“Kinda / Sorta” Structural Engineers

Do you prefer a “kinda/sorta” or a “real” Structural Engineer to approve your Foundation Repairs?

You wouldn’t allow a dentist to operate on your eyes, would you? Structural Engineering is one of the many branches of Engineering, some of which include Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, etc. Letting an Engineer other than a Structural Engineer check your house foundation structural integrity or sign off on foundation repairs is similar to having a dentist work on your eyes – or a foot doctor performing your heart surgery.

The wrong kind of engineer looking at your house foundation and giving recommendations is a more common problem than you think. Perhaps this is why many foundation repairs don’t work, because some of these engineers approve things that don’t meet the building code. The difference between the types of engineers is in their formal education, training or experience, and examinations.

Education wise, students decide what kind of engineers to become early on because after graduation it is usually too late. Structural Engineers learn about concrete, rebar, foundation design, steel design, walls, floor, roof design, retaining wall design, etc. Civil Engineers learn about topography, surveying, water drainage, roadway/highway design, etc. Mechanical Engineers learn about engines, air conditioners, pumps, etc.

After or just before graduation, the State of Texas requires each soon-to-be engineer to pass the Fundamental of Engineering (FE) Exam. While some of the basics of general engineering are tested, each major field of engineering has a specific exam.

After passing the FE exam, candidates gain experience for at least 4 yrs before they take the Professional Engineering (PE) Exam. The PE exam is highly specialized, with the Structural Engineering Exam asking nothing but structural engineering questions. The mechanical engineering exam asks nothing but mechanical engineering questions, etc.

Loophole #1

A well known loophole in the Texas law allows engineers to take some exams that don’t match the experience they claim to have. For example, historically, the pass rate for the Structural Engineering PE exam has been about 20%. However, the pass rate for the Civil Engineering Exam has been about 65%.

This means that passing the Civil PE Exam is easier than passing the Structural PE exam. That is why many engineers who can’t pass the Structural PE exam end up taking the Civil PE Exam and then practice Structural Engineering. The same is true for other branches. Some Engineers end up taking the Mechanical Engineering exam, and when they pass, they also start doing civil engineering.

You will be surprised to know that many of the Engineering Companies providing foundation repair services are either civil, mechanical, or electrical engineers. A full roster is available at the TBPE website.

Shouldn’t there be a law against this? There is. The Board of Professional Engineers (TBPE) investigates any engineer who is practicing outside his area of expertise. When you pass the PE exam, TBPE gives you a designator, such as “STR” for Structural or “CIV” for civil, or “MEC” for mechanical. If TBPE has you listed as a CIV but that engineer does structural work, then that engineer is practicing outside his area of expertise. An engineer practicing outside his area of expertise is like speeding down the highway, if there aren’t any police around, they won’t get caught.

Loophole #2 (this is a Big One)

There’s sadly another loophole. Some Engineers have already been caught by TBPE and slapped on their wrists. TBPE allows Engineers to avoid taking a Second Exam if the Engineer can find another engineer who attests to the first engineer’s experience in a particular field.

For example, if you’re a mechanical engineer the TBPE will give you a MEC designator next to your name. If you want to be added as a Structural Engineer and avoid taking a very difficult exam, then all you have to do is find a friend PE (or hire a PE) that will say that they know you have been doing structural engineering (it doesn’t matter that you’ve been doing it right or wrong) and TPBE will add you as a STR just by taking that other PE’s word for it. We suspect some engineers have done this. In fact, many Foundation Repair Companies in Texas have work approved by such kind of Engineers.

So, do you want a foundation repair company that uses a “kinda/sorta” Structural Engineer or a “real” Structural Engineer to approve the foundation repairs to your home?

We wish to thank A-1 Engineering for assisting us with some of the technical issues involved in this blog article.