Structural Engineering Applications in Land Development

[CElder2]

I'm curious if any land development engineers out there use structural engineering at all? Its commonly said that land development engineers are the "jack-of-all-trades" but what I've found so far in the industry without exception, even among people with 30+ years experience, is "jack-of-all-trades-except-structural".

Probably the most obvious example would be retaining walls. At my current company, we would just limit the walls to a certain height because short walls did not require a building permit. But suppose a client did want a relatively tall retaining wall? Is it heard of for land developers to perform the calcs?

Also, what do you think about a land development engineer making a transition into structural engineering? Personally, as I'm preparing for the PE exam, I'm considering whether this may be the time to make the leap. In college we did get up to concrete and steel design, obviously that's no substitute for professional experience and I'd need to start at the entry level.

Also, one last question on this topic. Would you say structural engineering is relatively "recession-proof" in comparison to land development? Seems like both fields are tied to development activity but I could be wrong.

 

[msquared48]

Structural engineering is hardly recession proof.

Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)

 

[Lomarandil]

It depends on your role -- as a jack of all trades, starting with your typical undergrad steel and concrete courses may be a good start. If you were to try to switch to a structural engineering entry role at a dedicated consulting firm, I'd imagine you'd want to do some self study to get up to speed (or you'll need to find an employer willing to train and mentor you). Many structural firms are now requiring MS degrees, although I'd carefully weigh the opportunity costs before starting down that road.

Agreed that structural engineering is no less (or maybe very marginally so) recession proof than LD. I think that's dictated more by individual companies rather than disciplines.

As for the transition -- that will depend on your personality and passions. What led you to Land Development originally, and what is leading you to Structural now?

 

[CCox]

A lot also depends upon location. I moved to a rural area and could not make it as a strict structural engineer. There is simply not enough work to go around. I have an MS degree in structural engineering, am a PE and SE. I have progressively moved further away from structural engineering and more into project management. I now am a regional engineering manager for the wood products industry and actually do very little structural engineering. The broader you become and the more services you offer, the more recession proof you will become. Specialization is great when there is economic growth to accommodate it. When the economy tanked in 2008/2009, I had virtually no engineering work, so I studied for the SE exam and built a home addition and shop. A downturn in the economy will come around again, so don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Generally, civil engineers will not provide structural engineering because of the increased liability and complexity in code requirements. If you want to start learning structural engineering, light framed wood design is very intuitive. That would be a good place to begin.