With National Engineers Week upon us, Feb. 19-25 this year, many engineers are exploring its theme “Creating the Future.” The need for innovation has come to the forefront as the industry is still in the grip of an employee shortage. New methods and processes such as mass timber construction and civil information modeling (CIM) are helping the industry to grow efficiently.
Schemmer is leveraging its partners in the construction and contracting industry to help navigate a volatile market by using design-build delivery methods on an increasing number of projects, according to Matthew Hubel, public sector civil engineering team leader.
“Having this integrated team established early in the process provides an excellent method to control costs and schedules,” he said. “We’re also seeing increased use of 3D scanning to gather high-quality data and the use of drones to gather data more quickly or in locations that are difficult or time-consuming to traverse.”
Creative Solutions
Due to inflation and continued supply-chain issues the firm is finding new and creative ways to help its clients and their projects succeed.
“We’re identifying potential risks and delays caused by these issues and finding opportunities to accelerate certain aspects of the project design to allow construction to start more quickly,” Hubel said.
“We’re preparing additional design deliverables to get critical-path materials ordered in anticipation of long lead times. We’re seeing constant innovation of civil information modeling, where more and more of the design and data for a project are performed and stored directly within a three-dimensional digital model that encompasses all aspects of the project.”
Kevin Wenninghoff, Schemmer manager of structural engineering, said the fluctuation in material prices and supply chain issues has increased the need for adaptability and creative solutions.
“We’re often working with contractors to consider alternative materials for projects so we can maximize the value that the project brings to the client,” he said.
Technology in the engineering industry is always changing. That could be new analysis software, new materials, or new construction techniques. One exciting innovation from a sustainability standpoint is mass timber construction, which uses exceptionally strong and versatile wood products that are lighter weight but engineered for high strength ratings like concrete and steel.
“[Mass Timber Construction] has been gaining momentum for years and is spreading throughout the country,” Wenninghoff said.
Alvine Engineering is seeing a shift toward greater decarbonization — how engineering firms can reduce the carbon footprint of the buildings they are designing, according to Principal Steph Guy.
This includes considering the materials that are used in the manufacturing processes of building materials, driving energy usage as low as possible by using uber-efficient systems, and even considering proximity of manufacturing to where the building is being built.
“At the same time, we are being increasingly cognizant of occupant well-being,” Guy said. “Programs like the WELL Building Standard encourage us to do things like provide water within 100 feet of each employee.”
There is also a bigger focus in the industry on smart buildings. For instance, how can engineers adapt their buildings so they use less energy?
“Lighting controls are continuing to get more sophisticated, and cyber security is an increased point of discussion on all building projects,” Guy said.
Increased Collaboration
The age-old delivery method of design, bid, build is becoming less and less common as building owners look to bring entire design and construction teams together sooner. This process, known as integrated project delivery (IPD), is becoming more widely discussed and utilized on different types of projects.
“We are seeing an increase in comments from clients that the quality of the submittals they are receiving has been declining, which they all attribute to resources being tight,” said Jessica Smith, transportation group manager at Benesch. “Bluebeam Revu is growing in use, which can allow multiple people to review design documents at once, streamlining the review process. There is also a discussion about providing designs to contractors in model format in the future rather than put into design plan sheets.”
Smith said there is an increased effort to consider equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of this industry which she hopes is opening up and expanding a new resource/talent pool.
“I anticipate this can lead to more innovation as more diverse ideas are brought to the table,” she said. “Over the next year, increased funding is keeping everyone very busy, so resources will continue to be a challenge. Over the next five to 10 years, we will likely see a continued increase in measures to accelerate design and construction while reducing costs.”
The Greatest Challenges
Recruiting is Schemmer’s biggest challenge in the near-term, according to Hubel.
“There’s more work than there are individuals in the industry to complete it right now,” he said. “We are constantly on the lookout for great people to join our firm. It is safe to say that if you are in the engineering industry, anywhere from a college student to a non-technical support staff member to a senior-level professional, if you want a job in the industry right now, you can find one — or three.”
In the longer-term, the move away from fossil fuel energy, more autonomous vehicles, and artificial intelligence (AI) will be challenges as well as opportunities for the engineering industry.
“Our infrastructure is going to have to adapt to these emerging technologies that are quickly becoming commonplace,” Hubel said. “It will be exciting to see how AI develops in the coming years and how it can be used to the benefit of the work we do and the clients we serve.”
Guy said that the challenges the industry now faces are likely to continue over the next year. Firms must continue to engineer systems that are flexible enough to work within the current market. This means changing materials when something isn’t available because of long lead times. It means being able to change course on a project midway through design when a developer is pivoting on their development plans.
“The challenges for the next five to 10 years will be continuing to drive the energy use of buildings down while maintaining healthy environments within the space,” Guy said.
The industry will continue to explore ways to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings and push the limits on renewable energy. At the same time, firms are continuing the transition from a 2D world to the 3D world.
“We could soon be constructing buildings without a set of 2D drawings and utilizing just a 3D model,” Guy said. “It’s a unique time in the industry where there has been unprecedented work while at the same time managing a global pandemic and significant supply chain and escalation issues on construction materials. People are wondering if there will be a small recession. Thankfully, we’re well suited here in the Midwest to weather different economic impacts.”
“With all of the changes and challenges in this industry, there is one thing that remains constant,” Wenninghoff said. “The health and safety of the public is always priority No. 1.”
Talent Challenges
Finding and hiring enough employees in this market requires significant time and effort. This can make it difficult to keep pace with a growing workload.
“The most important thing is to focus on the employee and what they are seeking regarding opportunities, career advancement, and career path,” Wenninghoff said. “You want to provide employees with support and help put them in positions to achieve their goals. Growing employees internally will in turn help your company grow.”
“Resources is the other trend that seems consistent among our competitors and clients alike,” Smith said. “It seems there may be a gap in the experience level around five to 10 years out of school that is a hard resource to find.”
Last year Schemmer launched the “Schemmer Gives Back” program, which provides a means for the staff to do pro-bono work for nonprofits in the communities where employees work, live, and play.
“The results of a recent internal survey found that the top word used by our team members to describe Schemmer was ‘Fun,’” Hubel said. “At Schemmer, we pride ourselves on being flexible to suit the needs of our diverse staff and to allow their work and lives to balance. We also put in great effort to create a work environment where our team members feel valued and are able to meaningfully contribute to the firm and give back to our communities.”
The firm is now accepting applications for the second year of the Shemmer Gives Back program.
“The outlook for employment in the industry is very strong,” Guy said. “There are currently more open positions than there are young engineers to fill the roles, and this doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
“There are always going to be problems to solve, and that is what engineers do best. In the building industry there is lots of work to do. If we aren’t building something new, we are renovating something old to bring it to new life or retro commissioning systems to make them more efficient.”
Alvine is attracting and retaining talent by offering a great place to work with unlimited opportunities for growth, according to Guy.
“We are focused on creating a company culture where we work hard, have fun, do great engineering, and work on exciting projects in a variety of market sectors,” Guy said. “We are also active in the recruiting scene by attending career fairs both here in Nebraska and nearby states and being on the look-out for great interns.”
“There are so many opportunities for growth for those that are willing to put in the work,” Smith said. “You can advance and grow potentially more quickly as project opportunities increase in our industry. We are working on providing opportunities for growth internally so that employees aren’t as tempted to see what additional growth they can get elsewhere. We have internal training programs to help people grow at all levels of the company. The same opportunities for growth are also what helps us attract new talent.”
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