Nobody warns you about this one.

You start your career wanting to design structures.

Then you get promoted, and the job quietly turns into something else:

Emails.
Meetings.
Fee proposals.
Contracts.
Client calls.
Coordination.

Getting good at the job pulls you away from the part of the job you were good at.

Structural engineering has a strange career ladder.

Good at analysis and design? You get handed more responsibility.
Good with responsibility? You get handed more people to manage.
Good at managing people? Congratulations. You barely open a model anymore.

There’s a reason for this.

The further up you go, the more your hourly rate costs the business. So firms need you making calls, winning work, running teams, keeping clients onside. Not spending an afternoon fine tuning member sizes.

That sets up a trap nobody really talks about.

Stay close to the technical work, and you get more of the engineering you actually enjoy, but often less authority and less pay.

Move into management, and you get more influence, more money, more responsibility, and a lot less time at the desk actually engineering.

University never really prepares you for this choice.

The path looks obvious on paper. Graduate. Get chartered. Become senior. Become associate. Become director.

But nobody ever stops to ask if you actually want the job waiting at the top.

Being excellent at structural design and being excellent at running structural projects are two different skill sets.

Climbing the ladder eventually asks for skills that have nothing to do with how good your calculations are.

This is why some genuinely brilliant engineers end up stuck.

They keep waiting for strong technical work to translate into more money, more say, more freedom.

But the industry usually rewards something else entirely: the ability to create value beyond the design itself.

So before you climb blindly, work out what you’re actually climbing for.

Is it the technical challenge? Leading a team? Earning more? Building a name for yourself? Owning a practice one day? Having freedom over your time?

These are not all the same career.

Once you know that, build the right skills for it.

Want to stay technical? Get exceptional and specialised.

Want to lead? Learn how to manage people and projects, not just loads.

Want money? Learn the business side, not just the engineering side.

Want freedom? Build leverage that doesn’t depend on your billable hours.

The biggest mistake engineers make is climbing toward someone else’s idea of success.

None of it means much if you end up hating the day to day that comes with the title.

So the real question is: are you building the career you actually want, or just climbing because the ladder happens to be there?

Steel Connections Didn't Make Sense Until I Learnt This

In my latest video I break down steel connections, arguably the most complicated part of any steel structure and something most of us graduate barely understanding. We go through bolts, plates, welds and detailing rules, then bring it all together with some of the most common connections you'll actually see on the job. If you've ever felt shaky on this stuff, go give it a watch :)

On the surface it sounds like one of the least exciting briefs you could get handed. A roof over some petrol pumps. Simple, right?

It really wasn’t.

You’ve got a tall cantilevering roof, overhangs in both directions, and torsion to deal with.

Oh and of course, a contractor who wanted answers fast.

There was no team to absorb the complexity. No one to defer the tricky decisions to. It was just me, the drawings, and a problem that needed solving end to end.

On large projects, the work almost always gets divided up. You might own one structural element, or one small area. You go deep on a narrow slice while someone else handles everything around it. That’s valuable, but it’s a very different kind of learning.

On a small project, you’re across everything. The structure, the connections, the documentation, the contractor queries. There’s nowhere to hide, and that exposure accelerates your development in a way that’s hard to replicate on a big job.

The engineers I’ve seen develop the fastest early in their careers are almost always the ones who’ve been given real responsibility on small projects. Not because the work is more technically complex, but because ownership changes how you approach every decision.

So if you get handed what looks like an unglamorous brief, don’t write it off. The landmark projects look great on a portfolio. But the small scrappy ones are often where you actually become an engineer.

And that’s where engineering judgement becomes invaluable.

Could You PASS These Structural Engineering Job Test Questions?

In my latest video I put together 11 structural engineering technical questions that could genuinely come up in a job interview. If you haven’t watched it yet, go give it a go and see how you get on. Enjoy :)

To my delight, they gained a lot of traction and lot’s of people seemed to enjoy them.

What was interesting though is that most of the mistakes weren’t particularly complicated.

They weren’t hidden deep inside pages of calculations, nor did they require an encyclopaedic knowledge of design standards to identify.

Yet some engineers spotted them almost immediately and others missed them completely.

That got me thinking about what separates the two groups.

Because in my experience, the difference usually isn’t intelligence.

And it isn’t necessarily experience either.

In this case, I think it’s engineering judgement.

What is Engineering Judgement?

Engineering judgement is one of those things that everyone talks about, but few people can clearly explain.

To me, engineering judgement is the ability to quickly recognise when something doesn’t look right.

It’s the ability to look beyond the calculations and identify risks, inconsistencies, assumptions, and practical issues before they become real problems.

It’s why one engineer can glance at a design and immediately think:

“That reinforcement is never going to fit.”

Or:

“How is that load actually getting to the foundation?”

While another engineer looks at the exact same drawing and sees nothing unusual.

University Doesn't Teach It Very Well

I think one of the challenges that create’s this difference is that engineering judgement is difficult to teach.

At university you learn structural analysis, reinforced concrete design, steel design, geotechnical engineering, and all the fundamental principles that underpin the profession, but engineering judgement isn’t really something that can be taught through lectures.

You develop judgement by seeing hundreds of real projects, reviewing drawings, attending site inspections, seeing mistakes and by learning how experienced engineers think through problems.

That’s why many graduates feel overwhelmed when they first enter industry.

They’ve spent years learning how structures should behave but now they’re expected to deal with how projects get designed, detailed, documented, constructed, and coordinated in a messy reality.

The Best Engineers Are Pattern Recognisers

One thing I’ve noticed about experienced engineers is that they are exceptional pattern recognisers.

They’ve seen enough projects that they instinctively know what “normal” looks like.

As a result, abnormalities stand out immediately.

Further to this, when they review drawings, they aren’t checking every section equally.

Their attention is naturally drawn to common problem areas and what looks “off” compared to everything they’ve seen before.

This is why two engineers can spend the same amount of time reviewing a drawing and identify completely different numbers of issues.

The Good News

The good news is that engineering judgement isn’t something you’re born with.

It’s developed.

And there are ways to accelerate it.

One of the best ways is to deliberately study mistakes.

Whenever you encounter a design issue, don’t just fix it and move on.

Ask yourself:

• Why did this happen?

• What clues could have identified it earlier?

• How can I recognise similar situations in future projects?

Another powerful approach is reviewing as many drawings and details as possible.

Not just your own work.

Other engineers’ work.

Shop drawings.

Construction photos.

Site issues.

RFIs.

Design changes.

Every project adds another pattern to your mental library (and if you’re really organised, your digital/physical library too).

And the larger that library becomes, the faster you’ll recognise problems in the future.

Calculations Matter. Judgement Matters More.

Don’t get me wrong.

Technical knowledge is essential.

You still need to understand structural behaviour, design standards, and engineering fundamentals.

But many real-world engineering mistakes don’t occur because someone couldn’t perform a calculation.

They occur because nobody realised there was a problem worth calculating in the first place.

And that’s where engineering judgement becomes invaluable.

Only Real Structural Engineers Can Spot These Design Mistakes - Steel

This is one of the recent videos I made on design/detailing mistakes. In this one I go through 10 design mistakes on the subject of structural steel. Check it out if you haven’t already :)

At university, you’re rewarded for precision. The more refined your solution, the better. So it makes sense that a lot of graduates carry that mindset into the workforce and keep pushing their designs towards the theoretical optimum. But out in the real world, that habit quietly burns time and adds complexity without delivering meaningful value to the project.

Think about what over-optimisation actually looks like in practice. You end up with a member schedule that has 40 different beam sizes because each one has been individually optimised for its exact loading. Or you’ve detailed 5 different beam-to-beam connection types across one floor plate because each connection was designed in isolation. On paper, everything is efficient. On site, it’s a nightmare. The builder has to track dozens of different sections, the drawings are harder to read, and the risk of construction errors goes up. The time you spent squeezing out those efficiencies ends up costing the project far more in confusion and coordination.

The unspoken skill that experienced engineers develop is knowing when to rationalise. That means grouping beam sizes where you can, standardising connection details across a job, and accepting a slightly heavier section if it means the whole floor can be built consistently. A design that’s easy to construct, easy to inspect, and easy to check is genuinely better than one that’s mathematically leaner. The value of simplicity is real, even if you can’t put a number on it…

This is one of those things that only really clicks once you've been through the full cycle of a project, from design through to construction. You start to see the downstream consequences of decisions made at the desk. And honestly, it's one of the easiest ways to tell whether junior or a senior engineer created the drawings. A junior tries to optimise everything. A senior optimises the important things, then strives for simplicity.

Only Real Structural Engineers Can Spot These Design Mistakes - Reinforced Concrete

In my latest YouTube video I go through 10 reinforced concrete design mistakes. For each one, I give you a chance to spot it yourself before I explain what went wrong and what should have been done instead. It's a great way to test your knowledge and sharpen your eye for common errors. Lot’s of people have been commenting that they really liked this different style of video so go give it a watch if you haven’t already! :)

It doesn’t.

I’ve fallen into this myself at different points, and I’ve also seen plenty of other engineers go through the same thing. You get comfortable, you get faster, and before you realise it, you’ve been doing the same type of work the same way for a long time without actually improving much.

You can work on the same type of project over and over again, follow the same process, and still be operating at the exact same level a year later.

Because repetition alone doesn’t make you better.
It just makes you faster.

And in structural engineering, that’s a problem.

You might get quicker at sizing members or producing drawings, but if you’re not thinking about what worked and what didn’t, your judgement doesn’t improve. And over time, your actual capability doesn’t improve either. You’re just repeating what you already know, not expanding what you can do.

The engineers who improve the fastest don’t just rely on repetition. They combine four things:

Volume, variety, reflection, and deliberate improvement.

Volume gives you exposure.
Variety forces you to think, not just repeat.
Reflection helps you learn from what just happened.
And deliberate improvement means choosing one small thing to get better at each time.

That might be:

• Understanding a design calculation better

• Creating a more buildable detail

• Learning an alternative framing layout

It doesn’t need to be everything at once. Just one thing per project.

And this is what turns experience into useful experience.

Instead of doing 50 similar projects and staying the same, you do 50 projects where each one adds something new. Over time, that compounds into real capability.

If you’re early in your career, this matters even more.

It’s easy to confuse being busy with getting better. I definitely did early on. But if your work lacks variety, and you’re not reflecting or improving something each time, your growth will plateau.

Repetition builds familiarity.
But volume, variety, reflection, and small improvements build real capability.

If you can combine those, your “experience” will actually mean something.

How To Design a Steel Truss For Beginners: Hand Calculation & Software

In my latest video I explain how to design a steel truss. I go through a full worked example using hand calculations and also explain a phenomenon that most people miss in their simplified calculations. On top of that I use Spacegass to verify my results and explore this phenomenon. This is the video I wish I had seen before I designed my first truss. I’ve received a lot of good feedback from people so far who have found value in it. Go check it out :)

Engineers see them as interruptions.
Builders see them as unavoidable.
Projects see them as time and cost.

But after working across enough jobs, I’ve realised something uncomfortable:

Most RFIs aren’t caused by poor construction.
They’re caused by unclear design.

And that doesn’t mean every RFI is the engineer’s fault, but many of them are signals that something wasn’t fully resolved on the drawings.

RFIs rarely ask what the code says. More often, they appear where decisions were deferred: ambiguous details, unstated assumptions, or over-reliance on “typical” details that break down at corners, edges, or transitions.

When drawings leave room for interpretation, the construction team is forced to guess, and that guess most likely becomes an RFI.

The uncomfortable truth is that RFIs are actually often useful. They’re feedback.

They show you where your drawings weren’t clear, where your assumptions weren’t shared, and where constructability wasn’t fully thought through.

If you keep seeing the same RFIs across multiple projects, that’s rarely bad luck, it’s a design pattern worth fixing.

Reducing RFIs isn’t about over-detailing every drawing or covering everything in notes. It’s about making decisions earlier, communicating them clearly, and asking yourself whether someone unfamiliar with the project could understand exactly how the structure is meant to work and be built.

If you can do that consistently, RFIs will drop, redesign time will reduce, and overall project quality will improve.

The 6 Step Process I Use to Design Any Structure From Scratch

In my latest video, I walk through the 6-step process I use to design structures from scratch. It’s the framework I rely on to keep designs clear, avoid rework, and make sure nothing important gets missed along the way. If you’ve ever felt unsure where to start on a project, this should help :)

A new job.
A promotion.
A big project.

But in engineering, most career progress actually comes from much smaller, less visible shifts in how you work each day.

Things like:

Taking an extra 10 minutes to understand why something is being designed a certain way, not just how to model it.

Looking at drawings and asking, “How would this actually get built?” instead of assuming someone else has figured that part out.

Paying attention during site visits, not just to the structure, but to the sequence, access, and the practical challenges the contractor is dealing with.

And one of the biggest ones: learning how to clearly explain your decisions.
Good engineers can design. Great engineers can design and communicate their thinking simply.

These habits don’t feel dramatic in the moment, but they compound quickly. A year of working this way can change the level of responsibility people trust you with.

Of course, sometimes a new role is the right next step too. And when that time comes, being able to clearly show the projects you’ve worked on and the responsibility you’ve had makes a big difference.

That’s why I originally created my resume and portfolio templates - to help engineers present their experience in a clear, professional way.

If you’re looking to upgrade your resume you can grab the free version of my template here (Canva): https://payhip.com/b/GlXqf

Or if you want Word, Google Docs, and both 1-column and 2-column layouts, the Pro version is here: https://payhip.com/b/rqoC8

Nevertheless, career growth isn’t usually one big leap. It’s built from the small daily habits you choose every day. So, whether you’re building experience in your current role or getting ready to apply for a new one, make sure your skills are growing with you along the way.

Why Builders & Architects Hate Your Structural Designs (And How to Fix Them)

In my latest video, I share a few lessons I’ve learned that have made my structural designs much more comprehensive. These insights don’t get discussed enough, but they make a big difference to the flow and outcome of a project. Go check it out :)

Most people are sharing what they learned, the mistakes they made, and any big takeaways. And that’s great, reflection is important.

But this year, I want to give you something different.

Instead of just sharing my lessons, I want to give you a tool to help reflect on your own development. Something practical you can use to guide your growth into 2026.

So here it is.

📋 The 2026 Structural Engineering Technical Skill Checklist

Below is a list of structural design skills; across timber, steel, concrete and geotechnical elements that I think every structural engineer should aim to be comfortable with.

Not all at once, and definitely not by next week.
But over the next 12 months, I think these are some skills worth building towards.

If you’d like to, treat this list like a personal scorecard. Tick what you know, circle what you want to learn. Use the results to shape your goals in 2026.

Timber / Residential Design

Framing layout & sizing

• Roof: rafters, ridge beams, trusses, hip/valley members

• Walls: studs, jamb studs, lintels, top/bottom plates

• Floors: joists, bearers, stumps/columns, diaphragm action

Bracing

• Ply sheeting, diagonal strapping, portal frames, proprietary systems (e.g. PowerTruss)

Tie-down

• Uplift paths & detailing to AS1684.2

Connections

• Bolted / screwed / nailed systems to AS1720.1

• Plates, brackets, truss connectors, proprietary fixings

Steel Design

• Portal frames: rafters, columns, knee & apex geometry

• Braced frames: vertical & horizontal systems

• Bracing bays: struts, ties, load paths

• Steel floor beams and columns

• Wind beams & raking support angles

• Purlins & girts (considering local pressure factors & bridging)

• Miscellaneous members: fly bracing, mullions, bollards

• Connections: baseplates, knee/apex joints, splices, web side plates, end plates, bracing nodes, etc.

Concrete

Foundations

• Pad & strip footings

• Bored piers & sockets

• Raft slabs (residential stiffened & waffle pod systems, more heavy duty flat plate & beam type systems)

Slabs

• Slabs-on-ground: jointed and post-tensioned

• RC suspended slabs & beams

• Post-tensioned suspended slabs & beams

• Composite steel beam and reinforced concrete suspended slabs

Vertical elements

• RC walls

• RC columns

• Precast tilt-up walls & panel-to-panel connections

• Blockwork walls & piers

Geotechnical / Structural Interfaces

• Cantilever retaining walls

• Basement retaining walls

• Gravity retaining walls

• Sleeper retaining walls (post & panel systems)

Miscellaneous

• Swimming pools (In-ground & out-of-ground)

• Light gauge steel framing

I hope this list brings you clarity and helps make 2026 a year driven by intentional growth. Reply to this email or comment and let me know if you’d add anything to this list.

Here’s to a big year ahead! 🥂

Why Builders & Architects Hate Your Structural Designs (And How to Fix Them)

In my latest video I share a few lessons I’ve learnt that have made my structural designs a lot more comprehensive. These learnings don’t get discussed enough but make a big difference to the flow and outcome of a project. Go check it out and let me know if you would add anything to these lessons :)

I had become overly focused on the drawings.

Not the design itself.
Not whether a connection could actually be installed.
Not whether something was buildable.

No, I obsessed over formatting…

Text alignment, line weights, hatching, and general presentation. I’d catch myself spending way too much time fixing cosmetic issues that should’ve been spent thinking about how the structure would actually be constructed.

And the reason I was doing this was pretty simple: I didn’t have enough real-world experience yet.

When you’re unsure about buildability, sequencing, tolerances, and site constraints, it’s easy to fall back on the one thing you do feel confident controlling: presentation.

All our schooling and university time reinforces this. We’re trained to produce tidy submissions for teachers and professors, not practical drawings for contractors.

But once you step into the industry, you realise very quickly:

No one on site cares about perfect formatting, they care about whether the design actually works.

And to be clear, good drawings still matter. But there’s a line every structural engineer has to understand:

Contractors can build through a typo.
They can’t build through a design that physically doesn’t work.

A base plate connection with no access to the bolts…

Reinforcement so congested at a column–slab junction that the concrete can’t be placed or vibrated properly…

These are the things that cause delays, RFIs, cost variations, and frustration, not a note in the wrong font.

Clean drawings backed by genuinely buildable engineering, that’s what will make you stand out.

Because structural engineering isn’t about making beautiful PDFs.
It’s about designing structures that work in the real world.

Day in the Life of a Structural Engineer

In my latest video I take you through a day in my life as a structural design engineer in a buildings team. I show you the sort of design work I do both at home and in the office, and I also take you with me on a couple site inspections. Go check it out :)

They’re the ones everyone likes working with.

They communicate clearly, they take ownership, they deliver when they say they will, and they don’t make things harder for others. They make the whole process smoother.

And the truth is, being “great to work with” is one of the most underrated skills in engineering.

It’s not just about being nice, it’s about being reliable, adaptable, and someone who others trust to get the job done.

Here are a few traits I’ve noticed that make someone great to work with:

1. They take ownership

They don’t hide behind excuses or blame. If they make a mistake, they own it, fix it, and learn from it. This builds trust faster than anything else.

2. They communicate clearly

They don’t send confusing emails or vague messages. They explain what they’ve done, what they need, and what the next steps are. Clear communication saves hours of back-and-forth.

3. They stay calm under pressure

Projects get stressful. Things go wrong. But the people who can stay composed when others panic become anchors for the team.

4. They think about the bigger picture

They don’t just focus on their task. They consider how their work affects others: the drafter, the architect, the builder, or even the end user - and prioritise to suit their needs.

If you focus on developing these habits, you’ll naturally stand out.

Technical skill is essential, but being dependable, a good communicator, and easy to work with is what makes people want to work with you again.

The Silent Growth Killer for Engineers & How to Beat it

Working on real projects is one of the fastest ways to learn as an engineer, but without a system to capture and reuse what you’re learning, most of it just slips away. In my latest video, I share a few ways to make sure every project builds on the last one, helping you grow faster and retain what actually matters. Go check it out :)

But in reality, there rarely is…

A correct structural design always has one non-negotiable requirement: it must be safe.

Beyond that, almost everything else is flexible. The same structure can be designed in multiple ways, depending on:

• Client preferences: They might want a particular finish, layout, or material

• Builder methods: Some contractors prefer certain construction sequences, products, or connections

• Architectural intent: Sometimes aesthetics or clear spans take priority

So while two engineers might approach the same problem differently, both can produce perfectly safe and functional solutions. There isn’t a “one true answer.” There are many correct answers, each with its trade-offs.

This is one of the most liberating lessons in structural engineering. It teaches you to:

• Understand the constraints and priorities of the project

• Think creatively within those boundaries

• Communicate choices clearly to clients and collaborators

So if you ever feel uncertain because your solution doesn’t match someone else’s, remember: safety is the only absolute. Everything else can take many forms.

How to Learn Structural Engineering Faster (No Memorising)

In this video, I share strategies to speed up your learning in structural engineering without relying on rote memorisation. If you want to understand how designs come together in practice and develop skills that stick, this one’s for you. Enjoy :)

We like to imagine we can just add it on, keep all our routines ticking over, and launch into that new idea, habit, or project. But in the real world, with limited time and limited energy, that’s rarely possible.

Think of your life like juggling a set of balls.
Each ball represents a responsibility, commitment, or goal. You can keep a lot of them in the air, but not all of them at once.
If you want to add a new ball—like a big project, habit, or creative idea—you have to be okay with letting one or two of the other balls drop temporarily. It doesn’t mean you’re failing; it just means you’re making space to focus your energy where it counts.

The trap is thinking you need to keep every ball in the air at once:

• Work deadlines

• Fitness

• Side projects

• Social life

• Family time

• Personal development

Before long, every one of your 168 hours a week is spent just keeping all the balls in the air. And if you’re always maintaining, you’ll never have the space to grow.

Here’s the principle: If you want to add a new ball, you need to be okay with letting some others drop.

Most of the time, the consequences aren’t life-or-death. Missing a gym session, taking longer to reply, or delaying a side project won’t ruin you.

The key is knowing which balls can’t drop — taxes, health, truly critical responsibilities. Everything else is negotiable.

And this requires courage. The courage to be disliked. The courage to disappoint people occasionally. The courage to stop being perfectly consistent in one area so you can build something new in another.

Growth takes energy. Energy requires space. And space only comes when you let go of something else.

So the next time you feel guilty about not keeping all the balls in the air, remember: you’re not failing. You’re just making room to grow.

Optimal Order To Learn Civil Structural Engineering

In this video I go through the most effective order to learn structural engineering theory. I cover the 9 topics that are actually useful after graduation and what employers tend to look for in new grads. Check it out and let me know what you think by commenting on the video :)

How To Design a Reinforced Masonry Blockwork Wall For Beginners

In this video, I go through reinforced masonry blockwork wall design step by step. You’ll see how to do hand calculations for bending, out-of-plane shear, compression, and in-plane shear on a typical 190 mm thick wall. At the end, I also show a resource with 4 more examples and a spreadsheet that automates the calculations. Watch if you’re interested in seeing how it all comes together.

I’d be halfway through a beam design when I’d realise the span didn’t make sense, or that I hadn’t even thought about how the loads were getting to the supports. I was designing individual parts without understanding the full picture.

Eventually, I stumbled across the G.L.A.D. framework, and for the first time, a clear, tangible design process started to take shape.

G.L.A.D. = Geometry, Loads, Analysis, Design

• G – Geometry: Create a layout of the structural elements. Where will you have beams, columns, or slabs? What connection or support types will be used?

• L – Loads: Calculate your loads: dead, live, wind, earthquake, construction loads, etc.

• A – Analysis: How does it behave? Bending, shear, axial forces, deflection.

• D – Design: Based on all that, what size do the members need to be?

It’s simple, but it works.

Too many young engineers jump into software or spreadsheets without really thinking about what they’re trying to achieve. I’ve done it myself. Using G.L.A.D. helps slow you down and design with intent, not guesswork.

If you’re early in your career and still figuring out your design process, try using it next time you tackle a structural problem. Sketch the layout, calculate your loads, get your design actions, size your members, and refine as needed. You’ll be surprised how often issues solve themselves when you step through it properly.

Structural Engineering Isn't Hard. It's Misunderstood.

In my latest YouTube video, I share 6 essential steps that when mastered, will allow you confidently complete projects from start to finish without depending on others. When you can break down a project into these steps your overall effectiveness as an engineer will multiply rapidly.

A lot of people seem to be enjoying this video so be sure to check it out :)

Link Lowdown

A collection of links to stuff I think are worth sharing.

SkyCiv — An online structural analysis and design software offering a wide range of tools for any element/structure. This software also covers various different codes internationally. SkyCiv is an on-going sponsor of my Youtube channel so if you do decide to check them out, be sure to use the link in this email newsletter :)

But I’ve still been showing up.

I’ve still gone to work. I’ve still answered the tough emails. I’ve still opened up those drawings and models and chipped away, even when it felt like a slog. I’ve still sat down to write or film or review – even when I didn’t feel creative.

And weirdly, it’s helping.

There’s this idea you hear with top athletes like Federer or LeBron or any of those types, that half the battle is just showing up to training, every single day, rain or shine, whether they’re feeling it or not. That’s what keeps them in the game long-term.

Now look, I’m obviously not comparing myself to LeBron (unless LeBron also spends hours analysing structural layouts and sizing beams). But hopefully you see my point.

So if you’re going through a patch like that or maybe you’re doubting yourself, stuck in uni, bored at work, overwhelmed on a project, I’ll just say this:

Keep showing up.

You don’t have to be brilliant every day. Just consistent. Show up. Do your bit. Stack enough of those days together, and something good will come from it.

We got this guys.

How To Design a Pad Footing For Beginners

In my latest YouTube video, I break down how to design a reinforced concrete pad footing. I start with the big picture and walk through the overall design process. Then I cover the bending and shear action calculations, followed by a step-by-step check for two-way (punching) shear.

At the end of the video, I also show you my notes and spreadsheet, which include everything I cover — plus some extra detail and loading combinations.

If you're interested, be sure to check it out :)

Link Lowdown

A collection of links to stuff I think are worth sharing.

Havit Steel Structure — Really in-depth post on all things steel portal frame design and construction.

It requires concentration, problem-solving, and mental clarity.

Recently, I’ve been getting flooded with distractions—emails, phone calls, meetings, chat notifications… the list goes on.

To try and regain some control, I’ve started to incorporate what author Cal Newport calls “Deep Work.”

What Is Deep Work?

Deep Work refers to activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit.

This kind of work is rare—but it’s also where you produce your best results and grow your skills the most.

In contrast, “Shallow Work” is low-effort, logistical, often reactive work that keeps you “busy” but doesn’t really move the needle. Think emails, status updates, admin, or constantly switching between tasks.

Deep Work in Structural Engineering

In my job, deep work shows up as:

• Solving complex design problems

• Reviewing or creating detailed drawings

• Running and interpreting structural analysis models

• Writing or checking calculation reports

• Planning a project or designing from first principles

These tasks require focus, patience, and uninterrupted time. But they’re often squeezed between shallower tasks like replying to RFIs, attending meetings, or answering internal chats.

How I’ve Been Protecting My Focus

Here are a few practical ways I create space for deep work:

• Time Blocking – I set aside a minimum of 1–2 hours for focused work both in the morning and afternoon.

• Batching Tasks – I group similar tasks (e.g. emails, phone calls, replying to RFIs) to avoid constant switching.

• Noise-Cancelling Headphones – They signal “do not disturb” and help me focus when the office gets noisy.

• To-Do List with Priorities – Without a list, it’s easy to lose direction and not make any “real” progress.

• Turning Off Notifications – I mute email and chat alerts during deep work blocks. The world won’t end if I respond in an hour.

These habits aren’t perfect, and I still get distracted. But when I stick to them, my output improves noticeably.

A Key Lesson from the Book

One of my favourite insights from Deep Work is this:

“Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not.”

When you’re clear on what meaningful engineering work looks like for you—whether it’s solving problems, designing structures, or mentoring others—you’re more willing to defend your time from the things that don’t matter.

How To Study Engineering Effectively For Beginners

In my latest YouTube video I share a 5 step process to effectively study as an engineering student. I personally experienced lots of benefit from this process and I hope you can too.

Link Lowdown

A collection of links to stuff I think are worth sharing.

Deep Work by Cal Newport — Amazon link to the book I have mentioned in this post.

If I had to choose again between a small or large company straight after graduating, here’s why I’d go small.

Small vs Large Civil Engineering Companies – Pros & Cons

Large Company – Pros:

• Structured graduate programs

• Access to in-house experts in other disciplines

• Clear career progression pathways

• Formalised procedures and documents

• Greater access to a larger range of software and analysis tools

Large Company – Cons:

• You’re often a small cog in a big machine

• Limited exposure to full project lifecycles

• Red tape and rigid systems

• Slower learning curve (lots of reviews, fewer decisions)

Small Company – Pros:

• Hands-on experience from Day 1

• Full project ownership – from concept to construction

• Closer relationships with builders, clients, and architects

• Faster learning through repetition and responsibility

• More independence and faster decision-making

Small Company – Cons:

• Less formal training

• Unstructured career progression pathways

• Workload can fluctuate more

• May miss out on landmark projects (early on)

My Take?
If your goal as a graduate is to become good – fast – a small company is the best environment. You’ll design more, talk to more people, make more decisions, and most importantly… you'll learn way faster. I went from checking spreadsheets in a cubicle to running my own jobs within months. It’s scarier at first, but the growth curve is unreal.

Big companies can be a great fit too – especially if you like structure and a slower pace, or you want to do more managerial work – but if you want to build real engineering instincts early, my advice is: go small.

My Honest College Advice For Civil Engineering Majors

In my recent video I share some honest reflections and advice from what I learnt from my university experience. Hopefully this video can give you some pointers on what is really important so you can make the most of your time :)

Link Lowdown

A collection of links to stuff I think are worth sharing.

Optimal Beam — Quick and free bending moment and shear force beam calculator.

SkyCiv — An online structural analysis and design software offering a wide range of design and analysis software for any element/structure. A personal favourite of mine.

We found that each path has its advantages and drawbacks, and it seems like the right choice depends on your personality, career goals and interests.

Below is a summary of that conversation.

Specialist

A specialist is someone who focuses deeply on a specific area of structural engineering, such as seismic design, steel design, or slab design. They become the go-to expert in their niche and are highly sought after for their deep technical knowledge.

All-rounder (Generalist)

An all-rounder has a broad range of skills across multiple aspects of structural engineering. They take on projects of all sizes and have experience with a range of different materials and structural systems. Their strength lies in adaptability and problem-solving across various disciplines.

Pros and Cons of Each Path

Specialist

Pros:
- Deep expertise in a niche field
- Higher demand for complex or specialised projects
- Potential for higher salaries in expert roles
- Can become a thought leader in the industry

Cons:
- Limited flexibility—might struggle with projects outside their expertise
- Job opportunities may be fewer, depending on demand for their specialty
- Can become overly focused on one area, missing out on broader industry trends

All-rounder

Pros:
- More job opportunities due to versatility
- Greater ability to adapt to different industries and projects
- Easier transition into leadership or management roles
- Less risk if one area of the industry slows down

Cons:
- Might not be the top choice for highly specialised projects
- Can struggle to stand out in competitive job markets
- May not achieve the same level of technical mastery as a specialist

Which Path Is Right for You?

Unfortunately, there’s no definitive answer. It ultimately comes down to what suits you best.

Some engineers thrive as specialists, diving deep into technical challenges, while others prefer the variety and adaptability of being an all-rounder.

If you enjoy mastering one specific area and becoming an industry expert, specialising may be the right move. But if you prefer working on a broad range of projects and keeping your options open, being an all-rounder could serve you better.

What do you think? Which path do you lean toward?

Every Structural Engineer MUST MEMORISE These 10 Equations

As a structural engineer there are a lot of formulas that we cover during our studies but some are more practical and heavily used day to day.

In my recent video I share some of the most popular ones that every structural engineer should memorise. Give the video a watch and let me know if there is any you would add to this list :)

Link Lowdown

A collection of links to stuff I think are worth sharing.

SpectaCalc — Information on steel reinforcement and guidelines on detailing, dimensions, properties and capacities for; open & closed steel sections, structural steel bolts, and concrete blocks & clay bricks. Recently they have also added information of various proprietary systems as well as slab post tensioning material dimensions and properties. (I’ve share this link before but lots of new info has been added to their website so I thought it was worth sharing again)

LinkedIn Post - Analysis Types — Interesting post comparing the usefulness of different analysis types.

LinkedIn Post - Quick RC Beam Bending Capacity Formula — This post shares and discusses the accuracy of a quick reinforced concrete bending capacity formula against a detailed analysis. Quite fascinating how accurate it is.

1. working really hard initially to understand something

2. summarising/automating/creating reference material of that learned information

3. continually being able to reuse and refer to that documented knowledge to quickly and confidently get the answer I was looking for

This process is what I call building a knowledge bank.

A lot of people fall into the trap of solely relying on their memory, but the way I think of it is that: brains are made for idea creation and problem solving, not being a storage device.

Building a knowledge bank means - when you learn something new, you take the extra step to document it… properly.

This could be:

• A personal formula sheet for quick calculations

• A checklist for common design tasks

• A document explaining and simplifying key concepts from codes and standards

• An Excel spreadsheet with pre-loaded formulas for common design tasks

Yes, it takes more effort upfront. But over time, this habit will multiply, and all of a sudden you will have a wealth of personal, reliable and readily available material.

This material will make you more efficient, make you faster, and even more confident.

How To Design a Reinforced Concrete Beam For Beginners

I've been receiving a lot of positive feedback on my technical explanation videos, so I thought I’d make one of the most highly requested ones—reinforced concrete beam design.

If you enjoy the video and have any suggestions for other topics you'd like me to cover, be sure to leave a comment. I read them all! :)

Link Lowdown

A collection of links to stuff I think are worth sharing.

efficalc — 3 free online calculators to AISC (Steel Beam Capacity Calculator, Efficient Steel Beam Design Calculator, Concrete Column PMM Designer)

trussanalysis — a free online truss builder and analysis tool.

encomp app — a free quick online reinforced concrete beam design tool to ACI code.

And I’m not just talking about your designs—I mean everything: your decisions, calculations, writing, and more.

Surprisingly, the difference between great engineers and struggling ones isn’t whether they fail or how often they fail—it’s how they respond to failure.

Most people fear failure and the embarrassment that comes with it. But if you can reframe your mindset around failure, it can become a powerful advantage.

Here’s the difference between a negative and a positive approach to failure:

Failing Negatively:

🔴 Shifts blame instead of taking accountability
🔴 Sees failure as a setback rather than a learning opportunity
🔴 Avoids challenges and sticks to what feels safe
🔴 Lets mistakes undermine confidence and motivation
🔴 Dismisses advice and resists change
🔴 Covers up failures instead of reflecting on them

Failing Positively:

🟢 Takes responsibility and learns from every misstep
🟢 Treats failure as useful feedback for growth
🟢 Accepts risks and stays flexible in problem-solving
🟢 Uses setbacks as fuel to improve skills
🟢 Welcomes constructive input and adapts quickly
🟢 Shares experiences openly to strengthen future decisions

Failing may never feel enjoyable, but its benefits are clear. When you fail, fail fast, fail smart, and fail positively.

Civil vs Structural Engineering: What’s The Difference?

A very common question I get is, “What is the difference between a civil engineer and a structural engineer?”

Honestly, it’s a fair question because they are similar, and for people not in the industry, the differences are not clear at all.

If you haven’t already, check out this video where I clear things up! :)

Link Lowdown

A collection of links to stuff I think are worth sharing.

Structural Details Store — A large range of structural engineering details that may help you come up ideas for your own designs.

SkyCiv — An online structural analysis and design software offering a wide range of design and analysis software for any element/structure. A personal favourite of mine.

Get used to being cringe.
Putting yourself out there often feels uncomfortable, especially when you're trying something new or showing your work to the world. Embrace it. The fear of judgment is just a phase, and the only way to grow is to keep stepping into that discomfort. What might feel "cringe" today could be a skill or habit you look back on with pride tomorrow.

Keep doing hard things. Hard things then become easy.
Growth comes from challenge. Tasks that once seemed impossible can become second nature when you face them repeatedly. Whether it's a tough work project or a new personal goal, consistency will help you turn difficulty into mastery, and the impossible into your new baseline.

Doing nothing is sometimes the best thing.
In a world that glorifies busyness, it’s easy to forget that rest is productive too. Giving yourself time to pause, or simply exist, often leads to the clarity and energy needed to keep moving forward. Doing nothing isn’t wasted time, it’s the recharge you need.

10,000 iterations > 10,000 hours.
Practice isn’t just about time spent; it’s about refining, improving, and trying again. Every iteration teaches you something new, and the compound effect of small, deliberate changes can far outpace just putting in the hours. Focus on the process, not just the clock.

Don’t be sad that it’s over. Be happy that you experienced it.
Every chapter of life brings its own joys and lessons, and it’s natural to feel a wave of sadness when they end. But shifting the focus to gratitude and celebrating the moments and memories you’ve had can help you cherish what was while staying open to what’s next.

Expectations Vs Reality as a Civil Structural Engineer

There are a lot of misconceptions about being a structural engineer…

In this video, I share what I have learned about the role and industry.

I think it provides some good insight and will give you a better understanding of the reality.

Check it out and see if this information changes your perspective on things! :)

Link Lowdown

A collection of links to stuff I think are worth sharing.

CalcTree — A collection of neatly and simply presented technical articles on a range of structural engineering topics.

Steel Connection Design Tips — LinkedIn post that shares 30 good rules for steel connection design.

Diary Of A CEO — A very interesting and high quality podcast channel that speaks with top experts on a range of topics. I’ve listened to a bunch of episodes over the past few years.