Do you often have days where your feel like you’ve been busy all day, but haven’t gotten much done?  Perhaps it is because you are focusing on the little things rather than the big things.  Adopting a policy of always doing the big things first can help shift your focus to what is most important and will be most productive.  After all, to make big things happen, you have to tackle big issues first.  Craig Jarrow shares more about the importance of prioritizing our daily tasks in this article from Time Management Ninja.

But what about the little tasks, you might ask?  Isn’t it just as important to complete these as well?  Craig Jarrow offers insight and tips to make sure the little things don’t slip through the cracks in another helpful article from Time Management Ninja.

Let’s be honest, we can all stand to implement some new strategies to help increase our efficiency.  Changing our approach to tackling a long “To Do” list, might be the answer you need to making sure each day is filled with the big things, and not just the little things!

When designing bracing connections, have you been using a weld ductility factor on welds subjected to shear and transverse loads to allow for adequate redistribution of stresses?  Although there have been multiple tests and papers showing the importance of this factor, some engineers are still unaware of its necessity which can result in underperforming bracing connections.

In the February 2018 SEU presentation Introduction to the Design and Cost of Steel Seismic  Connections – Braced Frames, Patrick Fortney, PhD, PE, SE, P.Eng., from the University of Cincinnati reviewed using the uniform force method in braced frame connections and covered the various strength and detailing requirements for braced frames and the associated costs.  In his presentation, Pat walked through the design of seismic steel connections, which also included many important thoughts on braced connection design, in general.

Pat specifically highlighted the importance of using a weld ductility factor of 1.25 to increase the load for which welds in all bracing connections subjected to shear and transverse loading.  This weld ductility factor accounts for issues with proximity and distortion within the braced frame connection and is necessary to allow adequate force redistribution within the weld..  Pat referenced the 2004 paper by Hewitt and Thornton, Rationale Behind and Proper Application Of the Ductility Factor for Bracing Connections Subjected to Shear and Transverse Loading, as a good resource to further understand the need for this ductility factor.  Although the Code does not specifically require this weld ductility factor, Part 13 of the AISC Steel Manual does recommend using it.

It is important to note that welds that are designed to develop the strength of the gusset plate need not be increased by the weld ductility factor, since the ductility of the plate allows the redistribution of load.  Also, the weld ductility factor does not apply to welds in shear only.  It is the combination of shear and tension on the weld that triggers the need for force redistribution within the bracing connection but only if proximity issues or distortion issues are present.

Many times these bracing connections may be delegated the steel fabricator, however, it is still important for EORs to be aware of the necessity of the weld ductility factor and its relevance in connection design.  Although not specific to seismic systems, Pat’s explanation of the weld ductility factor and its relevance is a welcomed reminder to engineers that may not be familiar with its use, or don’t typically design their own steel connections.

Patrick Fortney, PhD, PE, SE, P.Eng., University of Cinncinati

In January and February of 2018, SE University welcomed back Patrick Fortney, PhD, PE, SE, P.Eng, from the University of Cinncinati, to present Selecting the Appropriate Seismic System for Your Steel Project and Introduction to the Design and Cost of Steel Seismic Connections. In 2017, Patrick nominated Wounded Warrior Project (https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/) for the SEU Speaker Inspires donation, and has chosen to do the same in 2018.

Patrick previously shared why he chose the WWP: “The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project is to honor and empower wounded warriors who incurred a physical or mental injury, illnesses, or wound, co-incident to military service on or after September 11, 2001. As with most veterans, these veterans served our country not out of any political bent or personal goal; they made selfless commitments to protect and preserve the great freedoms that we as Americans enjoy and vowed to resist anyone acting to take our freedoms from us.

The Wounded Warrior Project not only addresses the physical ailments of these veterans but, takes a holistic approach to helping veterans to once again acclimatize to their private and personal lives; addressing issues not only suffered by the veterans but, by their families as well. I encourage everyone to view the testimonials of the wounded veterans and their families to which this charity has served. We cannot overlook or underestimate the sacrifices made by our veterans.”

Thank you, Patrick, for helping structural engineers with your SE University sessions, and for your designation of Wounded Warrior Project as our SEU Speaker Inspires Organization of the Month!

SE University began the SEU Speaker Inspires program in 2015 as a way to “pay it forward”, enabling our speakers to designate a charity/organization of their choice for SE University to make a donation to help improve our world.

Are you a Recent Graduate or Student in Civil/Structural Engineering who would like to learn additional technical information to help you start your career as a structural engineer?  Transitioning from student to entry-level engineer has a learning curve associated with it. But with proper preparation and a commitment to continued learning, your entry-level job can lead to a rewarding career in structural engineering.

SE Apprentice can help you on your path to success!  This series of recorded sessions aims to present ideas and concepts not typically learned in class, and combine these with real world knowledge of how a building and project come together, to help give students and new graduates an idea of what to expect on a project they would work on in the office.

These sessions are available for both students and new/recent grads.  Please visit www.seapprentice.com to access the sessions. While the SE Apprentice series is available at no cost for students, companies that find these sessions helpful for their newly hired engineers can elect to donate to Structural Engineers of Ohio (SEAOoO) Educational Awards Fund as a way to ‘pay it forward’ for the future generation of structural engineering students.  (but this is not required)

SE Solutions & SE University hopes this series benefits companies with new engineers as well as students wanting to be more prepared to start their career upon graduation.