Welcome to Eric Mueller's AE Senior Thesis e-Portfolio
AE 481W/482 Course Reflection
Click HERE for ABET Outcomes for AE 481W/482
Thesis work was broken down into two very different semesters. The first semester was devoted to analyzing and investigating the original structural system of 555 12th Street. Through investigation and research a proposal for redesign was made, and this work was conducted in the spring semester.
Both semesters work was extremely challenging and required research on topics and advanced design that I was not familiar with before thesis. Choosing a high rise building in a high seismic region introduced me to new code requirements and design procedures that I would’ve not been introduced to unless I worked primarily on the west coast.
I found the amount of work performed, in hours, to heavily lopsided. While the fall semester had a lot of work, the requirements of each assignment were spelled out and deadlines had to be met. In the spring, I created my own schedule and personal deadlines and worked till I thought I was complete. This resulted in many more hours of research, analyzing, designing and redesigning till I had a final product I was proud to present. A piece of advice I would have if to start early, and see your advisor/faculty often.
If I had to sum up the thesis experience in one word it would be, hysteria. Once thesis was completed and presented I felt extremely relieved and proud of all I had accomplished with a years worth of work.
CPEP & Discussion Board Reflection
The creation of a CPEP website was a requirement of the thesis experience. All assignments and submissions were completed and posted online throughout both semesters. This was a very convenient way to access my completed work and show off to all my friends and family. I would’ve liked to have spent more time customizing my website, to make it stand out from the “template” sites everyone has.
Having the website was also beneficial when editing my resume and attending job interviews. It’s an attractive addition to have and allows companies to see what you are capable of doing that is not just a listing of classes you have taken.
Another important tool I utilized was the discussion board. With this, important course announcements were posted and Q&A with industry professionals was conducted. The Q&A with the industry professionals was helpful, even if it wasn’t me that posted the question. This feedback usually occurred the same day the question was posted, or very soon afterwards. It was nice to know that there were people that were taking time out of their day to help us students out.