Who doesn't love a good potluck? We try to celebrate the more notable holidays here at SEG by gathering more food than you could possibly imagine and stuffing ourselves. Since our employees span a multitude of cultures, it makes for some awesome variety in dishes and desserts.
Last year, I drew a jack-o-lantern face on a tiny pumpkin and placed it on my desk. This served as inspiration for our first miniature pumpkin decorating contest. Most employees embraced the idea and began plotting the designs for their little orange companions, some resorting to intimidation tactics and trash talking, while others took a more silent role. The results were fantastic. The contest was a hit and as soon as October rolled around this year, I was visited by curious engineers ready to get started on pumpkins.
I was thrilled to have actually won this year, against some very worthy competition. Here are some of this year's submissions!
When does our work stop? When are we really complete? As structural engineers our job is to analyze and design, produce drawings and specifications for a contractor to follow in order for the structure to do its job so that the project can come to life. The average client may consider not including us in the construction administration phase of the project, with all the City inspections, special inspections and testing that goes on, our participation is often seen as superfluous and unnecessary. It can be viewed as an opportunity to save costs. Clients expect the drawings to be complete, clear and easy enough to follow so that the need for our oversight should not be required. Certainly there are a number of factors that can contribute to the level of completeness of any given set of deliverables: unreasonable schedules, limited budgets, scope changes during design, lack of adequate coordination among consultants can be accounted as some of these.
As professionals we all strive to put together comprehensive and complete construction drawings and specifications. The level of detail that may be included however, may be limited by some of the constraints noted above. Still, even with an unlimited budget and all the time in the world, it is difficult for any engineer to guarantee that the construction documents are faultless, legible and self explanatory to the extent that it nullifies the need for our involvement during construction.
The truth is that in our business, unlike say the aviation industry, we don’t get to build a prototype and test it to iron out the bugs before it goes to market. Our prototype is the final product. As with all prototypes, there are bound to be elements that may not be completely thought out or may not work as well as intended. In fact, some elements may not work at all. Perhaps, the contractor, owner or someone else may come up with a better detail as the project is being built. In other words, the bugs are often worked out during construction. Our responsibility as engineers is to guide the process through its conclusion. When our prototype is finished and we can agree that it works as intended and we have ensured that all the aspects of our structural design have been implemented, only then can we consider that we are finished with the project.
The real issue is that we have grown accustomed to the language of our industry. We have accepted the compartmentalizing of the engineering process as the way to manage a given project. Project phasing is inherent in the design process, but we have taken that internal process and married it to the pricing structure thereby inviting the idea that any one phase of the project may be done without. This is why a client feels entitled to argue each phase individually which takes away from the overall process and dilutes reality.
We need to take a more holistic view of our design guidelines and project approach. The work needs to be viewed as one, not in phases. As such, the client may begin to gain an understanding of our true value and re-align their expectations with the realities of our process. A project is not complete until we can deliver to the client a total structure that meets the standards of the industry. In order to achieve this it needs to be clear that the requirements of the construction documents are not total until such time as we are through with all of the construction administration support to ensure that the structure is whole.
It is not too often that we get to work on projects close to our offices. As the Structural Engineers of Record for the Union City BART Station, also known at the Union City Intermodal Station, we have been able to observe the progress of construction on a daily basis. The station is adjacent to our Union City offices. Initially, we thought that would have been a problem since our offices are closer to the site than the construction trailer. We anticipated that our proximity to the jobsite would prompt the contractor or other project related field personnel to stop at our office to ask questions on a regular basis, bypassing the RFI process and ignoring project protocol simply because it’s so convenient. We have been pleased by the professionalism and courtesy that everyone involved has shown throughout the process in respecting our space and office schedule. The demands have not been unreasonable and even when inspectors or other personnel have stopped by our office unannounced, they have been conscious of our time.
The project has progressed with the majority of the structural work in place. They are awaiting the installation of the South platform escalator which is expected on site in the near future. They are painting and installing exterior glass and finishes on some of the exterior surfaces and once the escalator is in place they will be installing the glass systems that will eventually enclose the station on the South and North end.
As a local resident and frequent user of this facility I am looking forward to its completion and take great pride in being a part of this project. Some photos are attached; check out our website for a rendering of the final design.
Recently, I received a call from a client asking if I could provide him with a ballpark fee for a project. No drawings were available, only a loose verbal description of the task at hand. The scope of work was not extensive. Of course, it was extremely important to provide the fee the same day as it was crucial to the project that we move quickly. A few hours later I e-mailed him our fee. The response was quick and to the point: the client did not understand why the fee was so high since he had figured it would not take but a few hours of work. This is a common issue. Our efforts are often viewed as a commodity, not as a professional service.
We are frequently viewed as an industry where the deliverables are measured and evaluated by quantity, not as a product which has an inherent value regardless of the amount of time it takes to produce it. Everything we create carries with it a level of risk not typically associated with a commodity. Our work provides an intangible worth. To figure the fee for what we produce simply by estimating the amount of hours it takes to generate it avoids its intrinsic significance and diminishes our worth as a profession.
In these difficult economic times it is expected that more often than not we will need to compete for projects. Consequently, we have had to lower our sights and reduce our fees accordingly in order to remain competitive in the marketplace and survive. But even in these tough times we must remain vigilant and ensure that our fees continue to reflect the importance of our work. We must not allow for the pressures of the current business climate to alter our view of the profession, the work we produce or how we go about producing it.
The issue is not just on the client’s side. Some engineers tend base their level of effort on whether they deem the project to be significant. Project significance can be defined as - among other things - a large project, a prominent project, or a project for a prospective client that may lead to other work. Projects not falling under these categories may not get as much attention. This too, diminishes our worth. Every project regardless of its level of import must be treated with equal concern. In this way, our value and the value of our product will persevere.
When we consider our fees, we need to keep in mind why we are being asked to provide the service in the first place. We need to ask ourselves what the client is really seeking. Are we perceived as necessary only to gain approval by the governing authority? What if we were not part of the process, what would the client stand to lose? We need to consider that what we provide is not only a level of comfort to the user but an environment where they feel safe and secure. What is the price of that?
Our expertise will ensure that the structures will perform as expected and that they will be safe and endure over time. Our involvement reduces the owner’s level of risk; because of our knowledge in this field we are able to lessen their risk by assuming some of it ourselves. Our involvement is not only necessary, it is imperative and indispensable.
This is how we must perceive ourselves and our work so that we can aptly assign a value to what we generate and stand by it when questioned about the number of hours a certain task should take. The respect and value that our profession deserves starts with the integrity of those who practice it, that’s us, the structural engineering community.
In the world engineering, the world of numbers, it is not a coincidence that engineers are often at a loss for words.In today’s virtual world however, it is becoming apparent that numbers alone will not suffice.
When I began my career twenty eight years ago, I rarely wrote a single letter. That duty was reserved for my boss, who simply didn’t trust a young engineer’s ability to string along enough words to generate a cohesive thought.My communication with the client consisted of face to face meetings or phone calls, both of which left nothing to the imagination.Tone was inherent, never implied.There was no choice, our language and personality came clearly through on the phone.Tone was unmistakable in person, where body language was visibly evident and left little room for interpretation.As I developed and evolved as an engineer I began to write reports, letters and instructions.I was taught to be precise and to be logical in wording and tone, to take my time. Arriving at that point in my career took years.
In today’s virtual world, everything is at light speed and little care is taken to consider how and what is being written.Today’s technology is such that one can design, engineer even build a structure without ever having to meet any of the team members in person or even talk to them.An entire project could conceivably be completed from its inception to its conclusion without as much as a phone call.It can all be done via e-mail.The written word has taken on a much different role in our profession.
The Y generation engineers would rather text a message on their cell phones than actually make the call.They would rather e-mail, tweet, chat-on-line or Google information than speak to a real person.The problem is that all these forms have become more like Morse code, where the communication occurs in short bursts lacking clarity or depth.Little thought is given to using the right words or orchestrating them to convey the right meaning.
What they fail to realize is that this is still a people oriented profession.The cohesiveness of a design team, the level of communication throughout a project, between the architect, engineers, owners, and contractors, remains the single most important aspect of a successful project.Communication and the exchange of ideas in the course of a project don’t have to happen quickly, they have to happen with forethought.
As I look ahead, I don’t necessarily see things changing and we will soon be doing more talking to a person’s image on our computer screens than the real live version of them.The personal touch, the human aspect of our profession, is at risk of being eradicated.That may work well for most engineers, people of numbers, logical thinkers.But I for one still prefer to pick up the phone or walk down the hall before I tweet it.
On June 10, 2009, Jesus Sierra P.E., S.E. was granted registration as a Professional Engineer in the State of Arkansas. With the addition of Arkansas, we are now licensed to perform work in 26 states throughout the US. You can find the complete list of states here.
Sara Marketing / Accounting Assistant 510-487-9192
It is with great pleasure that we announce Sierra Engineering Group’s transition from a sole proprietorship to a professional corporation, effective June 1, 2009.
While our personnel and virtually all daily activities remain unchanged, we have updated our Federal Tax ID, so if you need an updated W9 form, please contact Irma with the subject heading "W9 Request." (Please allow one week for processing.)
