Is it really all math, all day, every day?
Lol nope. A lot of what I do is using computer programs to model soil conditions (dirt) so it’s more about understanding what soil is out there and how it acts when we build things on it/with it. The most I use is algebra
How do you feel about climate change and how it affects your job?
Simultaneously really bummed out about the terrible conditions people have/are going to have to live through and deeply grateful that I get to work on improving those shitty conditions
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What’s your favourite ice cream flavour?
Aztec chocolate
Civil is a pretty broad category, what do you focus on/ specialize in?
I’m a geotechnical engineer. A lot of industrial/commercial work, lately more flood protection/coastal
How does it make you feel when people in my industry call themselves “software engineers”?
😂 a little annoyed, tbh. But really only because I think there should be licensing for software engineers too. It’s more important than ever to have a duty to protect the public when it comes to tech imo
I want to see it, if only to see how many of us fail licensure due to gross incompetence.
What software do you use
I’m a geotechnical engineer, so Apile, slope/w, settle3, unipile etc
Cool, thanks!
What makes a good and useful CAD drafter? Asking as a cad drafter.
Sorry, I’m a geotechnical engineer so I haven’t worked with drafters too much. When I have worked with drafters, I really appreciated getting a call if my notes were confusing instead of the drafter making an assumption and getting it wrong
What is a civil engineer really?
It’s someone who designs infrastructure, so roads, buildings, bridges, sewer systems, etc. Basically if you think about anything a construction worker builds, a civil engineer/team of engineers designed it. There are different categories of civil engineers. Structural engineers make sure a building can handle the weight of everything on/in it. Transportation engineers design highways. I’m a geotechnical engineer, so I deal with soils (dirt) and make sure the ground can support whatever is being built.
I’m soon going to study as a software engineer, but in my country that’s also called a “civil engineer”, is that true in English, as well?
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Wow, that must’ve been a struggle 😓
Only for some time. Job boards in their early days were simplistic in their capture of information, you either pasted or attached a cover letter & CV but they would quickly become much more granular in gathering a lot more information about your skills, even if this made the application process a lot longer than before. It had the benefit of your skillset defining your ability rather than the title of your degree obscuring it. Also, OCR & language translation advanced really quickly there after.
What is your favorite dinosaur?
Any advice for cities facing the increasing threat of floods? I live on the floodplain in my city, and it has given me a tinge of anxiety whenever it rains rather hard in my neighbourhood.
Buy flood insurance and if it gets too expensive, it might make more sense to move. I live in an area where flood insurance just skyrocketed and I think people are still hoping prices will go down somehow but I don’t think it’ll happen.
If you’re handy, maybe look into how to gut a house after a flood. Mold can do a lot of damage.
I don’t know if you’re in an area where flooding could be a safety issue but always follow local warnings/official’s advice. Property can be replaced, people can’t.
I think as humans we can engineer our way out of increasingly hostile weather but it takes an investment of time and money and our governments aren’t usually great at either.
What’s it like driving a train?
Fabulous 🚂 💅
