Secrets of a Structural Engineer
Date Posted: October 19, 2023
Posted In: Discussion,
From Building Design + Construction:
by Scott Martin, principal, project director, and design-build market leader at Walter P Moore
Recently, I was asked to present to a group of aspiring engineers at the Florida A&M-Florida State University College of Engineering. Below is a summary of the presentation “Secrets of a Structural Engineer” that I gave to the students. More experienced engineers in the AEC industry may use this blog as a catalyst to engage new engineers at your firm—as talking points or pass-along information. Our young engineers may find new and helpful information, or secrets, which will help them see that not all career paths may be what they envision, and may give them more confidence to blaze their own path to a successful career in the AEC industry.
I spent my first two years in the professional world with a small structural engineering firm in Orlando, and it was a learning experience. I worked on several different project types including sign frames for Universal Studios, exterior light gauge wall framing for a convention center, hotels in the theme park district, and several tilt-wall distribution warehouses in Central Florida. These projects taught me that structural engineering is needed not just for buildings and big projects, but also the small elements that create theme parks, and each of the components that make up a larger building.
From there, I moved to Virginia to work for a mid-sized engineering firm that provided structural and MEP services. The structural team that I worked with was about the same size and worked on similar project types as my Orlando firm. I continued to take on more responsibility as I gained experience and my PE license, but I also got the chance to work more closely with MEP engineers that are typically at a different firm on most building projects. After a time I transferred to the firm’s Raleigh, North Carolina office to build a structural engineering department in their MEP focused office. In addition to engineering, my responsibilities now included meeting with new clients and convincing them to use our firm to provide the structural engineering for their project. This position proved to be a valuable in my career progression because for the first time I was learning business skills that extended beyond my engineering education and experience
I briefly spent time at another engineering firm in Raleigh before coming back home to Florida and landing in the Tampa office of Walter P Moore where I have been for nearly 20 years.
Current Position & Projects
During my time at Walter P Moore, I have been privileged to be involved in a number of landmark projects for the firm throughout Florida including performing arts centers, museums, schools, universities, airports, and hospitals, often having many small to mid-sized projects going on concurrently. This changed in 2016 when I had the opportunity to focus on just one project in California helping a major entertainment company design and build a futuristic theme park expansion based upon a series of outer space movies dating back to 1977.