The old rules of thumb never looked so important as now.

Recommitting to safety of the public.

For SEs and Climate Change Scientists, Predictive Ability Rests in Finite Element Quality

For any who have read my previous articles, it will be no surprise that the views I present herein might be considered heretical. But, after much thoughtful consideration of what appears to be a prevailing attitude among many of the structural engineering community regarding the global climate crisis, I feel a responsibility to present what I believe is a fair critique of what is often (in my view, incorrectly) called Settled Science. I do this because I feel it is not in the best interest of our profession to blindly accept as settled something that is not actually settled. Our reputations will suffer if we accept, without debate, hypotheses that are not proven and may be shown in the future to be wrong (particularly if we “go along” to look fashionably hip to the public or our clients). 

Alternative Building Materials

When it comes to impeding home-building growth, one does not need to look further than global supply chain issues. Closures in factories and transportation hubs have negatively affected an industry that relies on building materials sourced throughout the world. And while there is certainly no shortage of new housing demand here in the United States, there is a scarcity of the essential materials needed to build these dwellings.

I believe that embracing flexible work environments can benefit the SE industry, firms, and employees – if the industry is willing to put in the effort to incorporate the change. It is time to create a new normal. I urge SE leaders to embrace the disruption caused by the pandemic and to grow and adapt instead of trying to “return to normal.” STRUCTURE’s April 2022 Editorial suggested that it was not possible to replicate one-on-one mentoring through an internet connection. I beg to differ.