Platoon Bejer

BS Civil Engineering
Technological Institute of the Philippines - Manila
Second Semester SY 2021-2022

Self-Assessment and Improvements (Week 1: January 31 – February 5)

Mastery of the structural analysis, design, and detailing of structural elements is an integral
component of Structural Engineering. As a Civil Engineering student, it is my duty to perform these activities
and ensure that my design passed the strength and serviceability requirements of the National Structural
Code of the Philippines. It is to ensure that the structure will be strong enough to withstand occupancy loads
and environmental loads present during its lifetime, as well as keep my clients comfortable and safe. To do
so, I enrolled in two (2) training programs that will give me the basic knowledge I need to perform the duty of
a Structural Engineer in structural detailing, namely: Structural Detailing of Reinforced Concrete Structures
and Structural Detailing of Steel Structures and Joint connections by Xstructures Training. Moreover, I am
having difficulties finding companies that accepts Work-from-Home On-the-Job trainees. Because of this, I
am preparing myself to design a 2-storey residential building that TIP’s Alternative OJT Program offers.

For three weeks, I have been looking for a company in which I can enhance my skills and knowledge
as their trainee or intern. However, because of the work-from-home requirement of the OJT program,
construction companies and engineering firms cannot fully train the student and utilize their skills for their
company. Unlike computer-related programs, Civil Engineering requires on-site presence and knowledge.
Hence, one of the companies I asked said that they stopped accepting interns since the online setup began.
Alternatively, TIP proposed to train its Civil Engineering students through a design project of a 2-storey
residential building. With it, they can still gain, practice, and enhance their knowledge in structural
engineering. Since I do not have a company to train in yet, I searched for construction and engineering design
companies that provide workshops, webinars, and training for structural design. Although I have the basic
knowledge of reinforced concrete design, prestressed concrete design, steel design, and foundation design
from my past courses, I still need to learn structural detailing as it is not included in the Civil Engineering
curriculum. I eventually found Xstructures and its courses, from which I enrolled two (2) structural detailing
workshops. However, it was cancelled due to the trainer being contracted with the Covid-19 virus. To
compromise, Xstructures instead presented a record of the similar workshops from 2021 and said that they
will conduct the live training on a later date. Regardless, I still learned from the workshop, from conducting
structural detailing to using STAAD and RAM Concept. On the next day, January 5, Real Excellence Online
conducted a Rebar Detailing webinar using Autodesk Revit. With it being aligned with what I have learned
from Xstructures, I attended. Now, I am more confident to face the alternative OJT program and design a 2-
storey residential building. I can also use the knowledge and skills I gained from these workshops in my
Capstone project, a 10-storey mixed-use development building.

To conclude, I learned a lot from the workshops I attended. They may have cost me my allowance,
but the knowledge and skills I gained from them is priceless. I can use them for my OJT, Capstone, and
future profession. Whether or not I have a company to work in for my OJT, I am now more prepared to
perform the alternative OJT program. Now, even though I know that I still have so much to learn and discover,
I feel more equipped as a Civil Engineering student to venture in both Construction and Structural
Engineering.