The Civil Engineering Academy Podcast

Is everything that’s said about construction engineering in fact true? The long work weeks? The lack of work-life balance? The pay? Well, today’s guest has the answers. Kienen Koga is a construction engineer and YouTube superstar who has been working in the industry since his college days. And today, he’ll lay out everything you wanted to know about it. Tune in to Learn: An uncommon technique Kienen used to decide if civil engineering was the right choice The power of internships — and how it changed Kienen's career plan and trajectory What a career in construction engineering looks like The truths and myths about work-life balance as a construction engineer The worst part of working in construction — and it has nothing to do with construction Are credentials important for a career in construction? Should you go to grad school? Kienen's experience and mistakes taking the FE and PE exams that you should avoid 3 easy tips to build a successful career you're truly proud of How to run a creative gig on the side of your day job The current drive for engineers to be more creative — and how to go about it if want to One aspect of the construction industry in Hawaii that doesn't exist in any other place Structural engineers (designers) vs construction engineers (builders) Our Partner: Built Bar - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/built Resources Mentioned: Kienen Koga's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kienen-koga-pe-971b0885 Kienen Koga's YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/kienenphysicsstuff Kienen Koga's IG (@kikoga) - https://www.instagram.com/kikoga NCEES FE Exam Prep Materials - https://account.ncees.org/exam-prep University of Hawaii - https://www.hawaii.edu University of Washington - https://www.washington.edu Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - https://www.pearlharborhistoricsites.org/pearl-harbor CEA Resources: Website - https://civilengineeringacademy.com The Ultimate Civil FE Review Course - https://civilfereviewcourse.com The Ultimate Civil PE Review Course - https://civilpereviewcourse.com FE and PE Practice Exams - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/exams Free Facebook Community - https://ceacommunity.com YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPeFLBZ2gk0uO5M9uE2zj0Q Newsletter - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/newsletter Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theceacademy Twitter - https://twitter.com/civilengacad Reach out to Isaac - isaac@civilengineeringacademy.com

Ready for a free master class on post-tensioned (PT) concrete? Today, Michael Hopper, P.E., an Associate Partner at LERA Consulting Structural Engineers, elaborates on his professional experience designing award-winning post-tensioned concrete structures to teach you everything about it. Tune in to Learn: What prestressed concrete is and what makes it different from other structural systems Why pre-tensioned and post-tensioned concrete are both "prestressed concrete" Common applications of pre-tensioned and post-tensioned concrete How pre-tensioning and post-tensioning are achieved The structural and construction benefits of using post-tensioned concrete How void formers and post-tensioning can reduce construction effort and cost How post-tensioned concrete can help you reduce your building skin costs One aspect contributing more to global warming than concrete — and how PT can help When to use grouted and ungrouted post-tension systems What's the SE 2050 Commitment for structural engineering firms? Michael’s #1 advice for young engineers just getting started Out Partners: Built Bar - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/built School of PE - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/sope Resources Mentioned: Michael Hopper, PE - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-hopper-p-e-7b5aa398 LERA Consulting Structural Engineers - https://www.lera.com Columbia Uni Medical Center - https://www.lera.com/medical-education-building-columbia-uni David Rubenstein Forum - https://www.lera.com/rubenstein-forum Novartis Radiation Oncology Research Office Building - https://www.lera.com/novartis ACI - https://www.concrete.org ASCE - https://www.asce.org Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) - https://www.asce.org/sei SE 2050 Commitment - https://se2050.org Penn State University - https://www.psu.edu

Architects are years ahead of civil engineers regarding one crucial aspect of their projects. Today, Sam Lytle, founder of Beyondware, explains what that aspect is and how he’s aiming at closing that gap with Beyond CAD, a software tool for civil engineering projects powered by a video game engine! Tune in to Learn: How Sam Lytle found his way in an area most civil engineers don't even consider What architecture has that civil engineering lacks — and how video games can help Sam's entrepreneurial journey to provide civil engineers with (way) better software tools How Beyond CAD can help civil engineers in transportation and infrastructure One aspect of the civil engineering industry that will change in five years or less How Sam got funding from Epic Games to develop Beyond CAD What it's like to run and scale a company as an engineer by training Should you be a generalist or a specialist? The best, easy-to-use platform to start building your network today How to find what really makes you excited — and make a living out of it Out Partners: PPI - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/ppi Built Bar - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/built Resources Mentioned: Sam Lytle - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samlytle Beyondware Website - https://beyondware.com Beyond CAD Software - http://beyondware.com/beyondcad Beyond Typicals Software - https://beyondware.com/bt Civil FX, a Division of Parametrix - https://www.civilfx.com Distracted Driving Simulator - https://www.civilfx.com/sadd Epic Games - https://www.epicgames.com Epic Game Store - https://store.epicgames.com Epic's MegaGrants - https://www.unrealengine.com/megagrants Unreal Engine - https://www.unrealengine.com University of Nevada, Las Vegas - https://www.unlv.edu Nevada Department of Transportation - https://www.dot.nv.gov Project Neon (Nevada) - http://ndotprojectneon.com American Public Works Association - https://www.apwa.net

Are you preparing for the FE exam…again? You’re not alone! Today’s guest is Brianna Tallas, who passed the exam on her fourth try, years after school. In this episode, she lays out everything she learned along this journey, and how The Ultimate FE Review Course helped her finally get it done. Tune in to Learn: Briannas's journey taking the FE exam four times A little-known benefit of taking a review course — and it's not the course content The factors to consider when choosing the best review course for you What she loved about The Ultimate Civil FE Review Course — and why you will too The simple secret she learned as to correctly prepare for the FE exam Two test-taking strategies to help you manage your time during the exam Are there a lot of Alternative-Item Type (AIT) questions on the FE? Her top two tips for those preparing for this big exam CEA Resources: Website - https://civilengineeringacademy.com The Ultimate Civil FE Review Course - https://civilfereviewcourse.com The Ultimate Civil PE Review Course - https://civilpereviewcourse.com FE and PE Practice Exams - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/exams Free Facebook Community - https://ceacommunity.com YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPeFLBZ2gk0uO5M9uE2zj0Q Newsletter - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/newsletter Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theceacademy Twitter - https://twitter.com/civilengacad Reach out to Isaac - isaac@civilengineeringacademy.com

Everybody can be busy, but what are you actually busy about? Today, you’ll learn how to get into “deep work mode” so you do what moves you forward, instead of only mundane tasks that get you nowhere. And guess what? You need deep work to pass your FE and PE exams. Tune in to Learn: The difference between busy work and deep work The two main things you need to start doing deep work Four strategies to get into "deep work mode" when you're supposed to How to deeply concentrate on the task at hand The role of big goals in getting you to focus Our Partner: Built Bar - https://www.civilengineeringacademy.com/built CEA Resources: Website - https://civilengineeringacademy.com The Ultimate Civil FE Review Course - https://civilfereviewcourse.com The Ultimate Civil PE Review Course - https://civilpereviewcourse.com FE and PE Practice Exams - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/exams Free Facebook Community - https://ceacommunity.com YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPeFLBZ2gk0uO5M9uE2zj0Q Newsletter - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/newsletter Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theceacademy Reach out to Isaac - isaac@civilengineeringacademy.com

The current supply chain crisis is causing a worldwide shortage of goods…and that includes components of construction materials. In this episode, you’ll understand exactly how these issues are affecting your work as a civil engineer, regardless of the discipline you’re in. Tune in to Learn: Today's supply chain issues and how they impact your civil engineering projects How this whole supply chain mess got started Best practices for civil engineers to deal with these issues at their job What civil engineering firms are doing to navigate this situation and stay in business “Here-to-stay” trends in civil engineering that emerged from these supply chain problems Our Partner: School of PE - http://www.civilengineeringacademy.com/sope CEA Resources: Website - https://civilengineeringacademy.com The Ultimate Civil FE Review Course - https://civilfereviewcourse.com The Ultimate Civil PE Review Course - https://civilpereviewcourse.com FE and PE Practice Exams - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/exams FREE Facebook Community - https://ceacommunity.com YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPeFLBZ2gk0uO5M9uE2zj0Q Newsletter - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/newsletter Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theceacademy Reach out to Isaac - isaac@civilengineeringacademy.com

You can expect 10-15 theory questions during each session of your FE or PE exam. The problem? You either know how to answer them or you don’t. So today, Isaac walks you through 12 of these, detailing what you should do in order to be prepared and how to approach them on exam day to give you the best shot at getting them right. Question Topics Covered: Wastewater treatment plant design Open channel flow Concrete construction work Project management Field compaction Soil shear strength Mechanical properties of materials Level of service (LOS) Types of concrete Truss systems In-situ geotech tests Our Partner: Built Bar - https://www.civilengineeringacademy.com/built CEA Resources: Website - https://civilengineeringacademy.com The Ultimate Civil FE Review Course - https://civilfereviewcourse.com The Ultimate Civil PE Review Course - https://civilpereviewcourse.com FE and PE Practice Exams - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/exams 20 Bonus Theory Questions - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/breadth Free Facebook Community - https://ceacommunity.com YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPeFLBZ2gk0uO5M9uE2zj0Q Newsletter - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/newsletter Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theceacademy Reach out to Isaac - isaac@civilengineeringacademy.com

Have you ever got to a point where you sincerely feel like you deserve better pay for the work you do? For the responsibility you take on? And honestly, for the stress, the work inevitably generates? Well, today you’ll learn how to effectively negotiate a higher salary that you’re happy with — whether you think you're good at it or not. Tune in to Learn: The typical career progression as a civil engineer How much of a raise you can expect as you get to each career stage What to consider before negotiating a raise at your current firm Two situations in which you have the most leverage to negotiate a raise Should you accept the first salary offer you're given? How to negotiate a raise when you have a job offer from another company Salary levels and other tips for recent grads getting their first job offer The reason why salary levels will tend to increase in the civil engineering industry The difference in transparency about salaries in public vs private firms Our Partners: PPI - http://www.civilengineeringacademy.com/ppi Built Bar - http://www.civilengineeringacademy.com/built CEA Resources: CEA Website - https://civilengineeringacademy.com The Ultimate Civil FE Review Course - https://civilfereviewcourse.com The Ultimate Civil PE Review Course - https://civilpereviewcourse.com FE and PE Practice Exams - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/exams FREE Facebook Community - https://ceacommunity.com YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPeFLBZ2gk0uO5M9uE2zj0Q Newsletter - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/newsletter Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theceacademy Reach out to Isaac - isaac@civilengineeringacademy.com Resources Mentioned: Indeed - https://indeed.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com Glassdoor - https://www.glassdoor.com

If there’s one important document about professional engineering licensure, you’ve just found it. Today, we’ll walk you through the NCEES 2021 Annual Report, highlighting what you should know related to getting and maintaining your license. Tune in to Learn: An overview of NCEES's operations and numbers in the year of 2020-2021 The importance of protecting professional licensure — and why How a NCEES account helps you keep track of your continuing education (for FREE) How many people took the Civil PE and FE Exams in 2020-2021 Two international mobility agreements for engineering professionals Where foreign students and engineers can take the PE and FE exams outside the US Credential evaluation services for international applicants to meet US requirements NCES’s outreach activities to promote engineering careers to younger people Our Partner: Built Bar - https://www.civilengineeringacademy.com/built CEA Resources: CEA Website - https://civilengineeringacademy.com The Ultimate Civil FE Review Course - https://civilfereviewcourse.com The Ultimate Civil PE Review Course - https://civilpereviewcourse.com CEA FE and PE Practice Exams - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/exams CEA Free Facebook Community - https://ceacommunity.com CEA YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPeFLBZ2gk0uO5M9uE2zj0Q CEA Newsletter - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/newsletter CEA Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theceacademy Reach out to Isaac - isaac@civilengineeringacademy.com Resources Mentioned: NCEES Annual Report - https://ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/Annual-report-2021_web.pdf Advance: An NCEES Podcast Series - https://ncees.org/podcast CEA Podcast #51 with Tim Miller - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/cea51 Engineers Without Borders - https://www.ewb-usa.org McKinley Advisors - https://www.mckinley-advisors.com

Today, you’ll learn from Richard Racz, the man behind the Kestävä Youtube channel. Rich is a licensed civil engineer creating videos on structural engineering based on real-world examples and sharing best practices to pass your PE exam and skyrocket your career. Tune in to Learn: How failing to get into his top school picks led Rich to the “best decision of his life” Whether or not to get a Master's degree (and how to go about it if you want it) Educational experience vs professional experience The importance of the SE license for structural engineering folks How to (correctly) go about studying for your FE and PE exams The #1 thing young engineers should do — and why other engineers hope they do it The difference between multidisciplinary and consulting engineering firms What Lean Design is and how it works in civil engineering projects What it is and how to apply the Kaizen Method for more efficiency Our Partners: Built Bar - https://www.civilengineeringacademy.com/built School of PE - https://www.civilengineeringacademy.com/sope Resources Mentioned: Kestävä Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNHiPdtZhwVKUSeCyAhF5zQ Richard's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rkz University of Massachusetts, Amherst - https://www.umass.edu McKenzie - https://mackenzie.inc CEA Resources: CEA Website - https://civilengineeringacademy.com The Ultimate Civil FE Review Course - https://civilfereviewcourse.com The Ultimate Civil PE Review Course - https://civilpereviewcourse.com CEA FE and PE Practice Exams - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/exams CEA Free Facebook Community - https://ceacommunity.com CEA YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPeFLBZ2gk0uO5M9uE2zj0Q CEA Newsletter - https://civilengineeringacademy.com/newsletter CEA Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theceacademy Reach out to Isaac - isaac@civilengineeringacademy.com