Steel design building design - Structural Engineers - Eng-Tips

Hello nanmi,

Congrats on graduation!

I'm a big fan of a book that I found on ASCE's website titled, "The Structural Engineer's Professional Training Manual"; it's a great book that gives you a good overview of both the business and engineering side of being a Structural Engineer, much of which isn't covered in school.

Also, I'd recommend you run through the design examples that accompany AISC 360, (see the attachment) and those contained within AISC 341; they give lots of good examples of what the design process looks like, including some specific examples overall building design, (see the AISC 360 building design examples in particular for a bigger picture look at the typical process.)

Additionally, I'd commit frequent time to reading your way through common building codes such as IBC and ASCE 7; I try to read a few pages a day to keep my mind sharp and to continue my march towards becoming an expert in our field.

My advise to you as a new Structural Engineer is to not be afraid of asking lots of questions...our field is complex and your growth will be the greatest when you approach each day with humility, curiosity and diligence. Try to work among the most talented, generous and diligent people you can find; don't work somewhere if you're not growing even if the compensation is good...a huge part of your compensation is professional growth.

Best of wishes as you start your career!