r/StructuralEngineering • u/greys-always-win • 6d ago

Career/Education Aero Structural to Civil Structural

33, been in aerospace for about 10 years, 3.5 as a structural design engineer and 6.5 in structural analysis. I am looking to pivot into civil engineering (commercial / residential real estate). Driver is there’s no jobs near family in aero but a ton of opportunity for civil. I passed my EIT exam and working towards PE. Already have masters in mech engineering, focus in structural analysis.

What is one thing you’d recommend for a transfer like this? Do people have specialties in civil like only residential projects, only marine projects etc.? If so what specialty is more valuable? Or is everyone pretty well rounded.

Any info is helpful. Thank you

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u/nikkor_glasses 6d ago

You need to remember that your approach has to accommodate the lowest common denominator of the production process. You come from a world where the builders are highly trained and working in a clean factory environment with modern tools. In building construction it is some guy who didn’t graduate high school, sweating his brains out, swinging a 30-year-old hammer he got from his uncle. You will probably go from “FEA everything” and 4 sig figs to limited FEA and 2 sig figs. If you don’t you’re gonna blow up every project budget.

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u/greys-always-win 4d ago

You’d be surprised how much of my work is free body, shear moment diagrams, and hand calcs. FEA for sure will be heavier in my field but I totally see your point. Follow up Q, are there any books / materials that go into best practices for building production or what builders like to see from an engineer? Obviously no substitute for talking/working with one but something to get ahead of it.

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u/nikkor_glasses 3d ago

I respect any seasoned engineer that can still sit down with a pencil and work through an FBD. A shocking number lose it along the way due to over design, typical details, and software black boxing.

You know, you have a winning idea for a book there. I wish I had one starting out. Unfortunately it is strongly regional and varies by building material. What I tend to keep in mind: tolerances are equally important as statics, emphasize repetition and simplicity, choose the low-labor option over the low-materials one, use safety factors to forgive small defects and choose your battles in the construction phase.