Structural analysis

Post Reply New Topic

Hey

I have allways been interesting in structural analysis, mechanics and math. But during my time in university I had a nervous breakdown. For some months now I have tought that maybe engineering wasn't for me. I have contempleated studying something else, but nothing catches my interest like mechanics, nothing.

However I am worrying about if I should get back to my engineering degree or not. Financially it isn't a problem, the state will now support me now(AS), and universities are free in my country. But I need to find out if it is worth it. I mean, if I can work with it when I am done.

So I am wondering if anyone here works with structural analysis, finite element method, stress-caclulations, basically mechanical calculations. How is the day to day job? Do you like it, is it stressful, is it fulfilling?

I think my main problem is that I love the theory behind structural analysis, the math and the physics, I love learning about it, and mostly I love calculating. But I don't know how engineers work with it in the working place. If I will be able to work with it on a practical level. How much of the work is doing calculations, and what other work is done?

Structural analysis is the bedrock of civil engineering. You do some SA in mechanical engineering but its mostly civil engineering.

You must be able to prove that it will stand and withstand the dead and live loads required. There are hundreds of great jobs of you enjoy doing FEA, and it makes it easier to get in the door if you can prove that you are proficient in that field.

I use structural analysis a little and do finite element analysis at my job and I'm a mechanical engineer. In fact, once people find out I'm good at that, they ask me to do it quite a bit, because lots of people don't actually like doing the calculation/theory part of it all. Civil engineers probably use it more, but in mechanical applications parts have forces on them that need to be modeled. An examples of things I do are trying to make a product cost less, so I'd do FEA to see where there is extra material that could be removed, or if a product breaks in the field, I might do FEA to figure out alternative designs that might solve the problem, so my company doesn't have to actually make a lot of different versions of expensive parts to try out.

Like you, I like calculus much more than it's practical applications. It can be hard to find an engineering job that fits your tastes, but it can be done. For me the trick was to get out of a manufacturing plant and get into a design/research role.