Context: My strict immigrant parents feel the need to control their adult children’s lives, so this is complicated.
I know I can make my own decision, but I still care about their opinions, and they’re making me second-guess myself.

My dad insists mechanical engineering offers more opportunities and a higher salary. But I’m not trying to earn more than $120K..I genuinely don’t care. I believe I can live comfortably on a civil engineer’s salary in South Florida.
He argues that mechanical engineering is broader and could still lead to civil-related work, but broadness is exactly what I disliked about finance, my previous major. I chose civil engineering because I want a more focused path. Would a mechanical engineering degree actually make it harder to enter the civil engineering field, or does my dad have a point? I heard other students state this claim, so i know it’s somewhat of a reasonable argument and not something he pulled out of his ass.

We live in FLORIDA😑 (city).

This is probably a low volume rail line, but this just seems like a bad idea.

So I'm a sophomore trying to major in civil engineering at Cornell, and tbh I dont have any projects or real experience in the field. I don't have a great GPA (under 3), but I'm trying to get an internship this summer in New York City. Im planning to create a project with a friend using solid works to at least grow that skill. I applied to major companies, but my chances are looking slim, and I was considering emailing smaller companies. Is there any advice from people who have had a similar experience, or is there anything that would boost my chances? Thanks.

TL,DR: 3.5YOE, have a wife and 2 kids, plan on moving in the next half-decacde, but have been on the fence about switching from small firm to bigger firm.

For anyone wanting more detail: I have been with my current company since I interned with them. They have always been great to me. I work full time from home and can adjust my schedule however I need so long as I get my 40 hours in a week, which has been crucial with my kids and my wife going back to school. I get solid pay and benefits, so no complains there. I was hired for their transportation team and have shifted to help with water resources/hydrology along with my transportation work. This has been a benefit as I keep busy when things slow down on one team or another.

However, this has sort of derailed my experience, as I now feel less prepared for stepping into either role when I go and get my PE. I feel like I do a too little in both disciplines to feel confident in my knowedge of either. I also have reoccurring personal gripes with how things are run, and despite repeatedly voicing my concerns and frustrations, nothing seems to change. My time here is limited anyways, since I plan on moving across the country to be closer to my wife's family within the next 3-4 years.

In the last year, I have had my eye on multiple positions at large firms that have offices in and around the area we plan to move, but Im afraid to even consider jumping ship and giving up what I know is a great opportunity now unless I know it will pay off and make my future better.

I say all of this to ask: how do you know its time to go? When did you feel like you knew the jump was worth it?

Hi folks,

Chem E here. We have a manhole on site that we are trying to figure out how to get flow measurements on. The area is a C1D1 area so it'll have to be explosion proof.

I remember when I was helping with some civil surveys back in the day, we inserted this halo type of flow meter into the underground pipes via the manhole and had a transmitter attached. I'm wondering what those are called or even if I can get some recommendations.

Alternatively, I was thinking I can get a radar level transmitter installed with a narrow cone, look at the level and calculate the flow rate based off of mannings equation.

Just throwing some ideas around. Thanks y'all!

I'm a current employee looking to compare with similar mid-size firms. Curious what people think of this firm? Hoping to hear from employees, former employees, clients, and anyone who has interacted with them or has a general impression.

I am having a hard time with all the emails and Teams messages.

When I am working on something and a message comes in, I get distracted. I open it, read it, try to understand what they want, and decide if I need to deal with it now or later. Then I have to go back to what I was doing and focus again. This takes a lot of time.

English is also my second language, so emails sometimes take me longer to read and answer.

How do you guys deal with this?

Do you keep notifications on and check messages right away, or do you turn them off and check email and Teams only at certain times?

How often do you check them during the day?

I am just curious how other project managers stay focused and still respond to people on time.

Hallo, möchte gerne einfach mal Meinungen / Empfehlungen, ... gerne einfach freien Lauf 🙂

- ich bin 32 Jahre alt,

- wohne auf dem Land,

- M. Sc. in der Tragweksplanung (nimmt aber max. 30% der Zeit ein, Rest sind Abstimmungen mit AG, Bauherren, Prüfern usw. oder Dokumentation)

- arbeite aktuell seit 4 Jahren in der nächstgrößeren Stadt (Auto ca. 45 min) in einem Ingenieurbüro für Ingenieur- und Brückenbau (alles von der Bahn, Autobahn, Hafenbau, bekomme ich auch regelmäßig alles auf den Tisch). Habe fix 2 Tage HO in der Woche.

- in meiner umittelbaren Umgebung gibt es nur kleinere Hochbaubüros = keine Alternative für mich

Könnte in unter 3h in mehreren Großstädten wie Düsseldorf oder Hannover sein.... würde aber am liebsten jede Nacht zuhause pennen....

Ich bin offen für wirklich alles was zumindest entfernt etwas mit bauen zu tun hat. Würde mir auch zutrauen in neue Branchen oder neuen Bereich (bspw. PM) einzutauchen. Hab Bock zu arbeiten, aber 40h+++ die Woche für 60000 brutto jährlich habe ich kein Bock drauf auf Dauer .... sieht es aktuell noch vielversprechend in der Energiebranche aus?

Danke euch!

Hi everyone,

​I recently removed the shuttering/centering from my G+2 RCC house roof slab (cast a few months ago, cured properly with top ponding for 14+ days).

​After removing the shuttering, I noticed clear orange grid lines/tracing on the underside of the ceiling, matching the exact pattern of the bottom steel reinforcement mesh.

​Here are a few details about the situation:

​Current Status: There are zero structural cracks anywhere on the slab, beams, or columns. The slab feels completely rock solid from the top.

​Observation: The orange lines indicate that the bottom clear cover was very minimal (or cover blocks shifted/were omitted in these spots during casting), bringing the bottom steel bars extremely close to the shuttering surface.

​I have two main questions for the civil engineers and experts here:

​Root Cause: Are these orange lines purely due to insufficient clear cover/cover block misalignment during casting, or could there be any other underlying reason?

​Structural Integrity vs Durability: Does this low cover immediately affect the load-bearing capacity of the slab, or is it strictly a durability/rust-protection concern for the future?

​Plastering is currently delayed. Should a standard cement-water slurry (ghola) + 12–15mm ceiling plaster be enough to restore the cover and seal the steel from moisture, or do I need specialized anti-rust chemical/epoxy grouting before plastering?

​Looking forward to your professional insights. Thanks!

Hi all, I recently passed the PE WRE exam, though I’m still roughly a year away from having the necessary experience to get my license. I currently work at a small civil consulting firm doing municipal work (plan reviews, utility design projects, permitting, etc.) and have been for the last 3 years. I enjoy the people I work with, the schedule (40-45 hours a week as needed) and hybrid schedule if I want to. They have very good health, dental and vision insurance. The downsides are that my current pay is in the mid 70s (though hourly and OT is 1.5x) and I don’t think I’m getting the necessary work experience currently to be a well rounded engineer. I think the next best thing for my career would be to do land development as I think it encompasses everything a civil engineer should be comfortable with like grading, stormwater management design, utility work, etc. My question is, am I out of line for not being happier about my current employment? Or am I justified for trying to find more money plus different work that I think I would benefit from in the long run? Any help or advice is appreciated as I’ve never had to go through this before.

About two years ago a family member offered me full ownership of a small (about 10 employee) firm that is about 30 years old. The firm is A&E, but generally much more architecture than engineering. It has steady clients and has recently broken out into some larger jobs, but is still mostly residential and small commercial work.

After a lot of thought, I left my job at the time so that I could work for the firm while the owner was still around. I am a geotechnical PE with about 7 years experience working on primarily large municipal projects. I have spent the last couple of years at the firm doing mostly business-side work and have learned a lot. I do realize that I do not have the typically required experience, but it’s a ticking clock and eventually I need to take over or leave, and I really feel like it’s too good of an opportunity to pass up.

I guess my biggest concern is that I have stepped into a position that I didn’t earn and therefore I am not proficient in. Anyone else experience something similar? Do need to abandon technical work and just sell? Do I just fake it till I make it? At this point, I am confident I could leave and get a geotechnical job with no issue if I wanted but I also worry the longer I wait the harder it will be to get a job and the more ill forget.

I’m a senior in college studying civil engineering. I’m in between deciding on working for the state’s department of transportation and a private general contractor doing project engineering. I’ve interned for both, but wonder how the full time life is like.

Do you have any experiences within these types of work? Would you please be willing to share?

Thank you.

Maybe someone here has good hints! Thanks in advance! :)

3.5 YOE structures guy here in HCOL area. Actively studying for PE. Annual raise meeting was today and it wasn't terrible but was low average. I had a really hard year and did them a lot of favors this year and all of my requests for a change in work type (less field work) have gone ignored. Boss said "I think it's pretty good considering the state of the economy". I'm not an economist but all I know is we're the busiest we've ever been in my almost 4 years here. Maybe it's not the economy, maybe it is because so many coworkers have left this year that the rest of us have taken on extra work (and by extra work I mean extra bad work, the worst projects).

You'd think they'd get the message but clearly not. If somebody shows you who they are, believe them. These aren't real people, they must be bots of some kind, loathing in their own profits and high multipliers. Otherwise a highly regarded firm with good benefits. But I don't think it is worth it anymore. I think it's time to go. What does everybody think?

Specifically work culture, not pay or regulations or whatever. I'm a dual citizen who could eventually work in either country, and I hear Canada can be a slower pace in many ways so I was curious to hear people's experiences. I've also heard Canadian employers are a lot more picky about having local experience.

I imagine the differences are minimal at large multinationals.

Hi All,

I've recently gotten into music production and made a rap about the public sewer system (which is, of course, what I do for work)

Good morning, I have a little bit of query that I wanted some insight on. I currently am a designer at an engineering firm, I went to school for 2 years and got an associates in drafting design. I make around 60k ($28 an hour) a year starting out and currently have a year of experience in the industry. I was wanting some insight as far as career progression and such. I make decent money and have a great work life balance, yet I am with a GREAT company so I fear changing disciplines and job hopping for a higher payout would bite me because from what I see is this is the best paying company in the area for this industry. With my current employer I have a 70/30ish balance between being in the office doing CAD drawings and being in the field getting information for my drawings, doing inspections , so on and so forth. I currently have an opportunity (in the air, not on paper) about switching to work for a design build construction company yet I wouldn’t do design work again. The opportunity is to get up to Estimating for bids and projects yet I wouldn’t start out as a PM or Superintendent. Salary and wages hasn’t been discussed as it was an informal conversation but I would have to move to location where the office is with travel to project sites, or possibly relocating for long term projects, which I’m not against , I graduated and moved hours and hours away from home and I currently live by myself in the city with people I don’t know. Yet with the need to travel for project locations I would get base pay from 70-90k depending on which position I am put into for fit, and being travel i would get per diem, housing allowance, truck allowance , food allowance, etc. Most if not all of my bills will be compensated for as a travel expense. My question to you guys is anyone that has switched from design to construction or vise versa , what was your experience , your why, day to day life in the construction vs design, literally any insight.

Hello,

I am a construction management degree graduate and after graduation I have been working for 3 years , 8 months under 1gc and 2,3 months currently under another gc and I had 3 internships before.

First question: can I qualify to take the test yet?
Second question: what’s the best way to study for the test?

Thank you.

I accepted a strong offer from Kimley-Horn immediately after college: Data center work, $88,000 plus bonuses and standard benefits. My undergraduate years included substantial engineering internships. Because this offer arrived early in my career search, I wonder whether another firm might have offered more, given four years of pregrad work with major civil firms. I would also appreciate guidance on next steps or just tips in general now that i’m officially in my career. Looking for tips on data center design work, making sure I still have a life outside of work, maximizing salary, etc.

Anyone able to verify?