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Recent content by JRESE

  1. JRESE

    How much do you REALLY want to mentor young engineers?

    I recently offered the manager of five young engineers to be an on-premises unpaid, part-time mentor/coach/resource. I have 38 years of structural engineering experience. First, I asked him how he thought he was doing with mentoring and developing his subordinates. His reply was that he could...
  2. JRESE

    How to make a great first impression?

    Find out which professional societies / organizations the senior people participate in. Ask about helping with committee work. Get involved in a committee that you care about. Support and advance your profession.
  3. JRESE

    the joys of getting paid - or not

    slta - My approach is to go at them with a lien notice. Maybe first, try to find out who their construction lender is, and quietly let them know you haven't been paid. The lender absolutely doesn't want to see a lien. Let the project owner know that you haven't been paid, and that you have...
  4. JRESE

    Interview scheduling conflict gone bad

    Perhaps you are seeing how this company does business. It could be that you got a free glimpse at how these folks treat their employees, without even having to do the interview.
  5. JRESE

    structural engineer salary survey

    I left the Bay Area a year ago after practicing there for almost 35 years. I might have some advice for you, but first I would need to know who you voted for. I'm a lot happier in TX.
  6. JRESE

    my next life

    Denoid, your post sounds just like me with a few inconsequential variations. Thirty-five years in structural engineering for me. Twenty-two of those self employed. Everything collapsed in 2008-2009. Moved from a high cost of living state to a much lower one just a year ago. Kids are out of...
  7. JRESE

    Collecting Fees - Confiscate work

    McQ: Look at this from the client’s standpoint for a minute. Before you gave the drawings to the builder, the client needed you. He doesn’t really want to know where to put beams or how many holdowns there are. He just wants to know how much his project is going to cost. He keeps asking the...
  8. JRESE

    Plywood Splice at Rim Board

    Make sure that the rim board has enough thickness to get the required penetration for your sheathing nailing. Eight penny nails require 1-3/8" penetration into framing.
  9. JRESE

    Crazy handshakes

    I just hate shaking hands with a salesman type, then having my hand smell like his cologne for the rest of the day.
  10. JRESE

    Wood Shearwall anchorage and Appendix D

    I’m looking at a typical light wood framed single family residential design with wood shearwalls on raised concrete pier and grade beam foundation. Location is the East Bay area of California, code is 2007 Ca. Building Code (2006 IBC with amendments). Section 1911 requires that I use Section...
  11. JRESE

    What is in your structural inspection bag?

    Two things in my bag that might not be in yours: A small piece of mirror to reflect sunlight down a drilled pier hole. Works way better than a flashlight. Plunge cut type of sheetrock saw.
  12. JRESE

    When did you go out on your own?

    I started my own one-man business 19 years ago. At the time, I had about 12 years of fairly varied experience, and I had passed the CA S.E. five years before. My practice has been in the CA east bay area, doing primarily small projects like large custom homes, small commercial buildings...
  13. JRESE

    Long time to collect fees

    Here in CA we have the legal ability to file a mechanic's lien. Of course, this only is applicable when working on real property improvements and you have a contract with the owner. One simple thing I have done to move payments along is to have a polite discussion with the owner about the...
  14. JRESE

    Residential Proposal

    This will sound kind of simplistic, but you should charge what the job is worth. What is the job worth? It has nothing to do with how many sheets, or how many hours. It is WORTH WHAT SOMEONE IS WILLING TO PAY FOR IT. My fees vary tremendously, depending on my sense of what the client will...
  15. JRESE

    Shear connection from existing plywood diaphragm to new shear wall

    BPA: Nope, Poinsett Ave.
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