A Civil Engineer Speaks
Rich Racz has been working as an engineer within the construction industry for seven years. He started out in Massachusetts and then jumped over the entire continental US to settle in Portland, Oregon.
We start out today’s conversation with some talk about engineering classifications. Rich is a PE working on an SE. This means his license is in professional civil engineering, but he is on his way to qualifying as a structural engineer.
Most of Rich’s projects involve steel, concrete, and masonry. These projects are usually broken down into two phases:
The design phase, in which you work with the owner and architect to design the frickin’ thing
The construction-administration phase, in which the engineer works hand-in-hand with the contractor to build the thing
Rich works closely with the architect on each project, who usually hires him to help pursue the owner’s vision. Often, the owner and the architect have a rough vision that requires a great deal of clarification with help from the engineer.
Rich points out that architects’ desires for structures are often focused on “spanning further with a thinner profile.” The job of an engineer is to help the architect achieve as much of that vision as possible safely.
We discuss the value of questions going both ways in the engineer-contractor relationship. Rich says he likes it when contractors ask questions. He appreciates the desire this shows to synchronize efforts.
We ask Rich to share some advice with contractors. Here are his thoughts:
Preparing RFIs: Have a possible solution in mind before you point out a problem.
Submittals: Be sure to do your due diligence during the submittal phase. Avoid the need for a revise-and-resubmit.
Prioritizing RFI’s and issues onsite: On this point, Rich is more interested in hearing a designer/contractor’s perspective rather than sharing his own insights. Eddie says that he would find it helpful to have a more honest, forthright project schedule. What is truly critical. How can we reduce the sense of false urgency. (Easy rule: If there’s a crane onsite, it’s truly hot.)
Pick up the phone: If the engineer fails to acknowledge a truly hot RFI, pick up the phone and talk to him or her about it. You might be surprised at how this builds relationships.
Eddie asks if engineers are “trained in the art of ‘no’.” Rich shares his thoughts, leading to a discussion about billable hours, profit margins, and hundred-year accountability.
Eddie asks if the scope of design needs to grow and expresses his support for a shared-savings model. We kick around some possible different approaches to pricing engineering and design work (including consideration of PITA fees).
Rich’s Megaphone Message: Don’t be afraid to branch out into your areas of weakness. Attack those in order to become a more well-rounded professional. Don’t pigeonhole yourself because you’re scared. (Tyler’s paraphrase: “Discomfort=growth.”)
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