01.26
Are you a 99 percenter?
I would assume most engineers are in the 99% economic category but what I am talking about is being in the 99% of bridge designers. Meaning, for the most part, we design bread and butter bridges. We are not the ones designing the cable stayed, suspension, glass, arched, one of a kind bridges, those designs fall to the 1% crowd. Our designs would fall in the “practical” category.
This is not a bad thing, unlike the income inequality thing (liberal bias showing), but it is interesting that we have heroes like other professions. Would Calatrava be our Gehry? Would Christian Menn be our Beckham? (Maybe I should show up at work covered in white paint to show my support for Calatrava!)
What do you think, does looking up at the pinnacle projects and designers inspire you or do they make you feel a little inadequate? (I have to say I sometimes look at the cool projects with a wistful smile.)
On a side note.
Hey HP, Mark, David……how about combining forces on a “super” bridge blog? You can add posts anytime you would like on any subject? I think we could rule the bridge blog world…….just a thought.
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I’m a bridge guy, and I’m tall, but I’d like to keep my own blog, it’s enough of a struggle keeping that going right now!
Re heroes like Calatrava, I do see them as aspirational, but it’s certainly the case that 99% of bridge engineers never get the chance to “stretch their legs” on a spectacular design. I’ve designed several bridges I’m quite proud of, but I’m always looking for other opportunities to do something out of the ordinary. My experience is that persistence pays off. I’m also keen that younger engineers have examples of structural excellence that they feel they can aspire to too.
Hi HP, I did not mean you had to join my blog, I thought we all could start a new site! Sort of a bridge superstore with four times the posts.
As to the 99%, I also love the cool bridges currently beyond my grasp. It gives more something to strive towards but I also have to say they can make me feel inadequate.
TBG,
Me too – I’m a tall, and a bridge guy too. I will continue to send you stuff for your TBG blog that I consider of possible interest to your readers whenever I find it. I think that your blog is great and I enjoy the dialogue that you allow. Keep it up!
As for the run-of-the-mill bridges, they are 99% of what everyone uses everyday. Just like a correctly functioning & clean fresh water supply or the sewerage system they are unseen and not thought of but we would really be in the deep-you-know-what if they weren’t there, or if they were to collapse. Like HP I’ve done my share of “minor structures” or boring jobs that other people didn’t want to do but I enjoyed doing the best job I could, particularly if I was able to see the structure in use. The devil is in the details, you learn on each project no matter how small, and you can personally feel a sense of achievement even if you never get any plaudits.