What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
(OP)
I am interested in your opinion as to what makes a good soil tech. What do you want them to know and how much lee way should they have.
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What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
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What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?(OP)
I am interested in your opinion as to what makes a good soil tech. What do you want them to know and how much lee way should they have.
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RE: What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
For those who possess the skills above, soil tech is often the stepping stone to an engineering position. A career soil tech is difficult to find and keep. Good luck!
RE: What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
Besides LanceK's comments, I put forth that
(1) he/she needs a passion about his work
(2) he/she needs to understand when he needs help/assistance
(3) he/she needs to have a pay a keen sense to detail
(4) she/he needs to be practical and able to soak up others' learned experience.
(5) she/he needs to put forth a presence; he can't be a shy guy (or shy gal)
(6) she/he needs to follow the HIT principal: Honesty, Integrity and Trustworthiness
Yes, they are hard to find; find a good one; don't worry if you pay him/her more than a junior to intermediate engineer!! (3/3 - PC??)
RE: What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
A good field technician should know when to bring in engineering help. An overconfident technician is a liability, while an underconfident, undertrained technician can be a nuisance to the engineering staff. The balance is key and usually comes with someone possessing the skills, temperament, and communication ability as previously noted.
RE: What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
add:
"he/she must have the the ability to not becoming desensitized to the quality of work. You need to stay upbeat, decide on what is important and what isn't - where to fight your battles, but stay "up"."
Contractors can wear you down. Sometimes I want to take cotton balls to the site and hand each contractor (and some of our inspectors) one ball each for their right ear. Then when what we say goes in the left - it can't get out so long as we keep it up and not let it come back out the right ear during a "pause".
RE: What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
I would also like to know what your opinion is of the depth and breadth of the knowledge that a good soil/geotechnicial engineering technician should have. for example: Should they be able to perform basic LABORATORY tests. Do you expect them to be able to visualy classify soil? Can they tell the difference between rutting, pumping and shearing soil? What test methods should or would your Tech's be able to perform in the field.
I am asking this with the thought that the soil/geo-technicians are an engineers hands, eyes and (yes) ears, in the field and in the lab too.
Respectfully submitted for your review,
rjeffery
RE: What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
While the engineering tech. should have all the qualities you mention, they should not be making engineering decisions that affect the project and exposing your firm to liability. Techs are not a substitute for the geotechnical engineer visiting the site periodicly. They are your eyes and ears, but if they had your experience and engineering credentials, they would also have your job!
RE: What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
RE: What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
RE: What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
RE: What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
Enlightened by the answers on this line, I think a good soil tech should know exactly where to start, how to proceed and where to stop, no more and no less. A accurate interface with consultants, owners, officers and other stakeholders is of paramount importance. This will require that a qualified tech have a sound knowledge of geotechnical engineering, current code and pratice, a certain period of experience, creativity and a high sense of responsibility.
RE: What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
Given that you are a geotech engineer and you hired someone out of high school or college who had no previous hands on experience with soils or minimal experience, similar to many new engineers who would like to become geotec engineers, how you would develop that person to be a geotec tech should give some answers as well.
The statement by Rjeffrey is most appropriate in today's practice - "I am asking this with the thought that the soil/geo-technicians are an engineers hands, eyes and (yes) ears, in the field and in the lab too". The engineer needs therefore to spend the time if he/she is new to understand the capabilities of the geotech tech. For all categories of engineers(new and experienced)there is a need to discuss with the tech in detail the project and expectations.
For field assignments, one of the most important aspects of this discussion should be the establishment of good communication between yourself and your geotech since you must both continue to be on top of the assignment. The cell phone has become a key item in this respect.
It is rather unfortunate that many of the geotech engineer of today are not always in a position to be out on site as often as may be required (except for overseas asignments in the developing world where bank loans dictate such) because of many factors. A good tech can, therefore, help to solve many problems since solutions to most geotech problems are derived from site observations and a good understanding of the field conditions.
RE: What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
RE: What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
RE: What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
RE: What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
RE: What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
RE: What makes a good Field Soil Engineering Tech?
I don't recall the specific NICET tests/certificates but I do recall some of the concrete tests had questions about fire resistance that are for fire inspectors and not materials techs.
The EIT is for physical science knowledge. The two years of field experience should be required for the PE. This is for all designers not only geotechs. Good field techs can be like sargents in the army for the 'recruits'. The new folks can learn from them while both are doing field work.