPad for work. I'm a entry level structural engineer. I was thinking of using one for work as well or engineering in general.
How useful is it? What are some things you use it? You response will be appreciated. Thanks.
Hey thanks! I have a video on my channel called “How I Use an iPad as an Engineer”. This video will explain :)
Thanks I'll check it out.
Hi, can you recommend me your work boots lol?
were you a very bright student during bachelors.....?
I always worked hard so any natural intelligence didn’t really matter :)
In the UK, everybody thinks the architect does everything.
Haha, don’t forget about the structural engineers! :)
@@BEngHielscher nobody in this stupid country knows what a structural engineer is. Everybody thinks the architect does everything.
i'm abt to give up and shift to data engineering but then I saw this video.... now what??? 하.....
Good insight into how a design process works on a smaller project. What software do you use for site notes?
Thanks! I import the drawings into Notability and take notes directly on them :)
Do you worry that design engineers' jobs will be outsourced to cheaper countries in the foreseeable future, especially considering India's education system is improving under an increasing population? Thanks.
Hi sir, how much structural engineer is earning in Australia per year? like minimum salary?
Bare minimum salary for new graduates would be about $60k aud
Dell laptop changed to Apple
Was using a dell computer when I was doing my structural engineering work but after work I was using my personal laptop :)
What’s your wage
Hello Beng, I am a foreigner and a mechanical engineer. I told you that I am interested in studying a diploma in civil construction design. I would like to ask you if it is a good option, and why there is so much demand for this career in Australia. thanks for you time.
hello mate! I'm following your videos from quit a few days and Im interested to masters in structural engineering can you suggest me best universities in Australia for it.
Hi Beng, I love this video because you represent very well the life of a structural engineer. Next week I finish my unyversity studies and I want to be a structural engineer. I going to focuse on developing my thesis for 6 months perhaps, but I don't know what advice could you give me about it ? If it is better to do my thesis and work at the same time or focused on my thesis, I appreciate you from the distance.
Hey I’m glad to hear you like the video! I think it would be good if you could work a couple days a week and do your thesis at the same time. This is very common where I live.
@@BEngHielscher Thanks for your answer!
I want to be a structural engineer as well! In your opinion do the numbers come easy with the calculations or do you think this is something very hard to learn?
It’s not easy at the start but you will pick it up if you put in the work :)
Hi mate, I'm about to start going back to uni for mining engineering in western australia (1st year). I was about to buy a whole bunch of stationery to take notes but upon watching most of your videos im quite convinced on digital notes now. I currently have a dell xps laptop from 2019 which is good enough to run all engineering programs. I want a secondary tablet for notetaking but don't know if i should go for an older model of the surface pro like your 6 or get an 8/9. Or even get an iPad if that's better. My budget is probably around $1500AUD max. Could you maybe recommend me on what I should get? I would really appreciate your thoughts on this :)
Hey! Digital notes is definitely the way to go. I couldn’t have gone through uni or do my job now without them. They’re a life saver.
Seeing that you already have a very capable laptop I personally would go for an iPad. A surface pro would better suit someone who didn’t have a laptop and was looking for an all-in-one device on a budget. Hope this helps :)
@@BEngHielscher Thanks for the response, how can I best sync both the ipad and the windows laptop together? I should use OneNote so that i can have access to my notes on both devices right? Also is it possible to get screenshots from the laptop and put it on the ipad? Can I have multiple pages of OneNote open on my iPad? Hypothetically, if you were to start studying again today in 2023, what combination would you use and why?
I'm sorry for the whole bunch of questions and once again I appreciate it a lot :)))
@@BEngHielscher Can I use notability, and save it to onedrive and still be able to edit it on my laptop?
@@BEngHielscher And should I get a screen protector too?, I got the ESR case that you use
@@danielnguyen7398 OneNote is probably the easiest way to sync notes between an apple device and windows device and be able to edit them on both devices. This way you can also paste screenshots from either device into OneNote. No, currently you cannot split screen two pages of OneNote next to each other on an iPad (I can't believe they haven't fixed this yet).
If I were to start over I'd probably still go with the same way I did things before. It was a relatively cheap yet efficient way to get everything I wanted. In a perfect world I would love to just be able to work between a MacBook and an iPad because I love how integrated the apple ecosystem is but in most engineering fields this is not possible. We still rely too heavily on windows only programs.
Sir I have completed my graduation in civil engineering 2023 but i want to work as a structural engineer.
Is there any possibility to work under you? I am from India
And lastly my calculator......
We all had a laptop / PC that can render the whole Fortnite world at ease but nothing... Nothing can beat that trusty casio 15$ calculator
Hahahaha yes!
Great video but at 5:35, that sketch is atrocious. Maybe it is an Aussie thing, but you need two top plates, rafters need to bear fully on the top plates, no diaphragm shear transfer is shown....
Haha this was just to make a point. More intricate detail would be shown in the digital drawing. Although, the number of top plates required isn’t automatically 2. Number of top plates needed depends on a range of factors (member size, load width, etc.). Also I assume the diaphragm shear transfer you are referring to is the ceiling joists and we typically don’t show this. Perhaps that is an Australian thing? Haha
@@BEngHielscher Nope, I mean diaphragm transfer from the roof diaphragm. I have never heard of less than two top plates (in new construction). I assume there a cost benefit of trying to justify a single top plate? Especially for a smaller structure. Seems standard practice to go with two top plates, usually. Sleep better at night knowing you have a decent chord/collector rather than trying to be pennywise on a top plate. What are your thoughts?
I think this is how serial killers are developed...
I'm currently a civil engineering student that's looking to land a structural internship next summer. I'm relatively new to this specialty area and only know a handful of company names. Do you have any recommendations/whereabouts on how I can find companies that touch on both residential and commercial projects? I would like to aim my direction towards a company that deals with both aspects, Thanks!
Google “structural engineering companies near me” and then go to each companies ‘project’ page on their website. Here you should be able to get a better understanding of the work they do :)
@@BEngHielscher Thank you!
I gay engineer
Nicely done job! Do you work with concrete buildings as well? I run a structural design company in Brazil, and we're focused on 10+ stories concrete buildings. I'd like to talk to you. Is there any email or phone I can contact?
I haven’t had much experience with the design of multi-storey concrete buildings. Feel free to email me at benghielscher@gmail.com if you have anything else you want to chat about
may i know what software you using on model frame in the video? And your basic software? Could you reccomend to the best software to do structure ?
I’m using a software called spacegass
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You are very less paud. It's painful
I have seen so much of videos like day in a traders life like that. But this video is amazing and gives me positive feeling. Thank u 🦺🎓
Thank you! I’m happy to hear that :)
Many thanks for this, Sir! Glad to have a glimpse of what it's like to be a Structural Engineer. I'm honestly scared to dive into the field of Structural Engineering, it kinda seems intimidating for me. 🥲 I haven't had an actual OJT/internship though 😅 we had it online; it saddens me, yes-but I'm still grateful for the opportunity of trying to learn it online. Also, I must admit that I wasn't among those who excelled in my batch. I was pretty much the average student (I guess, sometimes even below average 🙈); the more reason I feel less confident in finding work. 🥲 Hehe! Additionally, in the country where I came from, aside from the license it's really a plus if we have prior experience/s in our field. But hopefully, I can do this! Hehe! Surely, I'm not the only one to have such a similar ordeal.
Again, thank you for this Sir and apologies for my unsolicited blabber.
My pleasure I’m glad you like the it! You will learn a lot when you start working so don’t be too discouraged about being an average student. If you try hard and study the things you learn at work you will be absolutely fine :)
@@BEngHielscher Huhuhu! Thank you so much, Sir! 😭💙✨