Structural Graduate - Canadian design learning help

[nanmi]

Hello,

I am working as a structural graduate in a Canadian company and am graduated in different country (3-4 years ago). Most of my work is to do structural drafting. I never got design opportunity.

I want to learn Canadian code for designing steel and reinforced concrete structure.

I am writing here to seek help from well experienced structural engineers here. If they can guide me how should I practice structural designing myself.

I don't want to go to university again but I want to learn myself and for my future growth.

Thanks

 

[Archie264]

https://ppi2pass.com/structural-engineering-reference-manual-print-hardcover.html

Not Canadian, per se, but will point you in the right direction.

 

[Shotzie]

You should buy the Concrete Design Handbook (from the Cement Association of Canada) and the Handbook of Steel Construction (from Canadian Institute of Steel Construction). They have the codes in them and also have some design examples. Your office likely has copies of these books laying around somewhere. If you need refreshers for design principles in general there are lots of good resources online as well.

 

[jayrod12]

I second shotzie's comments. It's entirely likely that your office should have some copies laying around, even if they are an edition old. Lately there have been changes in the design manuals but nothing overly groundbreaking for standard EOR type design.

Did you have design experience in your home country?

 

[nanmi]

Thanks Archi264, Shotzie and Jayrod12, I will get Concrete design handbook and Handbook of steel construction.

jayrod12, no I don't have any back home experience. I graduated back home and came here in Canada.

I designed only few times here, concrete foundations and steel beam. But never got further designs because of lack of steel code knowledge.

 

[jayrod12]

This section of the CISC website may be of help to you. CISC videos

 

[KootK]

I've had a few guys working with me in the same boat over the years. Unfortunately, it usually shakes out like this:

1) Guy expresses interest in design work.

2) Mangers say "hell yeah! we love ambitious staff".

3) It never happens on the clock because production staff are kept 1.15% busy at all times.

4) These guys have families so there's limits to what they can do evenings and weekends without supervision. And "faux design work" never inspires the same confidence as real work somehow.

5) It goes nowhere.

I developed a workaround that might be of interest to you. Try this:

Your company probably has stuff that needs to be modeled before it's engineered. Concrete slabs etc. Volunteer to do that modelling, even if somebody else does the final design. It's a natural fit with drafting because:

1) BIM integration with structural software and;
2) it's more cost effective to have drafting personnel do the modelling if they're capable of it.

In a few months, you'll probably find yourself doing a lot of structural modelling and less drafting. Play your cards right, and somebody else will be drafting for you in a year or two. Expect to donate some of your own time while you're ramping up on the modelling.

I'm a huge book guy myself. And, if having read about interesting stuff meant getting to do it, I'd probably be rubbing elbows with Bill Baker. Or the ghost of Fazlur Khan. It never seems to work that way however. People need to see you doing work for it to count. With their own eyes and on somebody's dime. In the US, you might get some mileage out of passing the FE/PE exams in your spare time. That has less return on investment in Canada, however.



I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.