AE 481W/482 Course Reflection
The AE senior thesis project has provided me with great work experience that will prove itself to be invaluable upon starting my structural engineering career. AE senior thesis has provided me with the opportunity of effectively communicating with my future colleagues, the ability to apply and follow current design procedures, and the ability to use current standards and building codes in design practice. Throughout the year, I used and exposed myself to ASCE 7-05, AISC Manual of Steel Construction 13th Edition, ACI 318-05, and IBC 2006. I am now confident and comfortable enough with each to truly say that I would know how to use these codes and standards correctly to professional standards.
My thesis project as a whole was extremely challenging due to its immense size and complexity. High-rise design presents itself with many challenges that are best handled by that of a design professional with many years of experience. However; with the tools that were available to me online, in the College of Engineering Library, and the CPEP discussion board, I was able to complete my project and gain vast amounts of design experience. I now truly know the rigorous work that is associated with high-rise structural design.
I chose my thesis project based on a variety of reasons. For one, I am extremely interested in high-rise design and am looking forward to working on these types of projects at the onset of my career. Originally, my proposal was based on the idea of moving the tower to a region controlled by seismic design requirements. However, I decided against this proposal and opted to address the challenges of designing a high-rise hotel tower comprised completely of a steel structural system. My main goal in thesis was to develop an understanding as to why the structural system was chosen given the faster erection time of a steel system. My goal was successfully accomplished. |
