Show Notes
Today’s newsletter features the flocode podcast. I’m still figuring it all out so please bear with me. If you would prefer to read rather than listen, the article below contains mostly the same content as the audio version, with the exception of a few additional tangents exclusive to the podcast. This discussion (with myself) highlights the similarities between problem-solving in engineering and coding, focusing on efficient, iterative, and pragmatic approaches. It advocates for simplicity and continuous learning, underscoring the value of interdisciplinary insights in engineering problem-solving. These are my opinions based on my own experiences so take it easy. Some of the books I mentioned: * The Pragmatic Programmer by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas Goodreads Link * Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship by Robert C. Martin Goodreads Link * The Lean Startup by Eric Ries Goodreads Link * Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down by J.E. Gordon Goodreads Link * The Feynman Lectures on Physics by Richard P. Feynman Goodreads Link Thoughts on the podcast? I have a rough plan for many topics I plan to cover in these episodes but the main goal is to enjoy the process. Please let me know if you have suggestions/feedback or requests for topics. I want the Flocode Project to become a collaborative community of engineers growing together and sharing ideas and perspectives. Pull no punches, assassinate me. See you in the next one 👊 James 🌊 Problem-Solving: A Practical Methodology for Engineers This guide is crafted for anyone out there navigating the complexities of modern engineering problems and seeking insights that transcend the usual boilerplate stuff. It's a weird amalgamation of lessons learned thus far on my engineering journey. The aim is not to prescribe an infallible method or to diminish the tried-and-true practices honed over years of collective experience. Rather, it's to share a collection of principles that have proven their worth in my own personal and professional growth. This is a delicate topic. Engineers by definition solve problems so far be it from me to tell other engineers how they should go about their business. I would likely have the same success rate as if were to ask my wife to ‘calm down’. Readers should consider this post as a peer's perspective, offered with humility, acknowledging the vast ocean of wisdom that the engineering community has accumulated and continues to build upon. Every project has its unique context and constraints, and this post is not a one-size-fits-all solution but a starting point for reflection and, perhaps, discussion. Programming Principles in Engineering At the intersection of engineering and programming best practices lies a shared commitment to precision, and efficiency. Both disciplines involve constructing systems—be they of concrete, steel or code—that must perform reliably under various conditions. This guide explores how the methodical approach inherent in software development, with its emphasis on clean, maintainable code, parallels the planning and execution required in structural engineering. The value of pragmatic and efficient problem-solving cannot be overstated. It is the engine driving projects to completion on time and within budget, ensuring that structures not only stand but endure with minimal need for intervention. Efficiency in engineering translates directly into cost savings, safety, and longevity of structures, reflecting the same principles that guide the creation of robust and scalable software. While pragmatism is a widely acknowledged virtue in engineering, its practical application is more challenging than it appears. It requires a disciplined adherence to simplicity and functionality, resisting the allure of over-complication, and focusing on what truly works within the constraints of the project. Framing the Problem Every project begins by confronting a problem that demands a solution. To clearly define the problem, engineers mu
More from Flocode: Engineering Insights 🌊
This episode’s guest is Tim Rawling, a Founder at CalcTree, a calculation management platform now about four years old. He was on the podcast a couple of years ago, not long after he started there, when the product was positioned as calculation tool that had interesting collaboration and management capabilities. Here we are, two years later and he’s covered a lot of ground since then. Tim is based in Australia and spends a lot of time talking to global engineering firms about the same set of problems. He is also still on the tools, pushing code and testing workflows, which makes this a worthwhile conversation. We are working on adjacent problems from different directions, and it’s fascinating to explore how we are all riding these waves of innovation and change together. CalcTree sits somewhere between Notion and Mathcad. Pages are markdown, calculations run on MathJS with native unit arithmetic, and there is a Python engine behind the page for anything the calculation library does not cover. Multiple people can work the same page live. The AI layer builds calculations, reviews them, and reads from a vectorized workspace knowledge base so it produces work in the context of your own standards and checklists. Before the call I sent Tim two unlabeled datasets and a Python script with no context. In the episode he turns that into a run-of-river hydro report on the platform, pretty cool. Other ground covered: * Adopting a tool like this and making decisions with so many options * Model selection inside the platform, and how effort and thinking settings trade against a monthly token allowance * The billable hours problem. If the work takes less time, what happens to the fee. * Linked references, so a reviewer can click a code clause in a calculation and land on the actual table with its surrounding context rather than a screenshot * The dependency graph view, and what it’s for * Quality assurance and control. I recommend subscribers take a look for themselves, CalcTree is a powerful platform and full of useful features for team-based engineering work. There is a generous free tier with access to the built-in template library, which contains around a hundred calculations across Australian, US and European codes. Tim like the GLM models, GLM 5.3 has recently released and I think it’s a great model too. Worth checking out on Fireworks. Great to speak with Tim, as always. See you in the next one.James 🌊
Welcome back to another episode of the Flocode Podcast! Today, we're kicking off 2025 with a deep dive into open-source tools for structural engineering. Our guest is Morten Engen, a civil engineer at Multiconsult and Adjunct Associate Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Morten is the lead developer of Structural Codes, an open-source Python library which paves a new path for how engineers approach capacity based design. This episode is a live, hands-on demonstration, almost like a webinar, where Morten walks us through Structuralcodes, complete with practical coding examples and insights. Whether you're a seasoned python programmer or just getting started, you'll gain valuable knowledge about bridging engineering, coding and how our design codes are shaped. Show Notes: * Episode Highlights: * Welcome to the Flocode Podcast and introductions. * About Dr. Morten Engen: career journey and academic background. * What is Structural Codes, and why was it developed? * An overview of the library: focusing on Eurocode 2 and reinforced concrete. * Challenges and inspirations in maintaining an open-source capacity tool. * Practical workflows: integrating Structural Codes with engineering tools like FEM software. * Live coding walkthrough: setting up and using Structural Codes. * Expanding to other codes like ACI and Canadian standards. * Modular architecture and customization for unique engineering needs. * Encouraging community contributions and future plans for Structural Codes. * Key Links: * Structural Codes Documentation * GitHub Repository for Structural Codes (Star it, fork it, provide feedback and commentary!) * FIB Model Code Information * Connect with Morten Engen on LinkedIn I really appreciate Morten’s efforts in leading the structuralcodes project. It’s a fantastic contribution to our industry and I hope that Flocode listeners investigate it, use it and ultimately help to shape it with practical feedback and suggestions. This is my own personal intent as well. I am working toward implementing aspects of ACI 318-19 and CSA A23.3. If anybody is interested in helping with this, get in touch. Thanks to Morten for sharing his excellent work and thank you all for your time and attention. See you in the next one. James 🌊
Hello everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Flocode Podcast! Today, I’m joined by Peter Debney, a chartered structural engineer with over 35 years of experience in both engineering practice and engineering software development. Peter has worked extensively with Arup as part of their Oasys software team, contributing to some of the most advanced solutions for finite element analysis (FEA), structural design, and crowd simulation. Peter is also the author of one of my favorite engineering books, ‘Computational engineering’. It’s the first engineering book that I’ve read in a long time that made me smile. Full of practical advice and ‘engineeringisms’ that help you think more clearly. I read it on my phone during my daily commute over a few weeks. Loved it. IStructE Online Store | Peter Debney - Computational engineering Topics Covered in ‘Computational engineering’: * Design (including parametric design) * Modelling (and its problems) * Analysis (basics and methods/linear, nonlinear, and dynamic) * Optimization * AI and machine learning * The future of engineering software I highly recommend Peter’s book to all structural engineers. It’s full of invaluable advice and insights on how to think critically about engineering and approach problems in the most practical way, and not just in relation to computational design. I wish there were more books like it. We dive into some of these topics today, but we'll also be discussing Peter's career journey, how he transitioned from traditional structural engineering to becoming a domain expert in computational design, and his involvement with the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), where he’s currently the Chair of the Yorkshire Regional Group and a member of the Digital Workflows and Computational Design Panel. We talk about the increasing role of automation, machine learning, and AI in engineering workflows, and how computational tools are shaping the future of the industry. Peter shares his insights on avoiding common pitfalls in FEA models and the benefits of understanding structural behavior before relying on software. We explore the mindset required for modern engineers to succeed in a world that increasingly relies on computational approaches. Peter offers great advice for young engineers on how to approach computational design, mastering problem-solving techniques, and even how learning a musical instrument can improve your understanding of dynamics in structural engineering. Links to items discussed: * Sydney Opera House 50 years on (A great read) * Confessions of a Computational Engineer (Peter’s talk for IStructE on his career path) * https://www.oasys-software.com/ (Oasys Structural Software) I also want to acknowledge Peter's inspiring journey. He has overcome significant personal challenges, including dyslexia and speech barriers, and has become a powerful advocate for progression and adaptive approaches to neurodiversity in our profession. Another great discussion with a fascinating character. These podcasts are a lot of fun and I appreciate the kind words from everybody, wherever you are on the planet. I loved Peter’s book. It reminded me of the great ‘Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down’ by JE Gordon. Another great read and one that Peter noted as an inspiration. I always welcome recommendations for new books, please comment below with your suggestions. See you in the next one! James 🌊
Hi all 👋, Welcome back. Today I’m speaking to my friend, Connor Ferster. Connor has been operating in the Python for Engineering space for a few years now and has become a leading voice. He is the founder of StructuralPython. He is the author of the highly regarded StructuralPython course, which teaches engineers practical, Python-based solutions to streamline workflows and address real-world challenges in structural design. His next project, Engineering Automator, digs into engineering automation, guiding engineers on integrating custom Python solutions into their specific work environments for optimal efficiency and giving you a chance to maintain your sanity amidst the ever-increasing demands of the industry. In this episode, we discuss: * Engineering toolkits and workflow automation * Python for complex structural calculations * Open-source tools in structural engineering * Educational gaps in engineering with Python Connor is also a key contributor to the open-source engineering community. His python libraries, handcalcs and forallpeople, are popular engineering tools. * handcalcs renders LaTeX math expressions in a way that mirrors traditional handwritten math (like MathCad). * forallpeople is a robust units management library simplifying the complexity of unit conversions. These open-source projects not only demonstrate his technical approach but highlight his dedication to making engineering tools more accessible to everyone. He’s an open book, pushing things forward. That’s what it’s all about. Connor also contributes to the development of Pynite, an open-source structural analysis library led by Craig Brinck. Listen to episode on Pynite here 🔗🎙. Connor is helping to formalize and drive consistency in Pynite, making it even more accessible and reliable to structural engineers worldwide. Recently, he left his position at RJC Engineering here in Vancouver to focus on StructuralPython full-time, and I’m excited to see what new ideas, courses, and tools he’ll come up with, given the extra bandwidth. Check out his recent series of interviews with engineers who have used Python to create their own workflow solutions. It’s always a pleasure to speak with him and I hope our listeners take a closer look at his work and upcoming Engineering Automator course, his waitlist is currently open. You can also go to https://engtoolkit.com to get your free: * PDF framework for building your own automated engineering toolkit * Links for Connor’s full, unlisted, video interviews Connor is always welcome on this podcast, and I look forward to following his journey in the years to come. See you in the next one. James 🌊
Welcome back to another episode of the Flocode Engineering Insights Podcast. Today, I’m speaking with Liam Brannigan. Liam is an experienced data scientist, fellow Irishman, and the creator of an excellent course on Polars, one of Python’s fastest-growing data manipulation libraries. Liam is also a contributor to Polars fantastic documentation. In this episode, we’ll be taking a bird’s-eye view of the data science landscape and exploring how it can benefit practicing engineers. Liam brings excellent insights from his diverse career across multiple domains, spanning everything from finance to oceanography and now, data engineering. * Check out Liam’s course here: Data Analysis with Polars * I have taken Liam’s course on Polars, it’s concise, clear and easy to implement. While I still use Pandas, I am using Polars more and more as my data sets increase in size and fidelity and as I gain comfort in the methods. It’s very similar to Pandas, the transition is pretty smooth for the most part - will talk about this in more detail soon. * Follow Liam on LinkedIn. We dive into why data science is becoming more important for modern engineers, the advantages of using tools like Polars and Pandas, and how these technologies can improve workflows, boost efficiency, and handle larger datasets more effectively than traditional tools like Excel. I had a great chat with Liam, because of this broad background he is uniquely positioned to understand the pros and cons of data engineering principles in a civil/structural engineering context. There’s a lot of great information in this episode. Huge thanks to Liam for coming on the podcast, really enjoyed it. See you in the next one! James 🌊