Historic landmarks and important engineers are frequent topics of this blog. I believe that modern engineers can learn a lot from our predecessors. Their historic accomplishments are all the more remarkable in light of limited resources and technology. Ingenuity was not in short supply. While many previous posts have remarked on European sites, that selection is merely a reflection of my travels. All corners of the globe exhibit the remains of ancient engineering, including present day United States.

The UNESCO world heritage sites are something of a bucket list for civil engineers. The Cahokia Mounds located in southwestern Illinois and Mesa Verde National park in Colorado are two such sites demonstrate the capacity of native civilizations and their engineers to settle large cities. However, before European exploration of the New World both civilizations disbanded. The demise of the settlements remains a mystery although their ruins remain. Whether due to climate change, political discord, or military incursion, the challenges faced by these settlers is informative to our own nation building.

Following the 2010 ASCE National Conference, I drove to Denver. Along the way, we explored the Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, and Mesa Verde. Misjudging the travel times in the expansive West, we pulled up to the gates of Mesa Verde National Park only a few hours before closing (off-season hours). I had not realized that the famous cliff dwellings were located about 45 minutes into the park, which encompasses the beautiful Mesa Verde plateau. The views are spectacular from the high mesa. One might imagine the ancient settlers choosing the location for the vistas alone, though surely there are great defensive advantages as well.

View from Mesa Verde plateau

Early permanent residents of Mesa Verde are thought to have occupied the top of the plateau first. Pottery fragments indicate that civilization was thriving as early as 500 CE. The Ancestral Puebloans later carved out better-protected dwellings in the cliff faces of the mesa and disappeared mysteriously around the 1300s. Approximately 600 dwellings have been identified throughout the park. Of these, the Cliff Palace is the most well known.

Park Ranger

We arrived at the rendezvous point just in time to embark on the last Cliff Palace tour of the day. Our tour guide was a park ranger and Native American, quite a character I might add. He was quick to point out misconceptions about the Ancestral Pueblo people (such as the misnomer Anasazi, which is a somewhat derogatory Navajo term meaning “enemy ancestors”) while also emphasizing the real day-to-day life of the original inhabitants of the dwelling.

After a brief overview (and brief confusion as to whether the gate to the trail was locked) we descended along a narrow trail to the Cliff Palace. There are and were only two means of access – by design for protection. Although the guidebooks cautioned about the strenuousness of the hike, my then-pregnant wife easily made the climb up several ladders. Upon reaching the Cliff Palace ledge, the guide asked who would be interested in descending down to the river at the bottom of the ravine to fetch the day’s water. Seeing no volunteers he also pointed out that the rock above was carved to collect any water that might run down the cliff face into cisterns for daily use – though that supply was unreliable. The location of the cliff dwelling had both advantages and disadvantages.

Kiva

Today archeologists can identify around 150 rooms and 23 kivas. A Kiva is a subterranean room used for ceremonial purposes. However, given the numbers of kivas construction, they probably also served practical purposes for the Cliff Palace residents, such as providing a well insulated public space for communal activities. Much of the Ancestral Puebloans’ building designs were predicated on the need to conserve heat in the winter and shelter from direct sun in the summer. Doors and windows are small. Dwellings on the surface of the plateau were partially dug down. These designers followed basic design conventions for energy efficiency that are just now coming back into fashion.

The structures in the Cliff Palace are partially cut into ravine walls, however a majority of the spaces are masonry construction. Bricks were fashioned from sandstone blocks found near the riverbed. The mortar was a mixture of local soil, water and ash. Small chinking stones filled gaps in the mortar and provided additional strength to the walls.

Inside Cliff Dwelling

Floors were constructed with wood beams, and some of these members are preserved to this day.

By the 1200s the civilization had reached its apogee. Agricultural techniques had advanced on the mesa top and pottery was thriving. However, citizens began to move their dwellings into the cliff faces which offered protection but many more inconveniences. Then suddenly (probably not over night), people began to move away from Mesa Verde. Later generations banded together in smaller tribes but retained some of the common culture. Today, several tribes still trace their ancestry to the settlements on the plateau.

Cliff Palace

Additional resources used to create this post.

http://www.nps.gov/meve/historyculture/cd_cliff_palace.htm

http://www.gorp.com/parks-guide/travel-ta-mesa-verde-national-park-archaeology-colorado-sidwcmdev_067311.html

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/27

Tags: Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde, Mesa Verde National Park

Tis the season for retail politicking. It seems like every other day there’s another debate prefaced with hours of footage of the candidates “kissing babies and shaking hand.” It occurred to me the other night that the presidential election process is really designed to select the best networkers in the nation. Candidates must be able to make a personal connection with voters with only a few moments of face time.

Previously this blog has discussed the importance of networking in career building. Growing personal relationships will take you further than simply handing out tons of business cards, but you may not always have much time to make a first impression. Sometimes there is merit to quantity as well.

Speed networking is an activity that ASCE chapters can hold to help members practice their networking skills and get to know their peers better. Here are basics of speed networking:

First, take a seat at a long table with chairs on both sides.

-          Don’t sit with friends – the point is to meet new people

-          Leave your bag and coat at the edge of the room, so you can switch seats easier

-          Bring lots of business cards to exchange

-          Be prepared with pen and paper to take notes if needed

-          Organizers: look to complete groups, fill in gaps, or seat late arrivals

Second, talk for two minutes with the person opposite you, until the cue for switching

-          Consider sounding a 30 second warning to allow people to complete their conversations

-          Have a different sound to make the switch

Upon hearing the cue to move, immediately all the people on one side of the table will move up one spot

Repeat the process about 20 times. Remember the key is to meet as many people as possible.

Mingle with the people who most interested you over hors d’oeuvres or a cold beer.

Tags: speed networking

By regular contributor Rafael Gomes de Oliveira:

No single person on the planet knows how to make a pencil. That is the idea behind economist Leonard Read’s humbling essay “I, Pencil.” Each of the tasks involved in the process – the felling of trees, the production of the lacquer, the mining of the graphite, the formation of the rubber, etc – are so specialized that no one person would be able to make a even simple pencil from scratch. Can you imagine making a toaster or personal computer?

Specialization and the division of labor allow society to combine many different skills in the production  of goods and services. Collaboration makes much possible. I don’t have to worry about making my own clothes or growing all the food I eat. However, specializations are becoming narrower and narrower all the time, even inside the discipline of civil engineering. Just take a look at ASCE’s several different technical groups and their committees. Despite all the benefits specialization brings, too much of a good thing can become a problem.

Specialization is often the by-product of having explored new and exciting territory, but it is difficult to come up with new concepts if you are working under too narrow a scope of ideas. By considering a broader knowledge base, you will be more likely to make connections across disciplines, where many innovative ideas come from. Leonardo da Vinci once said:

Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.

I follow this suggestion by maintaining awareness of things outside my area of expertise and by looking at the bigger picture. Too much specialization can limit your vision, resulting in scarcer creative opportunities. Creativity and innovation are two of the sought after skills in today’s market. Balancing specialized knowledge with broad awareness is key to creativity and innovation. Another key is practice. Yes, you can practice creative thinking. When making decisions try to think divergently instead of utilizing established concepts.

Companies are currently comprised, to some degree, by generalists and specialists. The generalists are usually in charge of a comprehensive view of the company or a project, and the specialists are responsible for fulfilling the required needs of the company. They are both equally important, and one can’t survive without the other.

I foresee a shift from this type of division into more hybrid workers. The most successful worker will be the one who can be both a generalist and a specialist. Their versatility will give them an advantage over someone who is either/or, and their creativity will allow them to come up with innovative ideas and concepts. Specialization will continue to be an important part of our civilization, but couple that with a generalist way of thinking and you will obtain a great formula for success both in your academic and professional lives.

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As a structural engineer, my principal interest in reading about the cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore is how exactly does it stand up. The masonry dome is still the largest of its kind. With a span of over 45 meters, it held the overall record until 1881, when the iron framed Devonshire Royal Hospital captured the title. A design like Brunelleschi’s will not be seen again, since the radical use of unreinforced masonry would likely not meet modern building codes. Nevertheless, the Cupola has stood for seven centuries and offers many lessons to today’s structural engineers

Even with the knowledge of Newtonian physics and computer modeling the behavior of Brunelleschi’s dome is difficult for modern engineers to understand. At the time of construction, Brunelleschi would have relied on his personal experience constructing similar masonry structures and the use of physical modeling. It’s also said that he traveled to Rome to observe the techniques of the ancient masters before completing his design of the Cupola.

Cupola at Night

The Cupola is actually an eight-sided dome with an interior and exterior membrane. The space between the faces allows stair access to the top of the dome while also reducing the overall weight of the structure. Large pilasters are located at the corners of the octagon and intermediate piers and beams provide further stiffening of the structure. The overall slope of the dome is steeper than Romanesque construction in part to reduce thrust on the supporting drum and to lessen the flat portion near the apex. A solid compression ring is located at the top of the dome while several iron-linked stone rings provide a questionable amount of tension resistance at various elevations of the dome.

Some earlier observers of the structure have suggested that the shape follows a catenary, in which case the entire masonry structure would see only compression stresses at least in some portion of the cross section. A closer examination of the geometry and the formation of full-thickness cracks along four sides of the dome disprove the catenary theory. There are sections of the unreinforced masonry that resist some amount of bending moment.

The dome’s geometry and thickness would have been agreed upon by Brunelleschi and his contemporaries on the basis of scale model behavior. Unfortunately, the strength of materials is not directly scalable as Galileo proved two centuries later in his treatise entitled ‘Discourses and mathematical demonstrations concerning two new sciences pertaining to mechanics and local motions.’ Galileo initiated the modern method of comparing strength of materials to the internal stresses developed.

The weight of a material is a function of its density and volume, expressed in a unit of length cubed. Material strength on the other hand is evaluated based on the cross sectional area (length squared). Researchers doing scale modeling today would artificially inflate the measure of gravity to report scaled-up results. The same inconsistency regarding scale applies to deformations to an even larger extent. Nevertheless, Brunelleschi’s design has withstood the test of time, owing in large part to the quality control of building materials and techniques of construction.

It is said that Brunelleschi was on site nearly every day throughout the 16-year construction of the cupola. He is known to have held his workmen to exacting standards. Contractors who did not perform to spec in any given season were dismissed and blacklisted from future work. Likely trained through apprenticeship, Brunelleschi knew the details of masonry construction. The genius of his design for the cupola is buried within the intricate bricklaying of the structure.

Cupola under construction, Image by Rossi, Le cupole del Brunelleschi capire per conservare, 1982

Brunelleschi was able to realize construction without centering, shoring of the unfinished masonry arch, through the use of a herringbone brick lay-up. In this pattern, vertical courses placed regularly between regular horizontal courses. This lay-up “locked-in” adjacent brickwork. Provided that the eight sides of the dome were constructed concurrently, the dome would be self-supporting. Although the herringbone lay-up was already a known construction technique for masonry domes, the work at the Cupola was groundbreaking in scope and precision.

Perspective view of the 'slack-line' bricklaying surfaces, image by: Ippolito and Peroni, La cupola di Santa Maria del Fiore, 1997

The slack-line method of orienting the mortar joints was another procedure innovatively applied in the construction of the Cupola. Typically, each masonry wall course is a level horizontal. However, since the eight sides of the Cupola must be slightly angled in order to connect at the apex, the plane of each side’s mortar bed is at a different angle. At the corners, they would intersect at a skew which could have resulted in stress concentrations. Brunelleschi understood the importance of the corner pilaster and took care to avoid such localized discontinuities. The slack-line lay-up that he implemented allows the mortar beds to arrive at each corner on the same plane. This means that each continuous course must be slightly curved, like the slack in a line of rope. The geometry was extremely complicated, and Brunelleschi’s team worked without the advantage of today’s laser levels and positioning devices.

Construction Machines

Brunelleschi was not known to let a gap in technology slow him down. Like the Renaissance masters that would follow – Leonardo Da Vinci was known to have examined Brunelleschi’s projects for inspiration – the builder of the Cupola designed new machines to build better and faster. At a time when progress on cathedrals was measured in decades, if not centuries, Brunelleschi completed his dome in just 16 years.

Revolving crane with load-positioning devices

Maintaining the material stores on site was a major priority for avoiding work stoppages. During construction of the Cupola, Brunelleschi noticed that a significant amount of the marble he needed was being damaged en route. Transferring the large blocks from ship to shore appeared to be the principal culprit. Brunelleschi therefore designed a barge with round paddle wheels that could also serve as wheels on ground. This amphibious vehicle enabled a seamless transition up the slip, thereby eliminating excess handling.

Hoisting brickwork up to the leading edge of the construction was also critical to maintaining the completion schedule. The main hoist would have been powered by a team of oxen. After a load had been delivered to the top of the work platform, the oxen would have to be re-yoked in the opposite direction to safely lower the palate, then again re-yoked to turn in the lifting direction. Brunelleschi is credited with inventing a multi-speed hoist that could be thrown into up- or down-mode without changing the direction of the marching oxen.

A series of suspended work platforms were necessary to continue the work on the advancing edge of the dome. Smaller hoists were used to move material between the platforms and out into position. Brunelleschi also devised hoists with ratcheting fail-safes to prevent falling loads and adjustable counterweights to safely deliver material into position. Ahead of his time, safety was a concern on Brunelleschi’s job site. It seems that alcoholic beverages were also restricted during the work day.  Despite such careful consideration and attention to detail, imperfections were inevitable in such a massive undertaking.

Contemporary Analysis and Cracking

Cracked interior fresco

It’s likely that the dome began cracking almost immediately upon completion. Some of the interior frescoes actually incorporate the cracks in order to minimize the appearance of the cracks. Documented studies over the last 500 years show that the cracks have grown and separated to several centimeters in width today.

In the early 1990s, analysis was performed by the Italian national power board (ENEL) and Florence University’s Department of Civil Engineering in order to assess the cause for concern in four full-depth cracks observed in the Cupola. The analysis confirmed the structural behavior of the Cupola. Many areas of the dome must actually resist bending forces, consistent with typical indeterminate dome behavior. The top of the dome contracts from net compressive forces while the bottom of the dome wants to expand. Flat arches between the corner and intermediate pilasters must resist bending and shear. Computer analysis cannot really capture the effects of the herringbone and slack-line lay-up. If anything, we can assume that these construction methods enable the membranes of the dome to behave more homogeneously than conventional masonry construction.

Comparison between the deformed shape of the Cupola a) uncracked, b) cracked

Interestingly, the recent study places a majority of the blame for the four major full-depth cracks on the design of the drum on which the Cupola sits. The drum is octagonal in shape, but it rests only on four piers. The sides of the drum that must span between the piers have very large circular windows through their entire section. There has been speculation that the openings were intended to reduce the weight of the structure in addition to allowing light into the cathedral. The unintended effect of this design decision, however, is that the support for the cupola does not have uniform stiffness. Nor did the design of the drum respect the peculiarities of deep beam behavior. Without any embedment of tension metal, cracking was inevitable.

The outcome of the cracks makes the resilience of the Cupola even more impressive. Redundancies in the design (interlocking masonry, stone hoop rings, intermediate pilasters, dual shells, etc.) have provided an alternate load path for the structure. Recent studies have concluded that the static stability of the Cupola is not at risk. However, the effects of a major earthquake were not sufficiently addressed. Owing largely to its longevity thus far, a monitoring regimen was recommended in lieu of immediate repairs.

Tags: Brunelleschi, cathedral, cupola, dome, duomo, Florence, Structural Engineering

Fanelli, G., Fanelli, M. Brunelleschi's Cupola Past and Present of an Architectural Masterpiece. 2004 Mandragora.

On vacation in South Florida for Christmas, I finally had the chance to catch up on some reading that I’ve intended since my trip to Europe two years ago. While in Florence, Italy, I picked up a comprehensive volume about the design and construction of the cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore, often known as the ‘Duomo’, which simply means cathedral. The Book, Brunelleschi’s Cupola (Fanelli, 2004), provides a factual account of the structure based on historic documents and modern computer analysis. Despite sticking to verifiable information, the story of the cupola and its architect is both unbelievable and inspirational.

Background

By the early 14^th century the city state of Florence had established itself as a political and economic leader in the region. Local authorities wanted a cathedral to physically manifest their superiority, a political aspiration that has never really gone out of vogue. As work proceeded on the cathedral, in 1357, the decision was cast to construct the largest dome since the Roman era. However, it would be another 63 years before construction began on the cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore. The feat would require innovation in organization, design, construction equipment, and the services of a new profession: the architect.

Although the city elders may have counted on divine intervention to deliver the solutions to their building challenge, they were much assisted by a well-organized team leading the construction. The cathedral project was led by the city’s top guilds – something like a mix between the chamber of commerce and labor unions. The guilds for merchants, bankers, physicians & apothecaries, silk producers, and wool producers formed a sort of board-of-directors, known as the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, to guide the project. In time, the very powerful wool guild came to take the majority of responsibility. The Opera kept detailed records of building material purchases and contracts. They also sought to work with professionals and frequently called on experts to offer confidence that the construction would be undertaken successfully.

Florence, Italy vantage from Piazalle Michelangelo

Brunelleschi’s Legend

By the early 1400s, the cathedral was ready to receive its iconic dome, but no one as yet had provided a solution for the extraordinary span or the means of construction. At that time, Filippo Brunelleschi (1371-1446) was already consulting on the project. He had gained some fame completing projects like the Hospital of the Innocents and the Barbadori Chapel before bringing his talents to the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore.

Legend has it that Brunelleschi arrived at the Opera and boldly declared that he had a solution for constructing the cupola without centering, interior scaffolding to support the structure until it was fully erected. It’s said that he refused to describe his plan, insisting that someone would steal the idea and get the contract instead of him. To prove his point, he challenged the Opera to balance a boiled egg on end. After many failed, he simply cracked the end and stood the egg, saying see how easy it is when you know the answer.

The story is almost assuredly false. In fact, Brunelleschi participated in a design contest in 1417 and received some funds to create drawings and a scale model. His concepts for avoiding the use of centering were most likely implemented in the scale model. He would have also made reference to his previous projects which utilized similar construction techniques. However, there appears to be some truth to the depiction of his maverick attitude. Records indicate that he was twice thrown out of Opera meetings for espousing his views on construction methods. It’s also known that he played a prank of mistaken identity on a difficult carpenter, known historically as “the fat man.”

No winner was declared in the 1417 design competition, but additional information was requested from Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378 – 1455) three years later. Although Brunelleschi’s design met the design objectives, the Opera still was still wary of Brunelleschi being able to deliver as promised. Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, and Battista d’Antonio were jointly awarded the contract for the position of provisor operis Cupole construendi. This new position was superior to the traditional role of master builder (capomaestro). In time, Brunelleschi would edge out his peers and become recognized as the singular architect of the Cupola.

Stay tuned for further discussion of the design and construction of Brunelleschi’s Cupola in forthcoming blogs. Have you visited the Duomo of Florence? What was your impression of the structure? Please contribute your comments below.

It’s cliché to talk about the importance of networking in advancing your career. Why all the emphasis? Because success really is as much about who you know, and those contacts will, by extension, expand what you know. In a tough economy, you need to build relationships with people that can give you that “in.” Later in your career, you’ll need to start bringing in work to justify a move up into management. Networking is the avenue to meeting your goals, but most people wouldn’t call it easy street.

Here are some suggestions to keep in mind while networking. Many of the ideas listed were originally printed on James Clear’s blog, Passive Panda http://passivepanda.com/networking-tips and brought to my attention in the November/December 2011 volume of The ATA Chronicle, 24 Networking Tips that Actually Work.

Be genuine. Many people consider networking to be insincere and self-aggrandizing. Conversely, it should be a friendly, helpful, two-way interaction. Start with non-business conversation and seek to build a relationship before making the sale.

Help others. Try to understand other people’s needs first. Where can you contribute to theisuccess? They will be very appreciative of your contribution and will want to return the favor, but do not expect immediate returns.

Be focused. There’s no need to shake the hand of everyone in the room. You are better served to make a strong impression with a few targeted people. The people you impress may even act on your behalf and share your story or suggest other key people for you to meet. Take the advice of the people in the room to seek out the contacts that are most relevant to your cause.

Expand your horizons. Don’t limit your networking efforts to your immediate industry. Consider that your clients may come from diverse backgrounds. You may also be well served by professionals in other fields that can support your business.

Introduce people. Connect other like-minded people in your network, but bear in mind that sometimes it may be appropriate to ask permission first. Maybe you can establish a reputation as someone who can provide connections across industries.

Nurture your current network. Don’t forget about the connections that you already made the effort to make. You likely think of many of these people as colleagues and friends. Take time to keep in touch. Involve this network in your latest ventures.

Please share your own networking tips by posting a comment below.

Tags: networking

I recently attended a job fair at the University of Michigan as a recruiter on behalf of my company. Despite the slow economy, we were fortunate to be looking for highly qualified structural engineering students. Attending a job fair as a recruiter is part company promotion, part interviewing, and part career counseling.

The top candidates are usually pretty obvious. They’re in the right degree program and are pursing the right level of education. For structural engineering, that means focusing on structural design courses and working toward your Master’s degree. The best candidates also have relevant work experience. Prior work experience is even important when looking for an internship. Finally, the best recruits also demonstrate a real interest and competency in the field. Leadership in project teams, research, or sometimes a convincing personal narrative let the recruiter know that you have the drive to succeed at their company. It sounds easy enough to reach the elite status, but the majority of candidates widely miss the mark.

I think many students overlook the competition. Realize that all of your peers have had the same courses, have learned the same computer programs, and will be speaking to the same companies that day. Secondly, realize that there are many other highly regarded colleges filled with students taking the same classes, learning the same programs, speaking to the same companies tomorrow. Differentiation is important. “So you say you’ve learned how to use AutoCAD… oh it was a lab in CEE 123.” Everyone I’ve talked to takes that class. I’d rather know, “you’ve been working with some architecture students on a new campus plan, and you had to draft three of the campus building structures in CAD [ps. bonus points if you used Revit or Rhino]?  You must really know the software!”

There is no need to add silly gimmicks to your resume – like saying that your objective is only to work for Company A or printing on brightly colored paper. The place to differentiate yourself is in the content of the resume. Don’t bend the truth though. Most recruiters for civil engineering firms were once civil engineering students. They know all about ASCE, the concrete canoe, and tech aides in the research lab. A good recruiter will ask questions about the activities listed on your resume and gauge your level of involvement. Overreach is a big turn-off. Instead, actually go for the leadership positions and let those experiences be your differentiator.

Experience means a lot to recruiters. It demonstrates that someone else was willing to hire you, and perhaps it won’t take as long to train you for the workforce. Trust me, you’ll need a lot of on the job training. If it takes a job to get a job, how do you start the cycle? First, recognize that some companies take on more junior level employees. My first engineering internship was carrying around a density meter for the department of transportation. My second job was inspecting all the bolts in a stadium roof to make sure they were on tight. Finally, on job number three, I was allowed to touch actual design work, but mostly I checked shop drawings.

If you can’t get your foot in the door there are other options, and I don’t mean working at a summer camp or Subway. There is nothing wrong with trying to earn extra cash, but try to find time for activities that will set you apart from the crowd. Call up a local engineer and ask to job shadow once a week. They will enjoy imparting their seasoned advice, and it might even lead to part time work. Sign up for some software or skills training. Professional organizations, software vendors, and unions offer training courses all the time. Talk to everyone; you might find a job. If you’re staying on campus, look to help a professor with their research, engage in a cross-disciplinary design project (like Engineers Without Borders), or help your friends in the architecture school with their studio projects.

Finally, recruiters can tell if you’re not really that into their line of work. Companies look for employees that they can imagine as part of their team for years to come. See last week’s blog for all the benefits of following your passion. Before your interview, read the company website to learn about their practice areas and office locations. The recruiter will wan to know where you see yourself. If you haven’t had enough experiences, whether through coursework, internships, or extracurriculars, to form an opinion about the specific line of work, you won’t likely be invited for a second interview.

Even if you’re in the undecided category, there is plenty of benefit to speaking with the recruiters at a job fair. They know the industry; they know what you need to get your foot in the door. Ask lots of questions of the recruiters. They are the perfect career counselors.

Tags: Employment, Job fair, Recruiter, Work experience

By regular guest blogger: Rafael Gomes de Oliveira

Two months ago, I had a conversation with some peers about why I decided to study structural engineering and how I went about finding a job. Structural engineering was a natural response to my interest in man-made world wonders, such as the Pyramids and the Great Wall of China, and especially in high-rise structures like the Empire State Building.

When it was time to find a job, I targeted companies that design tall buildings around the world. That didn’t make the job-hunting process any easier, but instead of wasting my time blindly sending resumes to as many companies as I could, I chose to spend it thoroughly researching and applying for jobs at the few companies that matched my interests. The results were very positive. The cover letter I wrote to each company was unique and used the language of that company’s corporate culture – or so I hoped, based on my observations during the research process. At each interview I was able to discuss several of the company’s projects and ask relevant questions.

My targeted approach wouldn’t have been possible without very clear career goals. It surprised me that several of my classmates, when asked just before graduation about their plans after college, would respond, “to get a job.” “Which kind of job?” I would ask. “Oh, just any job.” The time to pick “just any job” is when looking for an internship or part time job two years before you graduate. There are consequences to being undecided after graduation.

This is not an unsolvable problem. Many resources related to the different branches of civil engineering can be easily accessed online. Your professors and advisors would be more than happy to help you decide which career direction to chose. Even more importantly, nothing is stopping you from contacting a company and asking them if you could stop by for a visit in order to get to know a little bit more about what they do. It would be very flattering, especially for smaller companies, to have potential employees show interest in them. You need to take the initiative to find out more about what you might be doing for the rest of your life.

If you do find a job, will you know it is the right one for you? At a Texas Rangers’ game last year (congrats, pennant winners!) two engineers told me that their initial career plans completely changed after their first job, which they didn’t much enjoy. They rationalized that this was a very common experience. Do you want to end up settling for “just any job?” Once in that comfort zone once, you’ll have more overall responsibilities, and it may be difficult to move on. The two Rangers fans appeared content with their eventual career path, but deep down I could sense that a little part of them wondered “what if I had chosen the path I wanted in the first place?” If you do not want to have to live with that doubt, you should take time to decide exactly what it is that you want. Never settle for less.

Many people keep their options open because they think that’s their best shot at finding work. They might actually limit their opportunities. Hunt for jobs with a sniper’s rifle rather than a shotgun. Having a clear career goal is rarer than you think. In a time when it’s very difficult to find work, you want to use every advantage you can to get yourself over the hump.

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Tags: career goals, first job, Structural Engineering

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a champion for civil rights, a great motivator, and an exceptional leader. My awareness of Dr. King’s contribution to the country had always been limited to a brief chapter in my high school modern history class. On a recent trip to Memphis to attend the ASCE Annual Conference, I visited the National Civil Rights Museum and left with a new perspective on Dr. King’s achievements.

I coincidentally arrived at the museum in time to join some Occupy Memphis protesters and participants in the GhandiKing Conference on peace and justice in a brief ceremony. The event included presentations by local civil rights leaders and a powerful performance by acclaimed musician Kirk Whalum. We were treated to a soulful rendition of Amazing Grace that segued into We Shall Overcome. The smooth jazz flute was joined by the emotional voices of the weathered peace activists filling with joyous sound a small rotunda lined with Dr. King’s famous remarks. It was a powerful way to kick off the journey through Dr. King’s life and legacy.

The National Civil Rights Museum is located within the Lorraine Motel, the site of Dr. King’s assassination. Visitors are guided on a chronological tour of the fight for civil rights from the founding of the nation to Dr. King’s untimely death. At the climax of the tour, you can peer through King’s hotel room at the infamous balcony on which he lay. Across the street you can ascend to the bathroom from which the fatal shots were allegedly fired and learn more about the international manhunt for the killer and the associated conspiracy theories.

Lorraine Motel

As a child, Martin Luther King attended segregated public schools in Georgia. Always precocious, he graduated high school at age fifteen.  Dr. King pursued theological studies like his father and grandfather before him. His intellect enabled him to earn a doctoral degree from Boston University. He could have become a high power lawyer or worked on Wall Street. Instead, Dr. King devoted his life’s work to attaining social equality and improving lives.

Replica 1960s bus

In 1954, Dr. King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Just one year later, he took a leadership role organizing bus boycotts. The non-violent protest lasted 382 days until the Supreme Court of the United States declared unconstitutional the laws permitting segregation on buses. Although Dr. King was arrested and abused and his family was threatened, he maintained his determination to see justice prevail.

Dr. King helped organize and served as the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). As leader of this institution dedicated to shepherding the civil rights movement, Dr. King urged the use of Gandhi’s non-violent methods of protest to advance the cause. Televised accounts of segregationist violence and harassment of civil rights workers eventually drew sympathy from a majority of Americans.

In Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. King’s strategy was put to the test. The city was highly segregated and several policies promoted economic discrimination. In addition, the police chief was outspoken in opposition to desegregation. SCLC leaders expected an overreaction by the Birmingham police; they faced high-pressure jets and police dogs. Although some bystanders attacked the police, Dr. King’s fame as a peaceful leader grew immensely, meanwhile the captain of the Birmingham Police lost his job.

In 1963 the SCLC helped organize a massive rally in Washington, DC. This event provided the stage for the famous “I have a dream” speech. Largely peaceful, some civil rights activists felt that the march mischaracterized the brutally physical nature of the ongoing struggle for equality. The following year, Congress passed the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Dr. King’s activism continued as true racial equality would forever remain elusive. Soon the Vietnam War dominated the public discourse. Dr. King was adamantly opposed to the military action, and this earned him more scrutiny from public officials and the CIA. Instead of foreign wars, Dr. King preached that resources should be allocated to the homegrown war on poverty. The SCLC mounted a crusade against economic injustice christened the Poor People’s Campaign.

In April of 1968, Dr. King went to Memphis to support striking garbage workers and other victims of economic inequality. An earlier attempted peaceful march through the city had failed, but Dr. King was committed to personally leading the charge for economic justice.  On April 3^rd, Dr. King attended a rally at Mason Temple at the behest of his colleagues. There on a stormy night he delivered the “I’ve been to the mountaintop” address. The final stanzas of his speech eerily recognized the risk he faced and the likelihood that he would not live to see the fruits of his labor.

Balcony, room 306, Lorraine Motel

At 6:01 on April 4, 1968 Dr. King was assassinated while standing on the balcony outside room 306 at the Lorraine Motel. Just earlier, he had been speaking candidly with his friends. The Reverend Ralph Abernathy was the first to reach Dr. King’s side. The tour of the National Civil Rights museum begins with Rev. Abernathy’s emotional account of their last moments together.

A worldwide manhunt for the killer ensued. James Earl Ray was apprehended at London’s Heathrow Airport. On the advice of his attorney at the time Ray plead guilty. However, he quickly thereafter began to profess his innocence and gave many conflicting accounts of co-conspirators and his framing, thus giving credence to many conspiracy theories. The second half of the museum, housed within the building from which Ray allegedly fired the death shot, presents the government’s case and tackles the conspiracy theories. Visitors may draw their own conclusions.

Tags: James Earl Ray, Martin Luther King, National Civil Rights Museum, Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Dear Engineers Without Offices Interim President:

We met in Memphis while I was attending the ASCE 2011 Conference and you were participating in the Occupy Memphis Protest. Right before you walked up and introduced yourself, I was describing my dream of visiting Kazakhstan to hunt with killer eagles from horseback. On cue, you appeared and introduced your organization which helps engineers transition from regular jobs and into more eclectic pursuits.

You didn’t have a calling card, a website, or any real substantiating evidence. I didn’t even get your name, but I shared my business card anyway. If you ever find yourself on a computer with an internet connection please drop me a line.

I really want to learn more about Engineer Without Offices. How is your former president doing in the South Pole? It’s too bad he had to resign his post, because he got that engineering job. And what about the chapter that meets in Naperville? Have they scaled the kick-ass climbing wall over there and moved on to other challenges?

Who is John Galt? Is it you? I’m ready for a society in which engineers take on creative interests outside their day job. Honestly, I don’t think the reality of the profession is so far from the creative ideal. Come on engineers; back me up. Please comment below with the crazy hobbies and eclectic interests that you pursue.

You had to be there… never know who you’ll meet at an ASCE conference.

Tags: American Society of Civil Engineers, engineers without offices, Kazakhstan