The Earthquake-Proof Building That Is Built to Collapse

The Brilliant Idea: A replaceable, building-wide system to help hospitals, apartment buildings and office towers survive severe seismic shaking.

 Innovators: Gregory Deierlein, Stanford University; Jerome F. Hajjar, Northeastern University


"Elastic high-strength steel cables run down the center of the system’s frame. The cables control the rocking of the building and, when the earthquake is over, pull it back into proper alignment."

"A steel frame situated around a building’s core or along exterior walls offers structural support. The frame’s columns, however, are free to rock up and down within steel shoes secured at the base."

How to Choose the Best Structural Engineering Colleges

Narrowing Down the Selection

For prospective structural engineering students, choosing an institution of higher learning can be a complex task. Many factors come into play, such as the reputation of the college, specialties offered, cost and availability of financial aid, location, career placement, and potential alumni support are just some of those factors. And while there are more than a few top engineering colleges with structural engineering degree programs worth mentioning, the following selection appears to figure fairly prominently in many ratings systems and discussion forums:

Pennsylvania State University

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA.
Diverse B.S., M.Eng., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees with emphasis in several technical disciplines such as: Civil Systems; Construction; Environmental & Water Resources; Geotechnical and Materials Engineering; Structures; and Transportation. One of the most comprehensive engineering programs in the world.
Web sites: Civil And Environmental Engineering-Structural Engineering: http://www.engr.psu.edu/CE/Divisions/structure/structure.htm

University of Illinois at Urbana

601 E. John Street Champaign, IL 61820-5711 USA.
Ranks in the top five U.S. engineering colleges and in the top three engineering programs in the world. Deep, well established programs and research centers.
Web site: Civil And Environmental Engineering-Structural Engineering: http://cee.illinois.edu/StrucEng

Western Michigan University

1903 W Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo MI 49008-5200 USA
Undergraduate degree program designed to prepare for work immediately in many civil engineering careers, including structural and geotechnical engineering. Also offers graduate course work leading to a M.S. degree in Civil Engineering including structural engineering specializations.
Web site: Civil and Construction Engineering: http://www.wmich.edu/cce/about.php

University of California- San Diego

Voigt Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA
UCSD's Structural Engineering Department offers B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees. One of the consistently top-ranked public U.S. universities, diverse engineering and science programs including structural engineering.
Web site: UCSD Structural Engineering Department: http://structures.ucsd.edu/

The University of Sheffield

Sir Frederick Mappin Building, Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD UK
One of the most active civil engineering programs in the UK. Consistently top-ranked university world wide, diverse civil engineering and science programs including structural engineering.
Web site: Civil and Structural Engineering Department: http://www.euroeducation.net/euro/sheffield_university_stuctural_engineering.htm

University of Toronto

35 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 1A4 CA
One of Canada's largest, top ranked universities, with a well established civil engineering program and structural engineering specialties.
Web site: Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering: http://www.civil.engineering.utoronto.ca/Page13.aspx

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 USA
Good structural engineering programs, notable for the specialized B.S. degree in Vehicle Engineering Design Technology.
Web site: Department of Engineering and Technology: http://www.cmich.edu/Admissions/Academic_Programs/Science_and_Technology/Vehicle_Engineering_Design_Tech.htm

Making The Best Choice

There are no standard formulas to determine which institution suits an individual’s educational needs for pursuing an advanced civil engineering or structural engineering degree. While preferred lists and ranking systems can narrow down some choices, there is no substitute for asking questions, visiting websites, reviewing curriculum offerings, faculty, and staff. If an actual site visit cannot be arranged, the websites of many colleges offer virtual online tours of campus and housing facilities for critical review. Members of alumni associations are also typically available to answer email or telephone inquiries. When making a choice of this nature, it really pays to do the homework!

Tips on Interviewing

Tips on Interviewing

Whether you are interviewing for a full time job or an internship the basics are the same.  Here’s a few notes, tips and things to keep in mind for interviews.
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
Everybody Has The Internet
Clear off anything that you posted on the internet that you wouldn’t want the interviewer to see.  Many companies regularly do a Google search before an interview.
Dress The Way The Boss Would
Guys, you should wear a suit and tie.  If it’s a hot environment or in the summer you can probably get away without a coat, but wear the tie.  Ladies, dress equivalently.  The civil engineering world is fairly conservative.  Dress professionally and at least one level higher than you think the job would generally require.
Prepare Answers for Questions
I’m planning an entire post on interview questions.  But have answers to typical questions ready.  Know a few strengths, at least one weakness, some goals, how you’ve handled difficult work situations in the past, etc.
DURING THE INTERVIEW
Qualifications
The interviewer knows that you are probably qualified or they wouldn’t take the time to interview you.  So during the interview, when they ask you about your qualifications, give them examples of specific things you have done in the past.
The Interview is Not About You.  It’s About How You Can Help the Company.
The interviewer wants to find out how you can help them.  The questions they ask will be geared toward this.  Tell them about your accomplishments and how you can use your accomplishments and skills to help them.
Part Of It Is A Personality Test
Whether or not they give you a written test interviewers will try to find out if you will fit in with the team.  The civil engineering field is very team oriented.  Engineers aren’t stereotypically know for there interpersonal skills.  Being able to work well with people is very important.  That is true for your coworkers as well as internal and external clients.
Ask When You’ll Here From Them
When the interview is winding down ask when you can expect to hear from them or when you should call them.  This will set your expectation.  Some places will take months to get back to you.  Some, just a few days.
Don’t Lie
Just like on your resume, don’t lie.  Tell the truth.  If you don’t know the answer then say so.  If the answers looks negative on you, then say what you’ve learned from the experience.
AFTER THE INTERVIEW
Say Thank You
Send a thank you note, or call the interviewer and thank them.   Not a text message or email.  Write the note by hand, or call them.  As old as this advice is it is amazing how few people do this and how effective it is.
Follow Up
If you say you’ll follow up with them at a certain time, then do it.
That’s a few key points.  What are some that you’ve run into that others should know?

When to start PE exam?: Civil Engineering

When? the answer is to Start Getting Ready For Your PE "As Soon As You Start Work"

Since I started my first internship I’ve gotten a lot of advice on how to get ready to apply for my Professional Engineer (PE) License. I’ve listed below a lot of the advice that I’ve gotten. It’s all from Engineers that are licensed in Texas, but will probably apply to most states.

Check Your State’s Professional Engineer Licensure Requirements
Find out the specific list of what is required. That way you know ahead of time what’s expected and you aren’t scrambling at the last minute. Your states board of professional engineers or other PE governing organization will have the list.

Create a Log
Log what you do each day or at least each week. Keep track of the projects that you worked on and what you were responsible for on that project. Most states will have you document the engineering work you’ve done since you graduated. That’s a lot easier to do if you have a log of all of your work.

Keep a Copy of Your Projects
You don’t have to keep every sheet. I was told to keep the following sheets from a plan set: project title sheet, quantity sheet, cost estimate.

In addition to those sheets, also keep a list of specific things you were responsible for on the project, the client name and contact info, design fee, dates you worked on the project and anything else that you think is important.

Go After Challenging Work
You generally will need to show an increase in responsibility and quality of your work between the time that you graduate and the time that you apply for your PE license. A great way to do that is to go after work that is increasingly more difficult. Don’t over extend yourself, but look for opportunities to learn more and take on more responsibility when you’re ready.

Try Out Several Fields Then Pick One
This is one I also hear contradicted sometimes. The afternoon PE exam is specific to one area of civil engineering. When you get your PE License you are probably working your way to becoming an expert in one of those fields. It’s good to specialize. The civil engineering industry is way too broad to become an expert in everything. However, when you become a project manager you will need to have at least a basic understanding of how the other fields of civil engineering work and interact.

This is some of the advice I’ve heard most often. Since I don’t have my PE yet I can’t add much of my own to the list. What sort of advice have you been given or what sort of advice to you have to offer?

How to register FE and PE exam?

FE Registration

If you’re planning to take the Fundamentals of Engineering exam in October the registration deadline is coming up. Check out www.ncees.org for information on registering.

Tips for PE preparation: Civil Enginering

Tips for PE exam preparation: Civil Engineering


The FE Exam is three months away. If you are taking the FE in October now is the best time to start getting ready. Start with practice problems. There is nothing better for preparing for the test than to work problems similar to what you will find on the exam.

There are a lot of sources for practice problems. Search any book store for sample exams. You can also find several website with practice tests and sample problems. My favorite is eitexam.com. I especially like their 10 minute quizzes. It’s easy to find time to do a quick 10 minute quiz. It’s not so easy to find the time to do a four hour practice exam. They also have full instructions on how to work the problems and explanations why the answers are right or wrong. And finally they have both general exam and civil specific questions. All for only 15 bucks for three months.

That’s enough free advertising for now. Whatever method you choose, find one that works for you. Also find regular time to practice and study. Remember to get a copy of the Supplied-Reference Handbook from the NCEES website. The pdf version is free. Or you can have a paper copy mailed to you. You can check out the study material that NCEES sells as well. It’s not cheap, but hey, they wrote the test, so they know what’s on it.

Registration deadline is September 4th. Don’t wait until the last minute. The date may be different in your area. I’ve known people that had to wait until the next exam because they waited until the last minute to register and ended up being late.

Any other tips or strategies that you can think of? How about things that have worked for you, or things that didn’t?

How to prepare yourself for incoming PE exam?

How to prepare yourself for incoming PE exam?

What you will need

Calculator – Make sure you have an approved calculator. NCEES has a very specific list of calculators that you can use. From their website:

Casio: All fx-115 models. Any Casio calculator must contain fx-115 in its model name.

Hewlett Packard: The HP 33s and HP 35s models, but no others.

Texas Instruments: All TI-30X and TI-36X models. Any Texas Instruments calculator must contain either TI-30X or TI-36X in its model name.

Get one early and use it for your homework. That way you will be familiar with it come test time.

Spare calculator or set of batteries – Just in case

Some snacks – Make sure they don’t make any noise. The proctors will ask you to pre open any snacks in plastic wrappers that may make noise.

Drinks

Ear plugs

Packed lunch – We only had about 45 minutes for lunch, and there weren’t very many places nearby to eat. Packing your lunch can ease the stress a little and also give you more time to review for the next part of the test.

The test itself

The test is not easy. You can pass it, though.

The test is in two parts. The morning session has 120 questions and you have 4 hours to complete it. That gives you about 2 minutes per question. It covers general engineering knowledge. Here’s a list from the NCEES Supplied-Reference Handbook of the areas covered on the morning session and the approximate percentage of questions on that subject:

Mathematics – 15%
Engineering Probability and Statistics – 7%
Chemistry – 9%
Computers – 7%
Ethics and Business Practices – 7%
Engineering Economics – 8%
Engineering Mechanics (Statics and Dynamics) – 10%
Strength of Materials – 7%
Material Properties – 7%
Fluid Mechanics – 7%
Electricity and Magnetism – 9%
Thermodynamics – 7%

The questions are short and for the most part just cover the basics of the subject. The Supplied-Reference Handbook includes a breakdown of specific things in each section that you should be prepared for.

The afternoon session has 60 questions and is 4 hours long. Four minutes per question. You get to pick the afternoon test. I highly recommend that if you are a civil engineering major that you take the civil engineering exam in the afternoon. I found the questions very similar to what I saw in class. However the choice is up to you. If you don’t want to take the civil engineering exam then I would recommend the general engineering exam in the afternoon. You are given a thick book with all of the different tests in it. If you still haven’t decided by the time you get to the exam then quickly skim through the civil and general exams and see which one will be easier for you. Remember you can only pick one and you have to do all of the questions in the one you pick. No mixing and matching.

Below is a list of what is in the CE exam and the approximate percentages:

Surveying – 11%
Hydraulics and Hydrologic Systems – 12%
Soil Mechanics and Foundations – 15%
Environmental Engineering – 12%
Transportation – 12%
Structural Analysis – 10%
Structural Design – 10%
Construction Management – 10%
Materials – 8%

If you choose the general exam in the afternoon it will contain the same basic subjects as the morning exam just in much more detail.

Test Day

Get there early. You will not be allowed in if you are late. Follow all of the rules. Even the ones that you wouldn’t normally have to follow for a final exam in a class. The proctors take the exam very seriously and so should you. Several people get kicked out every time for breaking the rules.

Have your ID and your paperwork ready

If you think you might get cold then bring a jacket

Listen to what the proctors say

Work quickly

But use all of the available time

When you have about 5 minutes left guess on all of the rest – pick a letter and stick with it.

Read the questions and answers carefully – you thing that you will see a lot is “pick the one that most nearly matches” your answer. Sometimes that may mean that none of them are close but one of them is closer than the other. For example, say you do the calculation and the answer is 53. The answers to choose from are 0, 100, 200, and 300. None of them really seem to fit, but 100 is “most nearly” the same because it’s the closest to 53.

Make sure you do it their way – They may tell you to use a certain method. Then in the answers they will have the correct answer as well as the answers that you would get using other methods. So if you use the wrong method you will still find the answer on the list but will get the question wrong because you didn’t use their method.

Registration for the October exam is open already in some states and will be opening soon in others. The last day for registration is September 4th. Though, that may vary by state. Don’t wait until the last minute. Good luck for those getting ready to take it.

How to pass FE an PE exam in Civil Engineering?

How to pass FE and PE exam in Civil Engineering(Getting ready)

There are probably nearly as many strategies to passing the FE as there are people that have passed it. But here are some tips to help you along the way.

Way before you take the test

1) Pay attention in class
Most of the problems on the exam are similar to what you saw in your classes. The only difference is that they are broken down to only one segment of a larger problem. For example, instead of being asked to calculate all of the forces in a truss, you will be given some information and asked to calculate the force in only one member.
2) Get a copy of the NCEES FE Exam formula book.
You can get a copy of the formula book straight from the NCEES website. Click on Study Materials and find the FE Supplied-Reference Handbook. It has virtually every formula that you will need as a CE student. Get used to how it’s laid out so that when you get to the FE Exam you don’t have to search for the formulas that you need. It makes a great reference while doing home work. I also found that many professors will let you use it in place of formula sheets for tests and quizzes. Plus, I still use mine even after I graduated.
3) Actually read some of your text books
Some of the questions on the FE Exam check whether or not you understand a concept not if you can calculate a formula. So make sure you understand the science and reasoning behind the concepts and formulas that you learn in class.
4) Get a calculator that you can use on the test
NCEES has a very specific list of calculators that you can use on the test. Get one and learn how to use it. Sometimes knowing the special functions can save you valuable time when you’re in the exam.

The semester before

1) Pick up some study guides.
There are a lot of good study guides out there. One that I used and found helpful was the FE Review Manual written by Michael Lindeburg. You can buy it directly from PPI at the website ppi2pass.com. You can also get it from a lot of other book stores. They put out other books including subject specific books and sample exams.
2) Take a review course
I didn’t take a review course, but several of my friends did. They can be helpful because they review the material and give you a lot of practice questions.
3) Make sure you have the latest copy of the FE Supplied-Reference Handbook
They update it from time to time. Make sure you are studying from the one you will be using on the actual exam.
4) Do practice problems.
Do lots and lots of practice problems. Then do some more. This is the best possible way to get ready for the exam. I used eitexam.com. They are inexpensive and have a ton of practice problems. What I found most helpful were their ten minute quizzes. I never felt like I had the time to sit down and study a lot for the exam, but I did have time to do a ten minute quiz a few times a day. Plus the site will show you how to work each problem and tell you why the right answer is right and the other answers are wrong. You can also get FE Exam question books. Make sure they are up to date, though.
5) Make sure you register on time
I know several people that didn’t take the exam when they wanted to because they didn’t register on time. They waited until the last minute and then found out the last minute was really the day before. So register early when you know you are going to take it.

The days before

1) Do more practice problems
Continue to do more practice problems. Again, they are the best way to prepare. They help you review the material, and get your mind thinking the way the exam works.
2) Get your stuff ready
Get your calculator and other things ready to take to the exam. They will give you a list of what you can and can’t bring. Put together all of your stuff. Make sure you aren’t going to be scrambling for anything that morning.
3) Get a good night’s sleep
Just relax the day before. If you do study stop early and give your brain a chance to rest. Then get a full night’s sleep so that you are well rested and ready in the morning.

Those are just some quick tips on preparing for the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam. I’m sure a lot of people have other tips. Feel free to share them or ask any questions that you might have. I’ll talk more about test day strategies in a later post.

How to choose Master’s Degrees – MBA vs MSCE?

Master’s Degrees – MBA vs MSCE

This is a debate that has been going on for a long time. And you will find people that defend each side very well. This is also an important question that we, as young engineers, face. This decision will most likely influence our careers in the future.

Matt Barcus wrote a great article called MSCE vs. MBA – Lets Get Ready to Rumbllllle on this question for Civil Engineering Central. More than a dozen people shared their insights. The article covers many of the pros and cons to each degree program. The conclusion that he draws in the end is that even though both are great and can help your career “one should pursue their MSCE first, and then only consider pursuing an MBA after spending a decent amount of time in the trenches.” The basic reasoning behind that seems to come from two main ideas. First, most consulting firms were started and are run by PEs and the MSCE is what your employers will be looking for. Second, no matter what master’s degree you have, you will be expected to spend several years learning design before you are introduced to project management.

I agree with the conclusion and the reasoning when it comes to private consulting firms. Especially when considering small and medium sized firms. However, there a few other important points that I think should be considered when making a decision. I’ve talked with PEs and other engineers working in many types of environments including military, civil service, municipalities, engineering consulting firms, and private firms that employ CEs. I’ve come up with some other things that should be considered.

1) What type of career path do you want to follow?

There are three basic types of career paths that CEs can follow: become a technical expert, project management, and corporate leadership.

Obviously the technical expert will gain the most from the MSCE. Since they are hired to lead teams to solve difficult problems in their field, the more education they have the better.

Project managers have to have more general knowledge. They will oversee projects that cover several engineering disciplines. They will also have to plan, schedule, budget, etc… An MSCE will certainly help them understand the engineering better as well as help them teach and lead their teams better. Because of the management aspects of the job, a good understanding of basic management would greatly help them streamline their projects. An executive MBA or a few carefully chosen classes could help them round out their knowledge.

Corporate leadership is more of a business job than an engineering job, but in the engineering world even the corporate leaders need to understand the engineering side. This type of job works a lot with marketing, public relations, accounting and other business functions. An MBA would be very helpful, but an MSCE would not help as much.

2) Where do you want to work? What kind of engineering do you want to do? How do you want to get there?

When I graduated from college I joined a design firm to do design work, one classmate of mine went to work doing project management on the civilian side of the Air Force, another joined the Navy and another is managing at a quarry.

We all have very different career paths ahead of us. Our employers have different expectations and requirements. It doesn’t matter that we all have the same degree from the same school. Nor that we all consider ourselves civil engineers. So we are all leaning in different directions to meet our employers’ needs and to get us where we want to be.

Because of the employers needs, some employers will pay for one degree or the other. Most consulting firms will pay for an MSCE possibly not an MBA. Many other organizations only see the value of the MBA and will only pay for that.

3) Changes in the rules.

One other important thing to consider is that recently The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) changed its model laws to require 30 hours of engineering classes be taken after getting the BS to take the PE Exam. The goal is for that to take effect on January 1, 2015. The model laws are only guidelines for the states to follow. The state licensing board has the final say in what the requirements are. Currently no state that I know of has made that one of their requirements. But I am sure it is coming. If you are planning to take the PE exam make sure you check your state’s rules when you get close to your time.

It looks to me that the most important thing is to look at your career path, where you want to go and how you want to get there. Then make a decision about a master’s program. What do you think? Anything else that should be considered?

How to success in FE tests

FE Exam

Today I’m going to talk about something important to engineering students. I’m going to go over what the FE exam is and why you should take it as soon as you can. Another time I’ll going over what to expect at the test, study strategies and tips to help you pass.

First of all the FE or Fundamentals of Engineering Exam is a comprehensive engineering exam that you generally take your last semester before getting your bachelors degree. It pretty much sums up all of your science and engineering courses. It is generally recommended to take it your last semester so that you have already completed most of your engineering course. That way you will have the best chance of passing the exam. The exam is multiple choice, but the questions are designed to make it hard to just guess.

The exam is broken into two main parts, the morning part and the afternoon part. In the morning everybody takes the same general engineering exam. It covers physics, chemistry, and all of your other general science and engineering subjects. In the afternoon you can choose a specific engineering subject or take a more in depth general exam. Most people majoring in civil engineering will pick the civil engineering specific exam in the afternoon. That’s what I recommend since that’s what will be the freshest in your mind.

The test is a national test. It is administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). They grade your test then send your score to your states licensing board. They are very secretive about how they score the tests. All they will say is that they use a statistical method and a group of subject matter experts to determine how many questions must be correct to get a passing score. They say that they use this method to make sure that the tests are fair. That way a student wouldn’t be punished if the test is harder that time that usual. Once the scores are reported, though, you will need a 70 percent to pass. They have said for several years that they will stop telling students their score, but when I took it I was sent my score.

Passing the FE Exam and getting your degree is what earns you your Engineer in Training (EIT) title. The test is only offered twice per year, in April and October. So make sure you are ready when it comes.

Why you should take it soon

As I mentioned before, it is required to get your EIT. The test is commonly considered the first step to getting your license. That’s because it is required to get your EIT and because you will have to pass the FE Exam before your can take the Professional Engineering (PE) Exam.

The FE Exam covers the theory and general information that you learn in school. Taking it while you are still taking the classes will make it much easier to remember the information than if you wait until just before you take the PE.

Some other reasons to take it before you finish school
You’re still in test taking mode
One less thing to worry about when you graduate
It’s hard to find time to study when you’re working
It shows future employers that you know your stuff
Many employers pay more if you already have it done
Some employers require it

That is just some basic information about the test and a few bullet points as to why you should take it while in school. Next I’ll go into more about the exam and about strategies to study and strategies to use during the exam.

In the mean time you can find more information about it a NCEES’s website www.ncees.org.

Has anybody here already taken it? Or plan to take it soon? What are your thoughts or questions about it?

Internships to value yourself

Internships to value yourself

With the new semester starting up soon it’s time to get into learning mode.  Most people remember to sign up for the right classes to get there degree, but a lot of people don’t know about, or don’t go after one of the most important learning tools you can get as a student; an internship.  Over the coming days I’m going to post some articles on how to find internships, how to prepare your resume, what to expect at an interview, first day on the job, and other things along those lines.  But today I’m going to talk about why an internship is important.  Here’s a list of why every civil engineering student should get an internship.  In no particular order.
You get paid
Most internships pay.  Civil engineering interns get paid pretty well compared to most jobs you can get while in college.
Learn how it works in the real world
You learn a lot of great theory and background in school.  But frequently you never really see how that works out in the real world.  In an internship you get to see first hand how the process works in your field.
You get to work on real projects
This is perhaps the best part.  You get to actually use what you’ve been learning and learn new stuff that can help you in school.  Sometimes the projects that you work on in your internship can go more in depth in a week than you will get in a semester in one of your classes.  Plus they are all things you can put on your resume for when you graduate.
Your bosses understand
If you have a civil engineering internship chances are you’ll be working for someone with a civil engineering degree.  They’ve been where you are.  They know what it takes to get and engineering degree.  They are willing to help out.
Credit at school
Many schools will give you credit for internships.  The school I went to would let you get up to three credits and could count it as one of your electives.  Get with your adviser before the semester starts to find out what your school can do.
You get paid more after you graduate
People with experience get paid more than people without experience.  Having an internship on your resume shows that you know what you are getting into and that you know how to do things.  That will make you instantly more marketable than people with no experience.  That could mean not only more money in a job offer, but also more job offers.
Easier to get a job after you graduate
An internship does two main things to help you get a job after you graduate.  It gets your foot in the door for any companies that you work for.  It also gives you specific experience and accomplishments that you can put on your resume.
Find out what you like and what you don’t
I had a friend in college that every summer he worked for a different firm that did a different kind of engineering.  He definitely had the chance to try it all out and find what he liked.
An internship is worth more than a 4.00
While I was in school, and since then, I’ve talked to a lot of engineers that hire for their companies.  It’s been pretty consistent.  They say they’d rather see an internship on a resume than a 4.00 GPA.
A side note on this.  If you look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics data for civil engineers http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm you’ll see that starting salaries for a bachelors degree is higher than a masters degree.  From what I’ve see, that’s pretty consistent for several different places that collect that data.  Based on the people I knew in college I think it’s because most of the people that have a bachelors degree also had an internship.  Most of the people that I know that went straight for their masters after getting a bachelors degree, did not get an internship.  Internships and the experience you get is very valuable.  I’m not telling you not to go after a masters degree, just make sure that you get some real world experience also.
Those are some of the main reasons that I came up with to get an internship.  What are some of your reasons?  What have you gained from your internship?  Any reasons why you think someone shouldn’t get an internship?

Simple Rules for the Best Civil Engineering Resume

Simple Rules for the Best Civil Engineering Resume

Your Resume

Friday, July 31st, 2009 For many jobs that you apply for, the first thing that a potential employer will see is your resume and cover letter.  Here are a few tips for your resume.  I’ve posted a layout that has worked well for me in the past. 
Keep it simple and easy to read
Hiring managers don’t have a lot of time to try and figure out what you’re saying.  Us an easy to read layout like the sample I posted.  1 inch margins, clear sections, bullet points in each section.
But not to simple
Make sure you don’t sell yourself short.  Include enough important facts about yourself to show the potential employer how great you are.
Be relevant
Look at the company’s website and at any job adds the company may have out.  Make sure you tailor your resume to show your skills that are important to that company.  Listing things about yourself that would appeal to that employer.
When I worked retail I got a resume from a kid.  On the resume he said that he could hold a hissing cockroach without flinching.  We thought that was great, but it didn’t help us any.  He didn’t get an interview.  We had limited time and other people talked about relevant skills.
Be specific
List specific accomplishments.  Being specific shows the potential employer what you have accomplished and what you might be able to do for them.  Specifics work much better than generic phrases like: I’m a go getter, or I’m responsible.  Say it with specifics.
Target your resume
Don’t use the same resume for every company that you apply to.  Make adjustments to your resume so that you highlight the things about you that are most important to that particular company.
Don’t lie
Integrity is very important in the engineering profession.  You will hear about engineering ethics a lot. When you get caught, and you will, it will be known.  It can hurt your career.
No work experience? Talk about school.
If you’re still in school, employers know that you won’t have a lot of experience.  List the engineering classes that you’ve taken.  Talk about any scholarships or awards that you’ve won.  List some projects that you’ve done.
Those are some of the tips I’ve followed when working on my resumes.  For those of you that have been down this road before, what are your recommendations?

Could You Be ASCE's Next 'New Face' of Civil Engineering?

Salute Engineering's Bright Young Stars -
Nominate a 'New Face' for 2011 Award

Do you work with or know a civil engineer who's 30 or under, yet is already making a name for himself or herself? Does he or she show the potential for a long and distinguished career in the profession and a commitment to excellence in everything he or she does?  If so, nominate him or her for the National Engineers Week Foundation 2011 New Faces of Engineering award.

Nomination for the National EWeek Foundation New Faces recognition program is open to young engineers of all disciplines, including civil engineering.  The program promotes the accomplishments of young engineers by highlighting their engineering contributions and noting the direct and positive effect they have on people’s everyday lives. The national campaign promotes the profession of engineering by:

• Showcasing and honoring a diverse group of young and talented engineers, who are making a difference through their work, in a profession that is innovative, forward thinking and open to everyone.
• Introducing college engineering students to inspiring engineers in hopes of encouraging them to explore the many career options their engineering degrees open up for them, as well as encouraging high school students to study engineering in college.
• Providing role models for engineering students to help them understand the global reach of their profession.

ASCE will be accepting nominations for New Faces from the civil engineering community through Monday, Oct. 11. Nominees must be ASCE members.  ASCE will forward five top nominees to the National Engineers Week Foundation, which will select one nominee from each engineering field and announce their names in February 2011. Winners will be recognized in a full-page ad in USA Today during Engineers Week, Feb. 14-20, 2011, and highlighted in other ways, including possible feature profiles in engineering trade publications.
 download the form here

Conference 2010-on Engineering Design Technology

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Fore more info go for "technology" website

How to success in Engineering Job Interview

How to success in Engineering Job Interview

How to get a Engineering Career as your wish? Keep in mind that a well preparation leads to your success. Hereafter are most important tips for Engineering Jobs Interview.

DON’T BE ON TIME – BE EARLY

It is important you arrive at the interview 20-30 minutes early. Obviously, being late sends a negative message about you to the interviewer. Many interviewers don’t meet with candidates who arrive late. Plan ahead. Investigate traffic patterns relative to the time of your job interview. Don’t expect the interviewer will be sensitive to delays caused by traffic congestion or an unexpected traffic accident. They expect you will allow for those eventualities, just like they do.

DRESS & LOOK PROFESSIONAL

Women: A skirt, dress or dress-suit or pant-suit are the most appropriate for the female candidate. Make sure your clothes are neat, clean and well pressed and make sense. Avoid controversial garb, anything too revealing or too trendy. You want to look professional, not like you are there to get a date or express a fashion statement.

Men: A dress suit, shirt and tie is the most appropriate clothing for the male candidate. Make sure your clothes are neat, clean and well pressed. Avoid flashy colors, jeans, T-shirts or tennis shoes. Wear your hair neat (including facial hair), clean and well groomed.

Oh yeah, and please cover tattoos and body piercings. While your private friends may enjoy the current fad of body art, most likely, a new employer isn’t impressed, in fact, may look upon those expressions as somewhat immature – regardless of how you may feel about them. If such corporate attitudes are uncomfortable for you, find another prospective employer who is more open to such un-requested expressions of personality. Otherwise, be professional, dress professional, behave professionally.

PREPARE

Have a pen, notepad and extra copy of your resume and references with you. (check more on the example of resume here)Make notes of questions you want to ask that relate to the job and company. Put those items in a place that will be easy for you to get to when you need them in the interview. If you currently use a daily/weekly planner, bring that with you too. You should try to arrive at your interview well rested, with a clear mind and a plan for presenting your credentials and supporting materials like references.

GREET JOB INTERVIEWER ENTHUSIASTICALLY

Smile, be friendly, not nervous, offer a solid handshake and say something friendly, like: “Good morning, pleasure to meet you, and thank you for the opportunity to visit with you today.” Show your enthusiasm about the opportunity to work for their company. Remember, they are interviewing you for a job that requires specific skills and genuine enthusiasm — if you don’t express that at the interview, they many not be convinced you have the stamina required for the job.

DON’T HIGHLIGHT NEGATIVES

For the job interviewer, it is all about filling the job with the right person. Believe me, most job interviewers don’t want to hear about your antique tin can collection, or how you landed that elk last year on your vacation. An interviewer wants your undivided attention on their job needs. Your personal habits distract from that focus. Such personal comments may include topics like: smoking, chewing gum, nervous finger or feet movement, tapping a pencil or a fork, humming, whistling, stretching, cleaning finger nails, clearing your throat, excessive “ums” in conversation, or focusing too much time on unrelated topics. Don’t make negative remarks about your past or present employers or workmates. Negative remarks will not help your cause, and will seem as though you are blaming others for poor results.

RESEARCH THE COMPANY THOROUGHLY

Learn as much as you can about the company and the duties of the job position which interests you, like income range and associated benefits. Family and friends are sometimes sources of information about the company you seek for employment. But don’t rely on hearsay, try to talk to someone in the company about the requirement and expectations of the job you seek. And utilize more than one source of comments about the company you are considering. Any positive things you learn about the company, make sure you mention them to the interviewer as a way to express your long term interest in the job you seek. Be prepared to answer questions about why you want to work for their company, offering sensible reasons that are practical in results.

PREPARE TO ASK QUESTIONS

You don’t want to confuse the interviewer with too many questions. Remember, they are interviewing you, so be prepared to answer all their questions smartly. But challenge the interviewer with some of your own questions – determine those questions before you arrive to the job interview. Keep good eye contact when you ask your questions. Don’t get into lengthy discussions. The idea is to engage the interviewer, to show them you can take charge when required and get the information you need. You should strive to create a list of questions that go to the heart of the job you seek.

KEEP A GOOD ATTITUDE

Be confident and knowledgeable and you will express a good attitude. But don’t seem over confident in your abilities. Remain relaxed, answer questions sincerely. Be interested in the job and the company. Lighten up some and use a little humor! Your job interviewer should be made to feel you really want the job and their company. Show serious interest so that you will be considered a serious candidate. Do not mention offers of interviews with other companies, unless asked.

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO EXPECT

When answering questions that have a pre-determined answer, remember to offer a straight forward and immediate answer, and keep it simple. Avoid yes/no answers, unless you are offering an example to illustrate your answer. In fact, as much as possible, try and offer your key answers in a format of : Strategy-then-example. In that sense, if you were to discuss aspects of how to build a team of your workmates, you could answer with a short comment about your overall strategy of how to build a team, then follow that up with a quick real-time example of how you recently utilized that strategy and the results you got. Something like – “I build a team by making sure everyone involved understands our mutual goals, the timing, and their influence on those goals. When I did that last Spring, as we were introducing a new product, the goal was to sell more product by training team members to up-sell the new product to existing customers – we increased sales over 20-percent in one month.”

PREPARE TO ASK QUESTIONS

You don’t want to confuse the interviewer with too many questions. Remember, they are interviewing you, so be prepared to answer all their questions smartly. But challenge the interviewer with some of your own questions – determine those questions before you arrive to the job interview. Keep good eye contact when you ask your questions. Don’t get into lengthy discussions. The idea is to engage the interviewer, to show them you can take charge when required and get the information you need. You should strive to create a list of questions that go to the heart of the job you seek. Practice Job Interview Answer is highly recommended.

How to Get a Civil Engineering Degree with ease?

How to Get a Civil Engineering Degree with ease?

A civil engineer specializes in city building. This includes bridges, water distribution, infrastructure, and roads. In order to get a civil engineer degree, you will need to complete four requirements: find a school, meet admission requirements, pay tuition fees, and complete the coursework. All of these items are required to obtain a civil engineering degree.
Civil engineers typically work in teams with other professionals. They are responsible for taking designs, plans, and schematics and converting them into actual structures. This type of engineering job often requires travel for extended periods of time. Many key projects are located in other cities or countries.
A civil engineering degree can be obtained from both online or traditional universities. It is important to explore the different programs available in the engineering faculty to find the right discipline for you. Avoid schools that offer only one or two different types of engineering. The greater the breadth of courses available to you, the more enriched your education will be.
The admission requirements for a civil engineering degree vary, but typically require high school credits in calculus, algebra, physics, English, and technology.These programs are very competitive, requiring high marks to gain admission to the best programs. People who enjoy building structures and design are most likely to enjoy civil engineering.
Engineering is a professional program, and so the fees are sometimes significantly higher than a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree. It pays to explore scholarships and grants available to students based on marks or other requirements. Student jobs available on campus often pay significantly more than market rates. These jobs are considered part of the overall student aid package.
The first year of an engineering program is usually the same for all students, regardless of discipline. The courses are typically English, calculus, physics, structure, design, math, and technology. In the second year, more specialization in course offering becomes available, and the students begin to separate.
In the third and fourth years, the courses are focused on details of each field. Engineering programs have very heavy course loads, with a significant time commitment required. Many schools counsel students not to accept part time jobs or have outside commitments, as they will not have the time to follow through.
Upon successful completion, students apply for a professional engineering designation or P. Eng. The Professional Engineer Association of America manages this designation. They are responsible for evaluating courses, offering specific programs and running the examination and certification process.

10 Steps to avoid Engineering Scholarship Scams

10 Steps to avoid Engineering Scholarship Scams

Student or parents needs to be able to recognize the scholarship fraud profile. Following are top 10 Scholarship Scams.

1. The free seminar scam. Overwhelmed by all the information out there? Want to make the best financial aid decisions for you or your child? Often a free financial aid seminar is no more than a “come-on” for insurance sales pitches, matching services or investment products.

Signs that should make the warning bells go off: Are they using the hard sell? Sign-up today or the price shoots up tomorrow? Can only answer certain questions after you pay their fee? Wants your credit card information to “hold” a scholarship for you? Your ears should be ringing by now.

Remember, if you receive help from a consultant, he or she must sign the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If the seminar sales rep refuses to do so, it is another alarm bell. And never let a company consultant suggest that you adjust your income on the FAFSA in order to receive more aid. It’s unethical (a crime even). And it can backfire, big time.

2. Scholarships for profit. Scholarships are designed for many purposes—recruit talented athletes, assist low income applicants, encourage study in an academic discipline, promote campus diversity, attract the best students—but profit should never be one of them. Scammers that award modest scholarships of $1,000 (or no scholarship at all) can collect many times over that amount in fees by attracting thousands of applicants. You may only be out the 15 bucks or so, but multiple that by 1,000 scholarship hopefuls just like you and you just made for a nice payday for the scholarship scam artist. Being denied such a scholarship does not make you undeserving—but just one more scammed applicant.

3. The advance-fee loan. A low-interest loan with an upfront fee? Don’t think so, and neither should you. Legitimate lenders deduct fees from at the time disbursement checks are issue; they do not charge fees before paying out the loan to a borrower. Be wary of any lender that asks for money upfront—that is a loan that will likely never materialize.

4. Your Financial Aid Office. Huh? Your college Financial Aid Office is a credible and free resource for education funding. But beware; the Education Department recently banned the practice of lenders offering financial incentives to universities that recommend their service as a preferred lender (the university often receiving a “cut” for the loan). The move was prompted by investigations showing that some university officials accepted gifts, payments or stock on favorable terms in exchange for such practices. In other instances, marketing representatives for lenders staffed phones at student aid offices. In an $85 billion student loan industry, you have to ask yourself if your university steered you to the lender with the best rate available, or simply the one lining their pockets. Ouch.

5. The guaranteed matching service. If Match.com can’t guarantee you Prince Charming and firmer abs, scholarship matching services cannot guarantee you money in the bank. Matching services that promise guaranteed matching sources for a processing fee of $49.95 (and much higher) will at best provide you with information available for free on the web. Take note that these services often inflate their database when an individual sponsor offers hundreds of scholarships.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) reports that many of the sources provided by scholarship matching services are inaccurate and “few, if any at all, receive the actual funds”. The BBB adds that information provided is often out of date, providing sources for deadlines that have long passed. And never mind that money-back guarantee—it comes with more hoops to jump through than any dog-and-pony show you could ever imagine.

6. Linked products. Don’t let any sales person ever convince you that a financial product, such as student life insurance, or an annuity, must be purchased to qualify for federal student financial aid. It just isn’t so. And it is a sure fire scam.

7. The telemarketer. Telemarketing was once the biggest bugaboos of scholarship fraud when the FTC first addressed scholarship scams in the 90s. Attention more recently has shifted to bogus financial aid and scholarship seminars, and deceptive practices among consultants. That does not mean that telemarketing scams still do not surface. The U.S. Department of Education warned consumers recently about telemarketing scammers posing as U.S. Department of Education (ED) officers offering grants to students for a $249 processing fee (by requesting a bank or credit card number). Contact the DOE’s Office of Inspector General at 1-800-MIS-USED (1-800-647-8733) or oig.hotline@ed.gov to learn more.

8. Guaranteed financial aid consultants. What can you expect for your fee from a financial aid consultant? Help completing the FAFSA, estimating your expected family contribution (EFC), and advising you or child on types of aid. Information and assistance that is readily available and free from a financial aid office at any university, your local library, on the web, or from a high school guidance counselor. So what is free, free, free information worth to you? Plenty, if you pay fees to a financial aid consultant to get it.

Some may want the handholding of a consultant regardless. Then be aware of deceptive claims that should send you looking for help from other sources. A financial aid consultant may guarantee a minimum $2,500 in aid or promise to refund your money. That’s nice, but misleading. Yes, you will no doubt receive that $2,500 student loan, but then so will every applicant who completes the FAFSA (free and on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov). A federal entitlement available simply by completing the FAFSA should not be misrepresented or misconstrued as aid a consulting company can uniquely guarantee you as an enticement.

Likewise, if a consulting service guarantees you will receive every last penny to ship your child off to school (or your money back), you should not be fooled. You guessed it, another federal entitlement that is a byproduct of completing the FAFSA. That and a decent credit rating will earn you a PLUS loan for 100 percent of the total cost of attendance for you or your child. It is just good sense to steer clear of any company that entices clientele with benefits that are freely available to all students completing the FAFSA (whether they pay pricey consulting fees or not) as a federal entitlement.

Remember, if a consulting agency is completing a FAFSA (or any other form) on your behalf, review, sign it, and mail it yourself. You should maintain copies of the completed FAFSA and expect a refund if it is incorrect. And always agree to a flat fee for financial aid consulting services, never a percentage of aid received. Qualifications to consider when screening potential financial aid consultants include whether the consultant has experience at a financial aid office and is a Certified Public Accountant. Never be hesitant to ask for references.

9. The sweepstakes scholarship. Lucky you! You have just been selected as a finalist to win a scholarship in a sweepstakes that you never entered. (And you thought you never won anything.) The only obstacle standing between you and collecting your winnings is paying the redemption fee. Be wary of contests, websites and scholarships that collect personal data, payout a single dollar-amount (play the lottery today?) and repay the kindness with a barrage of advertisements. Which brings us to our next popular scam tactic.

10. The redemption fee. Common catchphrases by the scammer are disbursement fee, redemption fee, or processing fee. Notice the common denominator here? Legitimate scholarships do not ask a student to pay for an award. Be wary of any money awarded to you out of the blue that comes with strings, especially those with strings attached to your pocketbook.

Prof. Victor Li - the innovative creator of NanoMaterial in Civil Engineering

    The innovative creator of NanoMaterial in Civil Engineering: Review
      "One of the most challenging problems in infrastructure is to endure our built infrastrutures from the affect influences from the natural and man-made hazard. To mitigate the influence of hazard on the infrastructures, the smart engineer utilizes the smart material through materials technology". 
      One of the most smart and influencing engineer and researcher in the world in the area of smart material is "Professor Victor C. Li".
       Prof. Li use the technology core that is micromechanics-based designed engineered cemetitious composites (ECC) with ductility approaching two to three orders of magnitude that of ordinary concrete of FRC. Prof.Li's research extends its impact on the quality of life via interdisciplinary research collaborations with partners specilizing in polymer chemistry, rheology, fiber processing, including structural and construction engineering.

  This is for the "better built environment and infrastructures".  Read more Prof.Victor Li in Forbes.

  The short summary of Prof. Li Bio is below:
E. Benjamin Wylie Collegiate Chair
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
University of Michigan

Education (Top)
Ph.D. Solid & Structural Mechanics Brown University 1981
M.S. Mechanical Engineering Brown University 1978
M.A. Mechanical Engineering Brown University 1977
B.S. Economics Brown University 1977
Experience (Top)
2005 - Present E. Benjamin Wylie Collegiate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, U. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
2004 - Present Professor of Materials Science and Engineering,
U. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
1993 - 2005 Professor of Civil and Envirn. Engineering, U. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
1990 -1993 Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, U. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
1985 -1990 Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, M.I.T., Cambridge, MA.
1983 -1985 Edgerton Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, M.I.T., Cambridge, MA.
1981 -1983 Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, M.I.T., Cambridge, MA.
Honors and Awards (Top)

* Fellow, IA-FraMCoS, 2010
* Member, General Council, Int’l Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems, and Structures (RILEM), 2005-present
* Member, Editorial Advisory Committee, RILEM J. of Materials and Structures, 2004-present
* Member, Advisory Board, J. of Adv. Concrete Technology, Japan Concrete Institute, 2001-present
* Guest Professorship, Southeast University, Nanjing, China, 2006-present
* Hua Ying Honorary Lectureship, Southeast University, Nanjing, China, 2006
* U-M Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award, 2005-2006
* Fellow, World Innovation Foundation, 2005-
* Finalist, Frank Annunzio Award for “cutting edge” innovations Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation, 2005
* UM College of Engineering Stephen S. Attwood Excellence in Engineering Award, 2004-2005
* Honorary Doctorate, Tech. Univ. of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark, 2004
* President, Association of Fracture Mechanics of Concrete and Concrete Structures, 2001-2004
* Member, Editorial Board, J. of Cement and Concrete Composites, 2000-2002
* Højgaard Visiting Professor of Concrete Technology, Techn. Univ. of Denmark, 1999 - 2004
* Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1999 -
* Fellow, American Society of Civil Engineers, 1998
* Member, Executive Committee, ASCE Materials Technology Division, 1996 - 1998
* Invited Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Tokyo, 1996-1997
* Visiting Professor of Civil & Structural Engineering, Hong Kong Univ. of Science and Technology, 1997 summer
* Member, Executive Committee, Materials Engineering Division, ASCE, 1996 -
* Editor-in-Chief, ASCE J. Materials in Civil Engineering, 1996 - 1999
* U-M College of Engineering Research Excellence Award, 1995-1996
* Distinguished Lecturer Award, ICCE, 1994
* U-M CEE Department Research Excellence Award, 1993-1994
* Invited Guest Editor, J. of Cement and Concrete Composites, 1992
* Invited Professor of Structural Engineering, Techn. Univ. of Denmark, 1992 summer
* Rackham Research Partnership Award, 1991-1992
* Edgerton Career Development Chair, M.I.T., 1983-1985
* University Fellowship, Brown University, 1977-1978
* Tau Beta Pi, 1977- ; Sigma Xi, 1977-

Keynote/Plenary Speaker (selected list) (Top)

* "Non-Brittle Concrete For Durable Infrastructure In Coastal Regions," to appear in Proc., International Conf. on Future Concrete, Doha, Qatar, 2010.
* "Damage Characteristics And Micromechanics of Impact Resistant Engineered Cementitious Composites," European Fracture Conference (ECF18), Dresden, Germany, 2010.
* "Advances in Self-healing Engineered Cementitious Composites," Japan Concrete Institute, Tokyo, 2010.
* "Driving Infrastructure Sustainability Via Advanced Materials Technology," Int’l Conference on Advanced Concrete Materials, Stellenbosch, S. Africa, 11/2009.
* "Self-Healing Cementitious Material and Sustainable Infrastructure," 2nd Int’l Conf. on Self-Healing Materials, Chicago, 6/2009.
* "Sustainable Infrastructure With Durable Fiber Concrete Material," Concrete: Construction's Sustainable Option, Dundee Scotland, 7/2008.
* "Bendable Concrete for Sustainable Infrastructure," NRMCA Concrete Tech Forum, Denver, 5/2008.
* ACI Convention State-of-the-Art Cement and Concrete Applications, Puerto Rico, 2007
* 1st Int’l Conf. on Self Healing Materials, Noordwijk, the Netherlands, 2007
* 10th Int’l Inorganic-Bonded Fiber Composites Conf., Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2006
* Japan Society of Civil Engineers – TC334 Workshop, 2006
* Int’l Workshop on Fracture of Materials, Sydney, Australia, 2006
* ECI on Advances in Cement and Concrete – Sustainability, Switzerland, 2006
* Knud Højgaard Conf. on Advanced Cement-Based Materials, Denmark, 2005
* Int’l Seminar on Better Quality of Concrete and Competitiveness of the Construction Industry,” Seoul, Korea, 2005
* 6th RILEM Symp. on Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC), Varenna, Italy, 2004
* Conf. on Fibre Composites, HPC and Smart Materials, Chennai, India , 2004
* Int¹l Workshop on Sustainable Concrete Technology, Beijing, China, 2004
* JCI Japanese Symposium on DFRCC, Japan, 2003
* Fiber Society on Engineering with Fibers, Loughborough, UK, 2003
* Materials Research Society Meeting, Boston, US, 2002
* Japan Concrete Institute Workshop on DFRCC, Takayama, Japan, 2002
* 1st fib Congress ­ Concrete Structures in 21st Century, Osaka, Japan, 2002
* High Performance Concrete Workshop, Kungmin, China, 2001
* Int’l Conference on High Performance Concrete, China, 2000
* 6th Int'l Symposium on Brittle Matrix Composites, Warsaw, Poland, 2000
* FRAMCOS-3, Gifu, Japan, 1998
* 5th Int'l Symposium on Brittle Matrix Composites, Warsaw, Poland, 1997
* ICF-9, Sydney, Australia, 1997
* Meso-Fracture ‘96, Tomsk, Russia, 1996
* 4th Japan SAMPE Conference, Tokyo, Japan, 1995
* 4th Int'l Symposium on Brittle Matrix Composites, Warsaw, Poland, 1994
* 4th RILEM International Symposium on FRC, Sheffield, UK, 1992
* MIT Sea Grant Program, WS on Breaking Process of Ice Plates, US, 1984

Member/Chair, Scientific Board of Advisors/Organizing Committee (selected list) (Top)

* BEFIB 2012 on Fibre Reinforced Concrete, Guimaraes City, Portugal, 2012
* 7th Int’l Symp. on Cement & Concrete (ISCC), Ji’nan, China, 2010
* 2nd Int’l Conf. on Service Life Design for Infrastructure, Delft, The Netherlands, 2010
* 18th European Conference of Fracture (ECF 18), Dresden, Germany, 2010
* Fracture Mechanics of Concrete & Concrete Structures (FraMCoS 7), Korea, 2009
* 1st Int’l Conf. on Computational Technologies in Concrete Structures (CTCS'09), Korea, 2009
* 2nd Int’l Conf. on Self-Healing Materials (ICSHM), Chicago, US, 2009
* Int’l Conf. on Durability of Concrete Structures (ICDCS 2008), Hangzhou, China, 2008
* Int’l Symp. on Hydration, Microstructure and Durability, Nanjing, China, 2008
* Int’l Conf. on Challenges for Civil Construction, Porto, Portugal, 2008
* 8th Int’l Symp. on Utilization of High Strength & High Performance Concrete, Tokyo, Japan, 2008
* Int’l Workshop on HPFRCC, Mainz, Germany, 2007
* 1st Int’l Conf. on Self Healing Materials, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 2007
* Int’l Workshop on Fracture of Materials, Sydney, Australia, 2006
* 11th Int¹l Conf. On Fracture (ICF11), Turin, Italy, 2005
* Int’l Conf. on Advances in Concrete & Construction (ICACC-2004), India 2004
* FraMCoS 5th Int'l Symp. on Concrete Fracture, Vail, Colorado, 2004
* 6th RILEM Symposium on Fibre-Reinforced Concrete, Varenna, Italy, 2004
* Int'l Conf. on Concrete under Severe Conditions CONSEC 04 Seoul, Korea, 2004
* HPFRCC-4 Int¹l Workshop, Ann Arbor, US, 2003
* Int¹l Fiber Society Symposium, Loughborough, UK, 2003
* Japan Concrete Institute Workshop on DFRCC, Takayama, Japan, 2002
* International Board of JCI Committee on High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composites, 2001- 2004
* Int' Conf. on Advances in Building Technology, Hong Kong, 2002
* 2nd Int’l Workshop on Self-Compacting Concrete, Japan, 2001
* FraMCoS 4th Int'l Symp. on Concrete Fracture, France, 2001
* Int’l Conference on High Performance Concrete, Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China, 2000
* Int’l Workshop on High Performance FRC Composites, Mainz, Germany, 1999
* Civil & Envir. Engrg. Conf. – New Frontiers & Challenges, AIT 40th Anniv. Celebration, Thailand, 1999
* Meso-Fracture ’98, Haifa, Isreal, 1998
* Int’l Workshop on Self-Compacting Concrete, Japan, 1998
* FraMCoS 3rd Int'l Symp. on Concrete Fracture, Japan, 1998
* Sixth Int’l Symp. on Ferrocement, Ann Arbor, US, 1998
* Damage and Failure of Interfaces, Vienna, Austria, 1997
* ICF-9, Sydney, Australia, 1997
* Int'l Workshop on HPFRCC, US, 1995
* FraMCoS 2nd Int'l Symp. on Concrete Fracture, Switzerland, 1995
* RILEM 4th Int'l Symp. on FRC, UK, 1992
* RILEM Int'l Conf. Frac./Damage of Conc. & Rock, Austria, 1992
* FraMCoS 1st Int'l Conf. Frac. Mech. of Conc. Struct., US, 1992
* SEM Int'l Conf. Micromech. Failure of Quasi-Brittle Mat'ls, US, 1990
* Int'l Assoc. BEM - Int'l Sym. on BEM, 89, US, 1989
* ITA Int'l Conf. on Jointed and Faulted Rock, Austria, 1989
* RILEM Int'l Conf. Frac. Toughness and Frac. Energy, UK, 1989
* RILEM Int'l Conf. in Fracture of Concrete and Rock, UK, 1987

What is LRFD?

Limit state design (LSD) refers to a design method used in structural engineering. The method is in fact a modernization and rationalization of engineering knowledge which was well established prior to the adoption of LSD.[citation needed] Beyond the concept of a limit state, LSD simply entails the application of statistics to determine the level of safety required by or during the design process for LRFD from Bridge Design, please read this book about Design of Highway Bridges: An LRFD Approach

Criteria

Limit state design requires the structure to satisfy two principal criteria: the ultimate limit state (ULS) and the serviceability limit state (SLS).[1] A limit state is a set of performance criteria (e.g. vibration levels, deflection, strength, stability, buckling, twisting, collapse) that must be met when the structure is subject to loads.

Example Treatment of LSD in Codes

The following is the treatment of LSD found in the National Building Code of Canada:

NBCC 1995 Format
φR > αDD + ψ γ {αLL + αQQ + αTT}

where φ = Resistance Factor
ψ = Load Combination Factor
γ = Importance Factor
αD = Dead Load Factor
αL = Live Load Factor
αQ = Earthquake Load Factor
αT = Thermal Effect (Temperature) Load Factor


Any design process involves a number of assumptions. The loads to which a structure will be subjected must be estimated, sizes of members to check must be chosen and design criteria must be selected. All engineering design criteria have a common goal: that of ensuring a safe structure and ensuring the functionality of the structure.
The State of the Art

Limit state design has replaced the older concept of permissible stress design in most forms of civil engineering. Notable exceptions are geotechnical engineering and transportation engineering. Even so, new codes are currently being developed for both geotechnical and transportation engineering which are LSD based. As a result, most modern buildings are designed in accordance with a code which is based on limit state theory. For example, in the UK, Steel structures are designed in accordance with BS 5950, and reinforced concrete structures to BS 8110, both of which are codes based on limit state theory. Australia, Canada, China, France, Indonesia, and New Zealand (among many others) utilise limit state theory in the development of their design codes. In the purest sense, it is now considered inappropriate to discuss safety factors when working with LSD, as there are concerns that this may lead to confusion.
Limit State Design in the United States

The United States has been particularly slow to adopt Limit State(s) design (known as Load and Resistance Factor Design in the US), and as a result it is more thoroughly adopted outside the United States. Inside the U.S. there has been significant resistance to this technique, so much so that the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) is now issuing a combined manual of steel construction (the 2005 manual) that contains two methods of design side by side (newly named ASD - Allowable Strength Design, not to be confused with ASD - Allowable Stress Design last updated in 1989), and LRFD - load and resistance factor design).[citation needed] In terms of the US steel code, research and progress has been reserved to LRFD code, with the exception of addenda regarding safety concerns. Even so, many American engineers continue to prefer the former ASD code. The difficulty may lie in the high regionalization of US Engineering practice, coupled with the high number of governing bodies, codes and states which each regulate the engineering profession individually.

Standard Handbook for Civil Engineers

Standard Handbook for Civil Engineers
          A revision of the classic reference covering all important principles and techniques needed by practicing civil engineers. The 5th Edition incorporates changes in design and construction practices, especially in design specifications for construction materials, buildings and bridges, safety and health concerns, and the most current codes changes including ACI, AISC, ASTM, NDS for wood structures, etc. The Handbook covers systems design, community and regional planning, the latest design methods for buildings, airports, highways, tunnels and bridges. It includes sections on construction equipment, construction management, materials, specifications, structural theory, geotechnical engineering, wood, concrete, steel design and construction.
         Table of Contents:
Sect. 1 Systems Design
Sect. 2 Design Management
Sect. 3 Specifications
Sect. 4 Construction Management
Sect. 5 Construction Materials
Sect. 6 Structural Theory
Sect. 7 Geotechnical Engineering
Sect. 8 Concrete Design and Construction
Sect. 9 Structural Steel Design and Construction
Sect. 10 Cold-Formed-Steel Design and Construction
Sect. 11 Wood Design and Construction
Sect. 12 Surveying
Sect. 13 Earthwork
Sect. 14 Community and Regional Planning
Sect. 15 Building Engineering
Sect. 16 Highway Engineering
Sect. 17 Bridge Engineering
Sect. 18 Airport Engineering
Sect. 19 Rail-Transportation Engineering
Sect. 20 Tunnel Engineering
Sect. 21 Water Resources Engineering
Sect. 22 Environmental Engineering
Sect. 23 Coastal and Port Engineering
App Factors for Conversion to the Metric System (SI) of Units
Index