The Structural Engineer’s Professional Training Manual
title, believe it or not. It needed to be something descriptive, yet succinct; imaginative,
yet practical; and inspiring, yet memorable. The book’s title, simple as it
may be, gives an indication that a variety of topics will be covered; being a manual
for such a broad-based subject as training engineering graduates. The process
of training is a human one, where individual personalities can either hamper or
enhance effort of both mentor and protégé, and each party must be certain of his
or her role in the experience. It is for graduate and experienced professional alike.
It is for licensed engineers from all ranges of society to refresh their knowledge
of business practice, material behavior, and personal improvement in communicating
with others. Most importantly of all, I trust that this book will benefit the
profession of structural engineering, as we all work together to advance a solid
reputation for service to others from all walks of life, all races and creeds, and all
economic backgrounds.
I’m quite certain that each chapter will have its own share of critics who ask,
“Why didn’t you cover this?” or “You didn’t spend enough time on that,” and I
am in agreement with many objections that could be raised. There is so much to
talk about, but a choice had to be made as to what seems to be most important and
what might be easily found in another resource. Within these pages, the reader
will not find detailed instructions for designing a wood-frame shear wall, nor a
reinforced concrete drilled pier, nor even for monitoring the financial health of a
sole proprietorship, as all of these duties are exhaustively presented in other references.
Rather, this book has three main objectives: (1) introduce the reader to subject
matter that is important to know in order to discover the best solutions to real
engineering problems; (2) provide a logical, comprehensive collection of recommendations,
facts, and figures to help a mentor guide protégés along an accelerated
“Why didn’t you cover this?” or “You didn’t spend enough time on that,” and I
am in agreement with many objections that could be raised. There is so much to
talk about, but a choice had to be made as to what seems to be most important and
what might be easily found in another resource. Within these pages, the reader
will not find detailed instructions for designing a wood-frame shear wall, nor a
reinforced concrete drilled pier, nor even for monitoring the financial health of a
sole proprietorship, as all of these duties are exhaustively presented in other references.
Rather, this book has three main objectives: (1) introduce the reader to subject
matter that is important to know in order to discover the best solutions to real
engineering problems; (2) provide a logical, comprehensive collection of recommendations,
facts, and figures to help a mentor guide protégés along an accelerated
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