THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN EDUCATION AND PRACTICE OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character -that is the goal of true education“-American activist and civil rights leader, Mr. Martin Luther King Jr.        

INTRODUCTION

Many practicing engineers feel that the young engineers passing out of engineering colleges are not technically competent, and do not possess engineering judgment or intuition, and these deficiencies could manifest through poor designs leading to structural failures and collapses.  Today’s structural engineer has to follow building codes and design guidelines that are voluminous and more complex than the codes of yesteryears. Still complicating this problem is the explosion of information. The engineer is faced with more information than 100, 50, or even 5 years ago. For example, the engineer has to know different materials like different types of steel and concrete, wood products, aluminium and structural glass, computer tools like the finite element analysis, building information modeling, Non-linear and dynamic analysis methods, and new design paradigms like durability, sustainability, life cycle analysis, etc.

Structural engineers should have a clear understanding of the behavior of structures and structural elements to design them properly. They should be in a position to check the “accurate results” produced by the computer by using some approximate, “back of the envelope” calculations. Even the lateral load analysis of multi-story buildings can be checked by using the portal or cantilever method of frame analysis. The author had on many occasions conducted a small test to design aspirants, to check their understanding of the behaviour of structures. This test is reproduced in Figure 1. Unfortunately, many engineers (irrespective of their degree) were not able to solve most of the problems. The students who fared well were from IITs or Regional Engineering colleges. Many aspirants were not able to draw the deflection diagram properly, which is very important in reinforced concrete structures, as we have to reinforce the locations that are under tension. Many of them did not have a proper understanding of stability or constructability.

Lack of understanding of the structural behavior may lead to catastrophic failures; an example of this is briefly described below. On 31st March 2016, a segment of flyover in Kolkata which was under construction collapsed suddenly causing the death of 26 people, and injuring more than 80 people severely (see Fig. 2a). The close-up photographs of the collapsed cantilever girders clearly show some unconventional connection details of the cantilever girders to the vertical Pier 40(C) supporting them (see Fig. 2b and 2c). The continuity of the cantilever girders, which are made of box section, was provided only through the top flange of the girders and four small beams placed below it. Otherwise, there are no connections between the pier and the girders at the vertical faces by way of seating or web cleats at the face of the pier to support the girders and to resist vertical shear from the girders. This is certainly a bizarre way of doing the connection details, which shows a lack of involvement of a qualified structural engineer on this job (Prabhakar and Subramanian, 2017).

 Similarly, the failure of a pedestrian over-bridge at the Commonwealth Games that collapsed near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, and the simple detailing problem, which failed the Metro Over-bridge at New Delhi, outline the importance of proper training to be given to our structural engineers.

 CURRENT STATUS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Many practicing engineers feel that the young engineers passing out of engineering colleges are not technically competent, and do not possess engineering judgment or intuition, and these deficiencies could manifest through poor designs leading to structural failures and collapses.  Today’s structural engineer has to follow building codes and design guidelines that are voluminous and more complex than the codes of yesteryears. Still complicating this problem is the explosion of information. The engineer is faced with more information than 100, 50, or even 5 years ago. For example, the engineer has to know different materials like different types of steel and concrete, wood products, aluminium and structural glass, computer tools like the finite element analysis, building information modeling, Non-linear and dynamic analysis methods, and new design paradigms like durability, sustainability, life cycle analysis, etc.

Structural engineers should have a clear understanding of the behavior of structures and structural elements to design them properly. They should be in a position to check the “accurate results” produced by the computer by using some approximate, “back of the envelope” calculations. Even the lateral load analysis of multi-story buildings can be checked by using the portal or cantilever method of frame analysis. The author had on many occasions conducted a small test to design aspirants, to check their understanding of the behaviour of structures. This test is reproduced in Figure 1. Unfortunately, many engineers (irrespective of their degree) were not able to solve most of the problems. The students who fared well were from IITs or Regional Engineering colleges. Many aspirants were not able to draw the deflection diagram properly, which is very important in reinforced concrete structures, as we have to reinforce the locations that are under tension. Many of them did not have a proper understanding of stability or constructability.

Lack of understanding of the structural behavior may lead to catastrophic failures; an example of this is briefly described below. On 31st March 2016, a segment of flyover in Kolkata which was under construction collapsed suddenly causing the death of 26 people, and injuring more than 80 people severely (see Fig. 2a). The close-up photographs of the collapsed cantilever girders clearly show some unconventional connection details of the cantilever girders to the vertical Pier 40(C) supporting them (see Fig. 2b and 2c). The continuity of the cantilever girders, which are made of box section, was provided only through the top flange of the girders and four small beams placed below it. Otherwise, there are no connections between the pier and the girders at the vertical faces by way of seating or web cleats at the face of the pier to support the girders and to resist vertical shear from the girders. This is certainly a bizarre way of doing the connection details, which shows a lack of involvement of a qualified structural engineer on this job (Prabhakar and Subramanian, 2017).

 Similarly, the failure of a pedestrian over-bridge at the Commonwealth Games that collapsed near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, and the simple detailing problem which failed the Metro Over-bridge at New Delhi, outline the importance of proper training to be given to our structural engineers.

 CURRENT STATUS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION

In 1947, when India became independent, there were 36 institutions for first-degree engineering education, with an annual intake of about 2500 students. During the past 25 years, several hundred engineering colleges were opened throughout our country. In the academic year 2017-2018, there are about 4800 AICTE-approved institutes in India (Tamil Nadu alone has 944 colleges), offering B.Tech./B.E., M.Tech./M.E., and Ph.D. degrees in multiple specializations. Most of these engineering colleges were started by politicians or those who have contacts with politicians. Most of these colleges, as well as private universities, were all started with the main objective of doing profitable business, though there may be a few exceptions like the Vellore Institute of Technology, which even received the status of Institution of Eminence from the University Grants Commission (UGC) recently. Naturally, these colleges collect large sums of money as a capitation fee (which is beyond the means of the majority of the population), and select students who may not even have the required marks. Unfortunately, several parents mortgage whatever property or jewelry they may have and put their wards in these colleges, with the hope that their children will get a decent job. Only after their children finish the course and get their ‘paper’ degree, do they realize that the job their children get will not cover even 10% of their investment. It is the mistake of Indian policy makers, who have allowed such a large number of colleges without considering the availability and demand scenario for these engineers, and also compromised merit in higher education and technical jobs. Instead, they opened Pandora’s Box of reservation (Jain, 2020).  

It may be surprising to note that even in the IITs, the system of education has changed considerably.  Prof. Ashok K. Jain, 2020, has compared the older course structure in Civil Engineering during 1986-74 (University of Roorkee) with the current structure in 2016 (Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee) and found the following:

• The contact hours per week in the older system were in the range of 35-38 hours, against 24-28 hours in the current system.
• The two-hour duration tutorials in the older system have been reduced to one hour in the current system due to a reduction in contact hours.
• There was a very rigorous teaching scheme, especially for Structural Engineering subjects in the older system, with very strong emphasis on design, with 2×2 hours tutorials per week. In the current system, not only the number of structural engineering courses but also the duration of tutorials has been reduced.
• In the older system, the ratio of term-end examination to that of the sessional marks was 2:1, whereas in the current system it is 1:1.
• Electives: The educationists vigorously argued that electives were not made available in the older system, and the students were not given freedom to pursue their passions. Though electives have been introduced now, the students do not know how to select them based on how the electives will be useful to them in the future.  The policymakers assumed that students have the capacity to select electives. In reality, the students select their electives by discussing them with their seniors and based on the following criteria: a very lenient teacher, who conducts fewer classes, gives full attendance, assigns minimum homework, and awards the highest grades. Strangely, the subjects chosen by them may or may not have any correlation with the other subjects that are studied by the students.
• IIT Roorkee had an excellent library and online resource facility with high-speed internet in departments as well as hostels. But the statistics showed that they were not used effectively. This is a matter of grave concern.
• Any act of plagiarism or cheating in an examination was taken very seriously in the older system. It is not so in the new system; it is now possible that a student with only 10% marks will get a pass. Earlier, the seating arrangement during the term-end examination was a serious matter, whereas now a student can sit anywhere in a room. Now, due to the interference of politicians, bureaucrats, courts, or the threat to commit suicide or ‘gherao’ by the students, the academic integrity is open to question.
• Now, if any teacher reports any case of short attendance or awards an ‘F’ grade to any student(s) due to his/her poor performance, the teacher is blamed, humiliated, and left to face the situation alone. The whole administration stands with the student(s) to gain cheap popularity. Cheating in examinations, tutorials, and final year projects is a new normal in the new system.
• Lastly, now there is an anonymous student’s feedback form for the teacher for each course and in each semester. It has empowered the students with the most lethal weapon. If any sincere teacher does teaching, evaluation, and examination work honestly and sincerely, there is a possibility that the teacher will be punished by the student by awarding zero on all counts. The students can also write some nasty comments. The administration uses these forms selectively to harass teachers.

 Earlier, there were sufficient checks and balances, but they are not effective anymore, even in the IIT system. These things have created a crisis of academic as well as administrative integrity, and the quality of education has suffered considerably (Jain, 2020).

Many students simply join any branch of engineering offered to them, because of their mentality to join Information Technology (IT) jobs after they finish their degree. It is because the IT companies are not particular in offering jobs to IT degree holders, but take any degree holder and give them training. Due to this attitude of students and IT companies, the quality of students in all other major branches of engineering suffers.

ENGINEERING CURRICULUM

The present system of engineering curriculum gives more importance to theory. There is no time provided in the curriculum for the students to visit construction sites/testing laboratories/ fabrication shops / aggregate crushing plants/landmark structures, and failure sites. The students do not have the opportunity to prepare ‘models’ of structures. Probably no college has any plans to impart such live education to make a ‘Complete-Structural Engineer’ (Buch, 2010). Moreover, practical training is a very important aspect of the curriculum, and students should take it seriously. More site visits and interaction with professionals will enable a better concept of the construction process and will familiarize students with the latest practices (Patel, 2010). Seminars and project work in advanced and interdisciplinary areas will broaden the students’ knowledge about the civil engineering field. The involvement of students in on-site training strengthens their understanding of various construction activities (Patel, 2010). Students should learn about various types of disasters and about the behaviour of various structures during earthquakes, tsunamis, and cyclones. With the increase in terrorist attacks, students should also be aware of the blast-resistant features of structures (Patel, 2010).

 As per the recent earthquake code, more than 65% of the country is shown as a seismic zone. Still, the subject of Earthquake Engineering is not offered in many colleges at the B.Tech. level. Most of the Master’s level courses in structural engineering do have some coverage of structural dynamics, but hardly any coverage of earthquake engineering (Jain and Sheth, 2002). It is disheartening to note that a few private colleges offering Master’s level courses, eliminated subjects such as stability, dynamics, and plates and shells, as they involve mathematics and they do not have teachers to teach them. Most colleges do not even have the subject of concrete technology in their syllabus at the bachelor’s level, even though most of the construction in India is involved with concrete and reinforced concrete.

 Though the field of civil engineering is vast and innovations are taking place rapidly, the 5-year course was reduced to a four-year course, even though the Architecture course is still in the 5-year format. It is high time that a one-year practical training is introduced at the Bachelor’s level. Fresh students do not have communication skills (preparation of well-written reports or effective presentation of the job done is very important for the success of engineers in their professional life). It has been found that the students seek outside agencies and pay them to write their final year project report! Many colleges do not stock important reference books, as they are expensive.

In this connection, it is interesting to note that the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), jointly with the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), conducts an annual steel bridge design competition. This competition involves the construction of a small-scale model of a real bridge, based on actual calculations, design, fabrication, and finally testing it. Such a practice, allows the students to execute their own design and observe its performance, thus giving them a learning process (see Fig. 3). In addition, a panel of judges consisting of professors and consulting engineers observe the testing and judge each bridge based on: appearance, construction speed, constructability, lightness (lowest total weight), stiffness (lowest deflection), construction economy (lowest construction cost), and structural efficiency.

Dearth of Qualified and Experienced Teachers

Realizing that there is a boom in construction activities, many private colleges in India have started Civil Engineering courses both at the Bachelor’s and Master’s levels. Some of these colleges lack laboratory facilities (Unlike IT-oriented courses, which require only a few computers to be provided, Civil Engineering Laboratories may require huge space and costly equipment to conduct experiments), and many of them do not employ proper teachers. Even though there are UGC norms for selecting a teacher, many of these colleges either appoint a fresh graduate, most often from their own college, or some retired engineers, who may or may not have aptitude for teaching, as faculty members (Subramanian, 2011). Though there are a few technical teacher Institutes, several teachers are not trained and do not have communication skills. Moreover, only those who do not get a suitable job end up in teaching. As the salary offered by private firms has increased considerably, it is also difficult for the institutions to attract or sustain talented teachers (Though AICTE/UGC has prescribed norms for the pay of teachers, it is not adopted in several colleges). Many teachers also do not update their knowledge. Also, many faculty members who are very active when they are assistant professors are not interested in research or teaching once they become professors-they ask their research students to take their classes and spend more time on consultancy.

 In some cases, the professors were allowed to do their own consultancy practice in addition to teaching (this decision was taken by the policy makers to patch up the difference in salaries at the Institutes and the Industry). Though this practice may help the students to acquire current research and practical knowledge, in some cases, it has resulted in teachers not giving priority to teaching (Subramanian, 2011). In countries like Germany, teachers are eligible to teach only after having a few years of practical experience. In the USA, professionals teach at universities as Adjunct professors. Such an industry-institute interaction will be beneficial both ways; students will get to know practical difficulties, and professionals can solve their problems by assigning research projects to the students.

We also have another very peculiar situation. Several ITIs and polytechnics are available in India, but still, the industry is not able to get any trained technical persons, technicians, masons, or carpenters (Jain, 2020). Similarly, there are several IITs (till 2008, we had only 7 IITs and now we have 23 of them), NITs (till 2003, we had 17 NITs, we now have 31 NITs), Government engineering colleges, and hundreds of private colleges, but still it is difficult to get employable/trained graduate engineers, who can start doing the work from the starting date. Now, some politicians are thinking of doing away with the Board examinations. Recently, the Tamil Nadu Government tried to give engineering degrees to several students who had arrears, under the pretext of COVID-19!

SKILLS REQUIRED TO PRACTICE AS A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER

While in practice, the structural engineers are supposed to have a sound knowledge of the fundamentals of engineering mechanics and also remember the basic properties of materials like steel, concrete, wood, and bricks. They are supposed to analyze structures of different kinds using the computer and hence should be proficient with standard software such as STAAD, SAP 2000, ETABS, or SAFE, and make drawings using AutoCAD. Nowadays, several large structural engineering firms are also using Building Information Modeling (BIM) Systems (e.g., Tekla Structures or Tekla BIMsight), and a basic knowledge of them is an added advantage. They should have some knowledge about chemical and mineral admixtures used in concrete, mixing and batching of concrete, pumping, placing and consolidation of concrete,  testing and quality assurance of concrete, detailing of reinforcement, mix design, welding symbols followed in the profession, etc. Some knowledge about formwork, construction, and testing equipment, and storage of materials will be an added advantage. Those working in the design office should be thorough with the clauses in the Indian Codes (some important codes are IS 875, IS 800, IS 456, IS 10262, IS 1893, IS 13920, and IS 16700) and preferably other country codes such as ACI 318, Eurocode 2 & 3, AISC 360, AISC 341, and ASCE 7).  

 Structural engineers, who want to own their company should also know several things which are not normally taught at many engineering colleges such as: Professional practice, Professional Ethics, Tax rules & regulations (Professional tax, income tax, GST, sales tax, Tax to be deducted at source, etc.), marketing & finance, Construction contracts, Indian Contract Act, Employees' State Insurance Act, Minimum wages Act, Payment of Bonus Act, and others. Very few colleges have courses on professional practice, which include the above issues. Many colleges do not even train students on available software such as STAAD or AutoCAD, which are essential for their work in design offices. In fact, detailing of steel joints and concrete reinforcement, which is as important as design, is found to be lacking in college curricula. In order to lead a team of engineers, they should have good communication and presentation skills. Many Indians cannot work as a team member, and have poor written skills. Public speaking skills are important as one goes up the ladder.

COMPLETE RELIANCE ON COMPUTER RESULTS

When we started our practice, we had to write our own programs as there were no commercial programs available. But now several excellent packages like STAAD Pro, SAP 2000, ETABS, and STRUDS are available. Current civil engineers may not know how to write software, but they know how to use these standard software packages. They also know how to write spreadsheet programs, which is much better for understanding the process of design. But the problem is that they think that they can analyze and design any type of structure, just because they have access to these software packages. One should realize that such software packages are only tools and not using them properly will result in catastrophic failures (See Fig. 4). In addition, if the designer is not aware of the assumptions used and limitations of these programs, their use will lead to erroneous results (Powell, 2008). Blindly accepting the results given by the computers, forgetting that the results are based on the input, will result in “Garbage in, Garbage out”. Any inadvertent error in the input, assumptions made in the modeling, boundary conditions, and joint rigidity may produce either erroneous results or results that may not match the actual behaviour of the structure (Emkin, 1998). Many fresh engineers lack the appreciation of the behaviour of structures.

If the tool you have is only a hammer, every problem will look like a nail. - Abraham Maslow, in The Psychology of Science, 1966        

Fresh engineers actually believe that they are “engineering” by simply using computers, rather than realizing that quality engineering can only be the outcome of extensive knowledge of engineering principles, extensive and relevant experience, and very hard human brain effort (Powell, 2008). In fact, experienced structural engineers can create simplified models of complex structural systems, perform appropriate analyses, and create designs without using any software. Such solutions have produced safe, reasonably economical, and functional structures (For example, the 102-storey Empire State Building in New York City, built in 1931, was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, without using computers). Fresh engineers should realize that repeatedly doing hand calculations enables them to gain invaluable knowledge about how a design is progressing and helps develop that ever-elusive skill: sound engineering judgment (Subramanian, 2011).

 COMPLEXITY OF PRESENT DAY PROJECTS

Today’s structural engineer has to follow building codes and design guidelines that are voluminous and more complex than the codes of yesteryears. Performance-based specifications are being developed and will be included in codes and specifications in the near future.  Important structures like Burj Khalifa or Bandra–Worli Sea Link are often designed by a group of structural engineers, who have sufficient experience and knowledge about their analysis, design, and behavior. To arrive at a safe, stable, economical, and environmentally friendly structure, the structural engineer has to work as a team member in a group consisting of him/her, the architect, the contractor, the electrical engineer, the HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) consultant, the quantity surveyor, and the fire protection engineer. With more emphasis given to sustainability, durability, and global warming, it is imperative that structural engineers have to work in groups consisting of experts in other disciplines of engineering.

In addition to the above ‘once-in-a-blue-moon’ structures, there are several innovations that are taking place all over the world. Still complicating this problem is the explosion of information. The structural engineer is faced with more information than 100, 50, or even 5 years ago. For example, now the structural engineer has to know materials like blended cements, ready mixed concrete, high strength concrete and steel, prestressed concrete, high performance and ultra-high performance concrete, self compacting concrete, high-volume fly ash concrete, fiber reinforced concrete, industrial timber products (such as layered timber composites,  particle and fiber composites), and structural glass, computer tools like the finite element analysis, building information modeling, non-linear and dynamic analysis methods, and new design paradigms like nanotechnology, durability, sustainability, life cycle analysis, structural health monitoring, etc. In addition, there are novel structures through form-finding, novel erection machines and techniques, novel systems for lateral load resistance, and special systems like space frames, cable supported roofs and bridges, tensile structures, steel frame buckling restrained braces, pre-qualified steel moment connections, steel plate shear walls, steel-concrete composite columns, beams and slabs, steel-concrete composite high-rise core wall system, base-isolated tall buildings, use of dampers, integral bridges, concrete filled cast in place FRP tube bridges, etc. Moreover, structures can be made of a variety of materials, such as concrete, steel, composites, wood, or aluminum, and the structures may be found in a variety of forms, such as buildings, bridges, stadia, towers, chimneys, silos, foundations, space frames, shells, and water retaining structures.  Several new techniques for repair and rehabilitation (use of drones), coating systems, etc., have also been developed. No one can follow the developments in all these structures and allied fields.

The dwindling energy resources and materials have resulted in the development of sustainable constructions, which will totally change the way in which we make our designs. For example, in high-rise buildings, wind will not be just treated as an obstacle to be overcome, but as a source of energy to be harnessed (Subramanian, 2013). Several skyscrapers have already been built, integrating large wind turbines into their design (see Fig.5). Moreover, buildings have to be designed to last more than 100-120 years, to conserve our resources. Building materials that require minimum energy to produce, are locally available, use as many waste products as possible, have minimum life cycle cost, and are recyclable will be used in future buildings.   

SOME POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

Even though the possible solutions are many enveloping the colleges, practice, and the engineer’s own efforts, a few solutions are suggested below.

1. The duration of a bachelor’s degree should be increased from 4 to 5 years, with the final year devoted to training either in the college by faculty from outside or in construction sites and design offices.
2. The curriculum should be changed to reflect the needs of the profession. For example, in structural analysis courses, modeling and interpretation of results should be given more importance than the current emphasis given to the development of the stiffness matrix and to the number-crunching phase. Several examples of such exercises to be given to the students are cited in Powell (2008).
3. The students should be made aware that college education provides only the basic material, and education is a life-long process.
4. Fresh engineers should be allowed to design actual structures only after 2-3 years of training in a senior engineer’s office. Also, before practicing on their own, they should possess PE certification.
5. It is good to note that the P.E. registration in the Institution of Engineers (India) as well as the Engineering Council of India insists on a minimum of 250 Credit Hours of continuing education every 5 years.  But they conduct only a few training programs. Other professional bodies should conduct such continuing education programs for the benefit of fresh engineers.
6. Fresh engineers should continuously update their knowledge by reading standard journals and magazines such as The Indian Concrete Journal, Concrete International of ACI, Modern Steel Construction of AISC, or The Structural Engineering Digest, and also by attending specialty conferences and seminars.
7. Of late, the students do not read standard books and rely on the internet for their knowledge. Unless they read good technical books written by experienced authors, they will not get well-rounded knowledge.
8. To increase their communication skills, the fresh engineers should write some articles in magazines and journals and present them at conferences and seminars. When the author did a Master's Degree in the College of Engineering Guindy, the students were encouraged to choose a topic and present it in a monthly seminar, but were not aware of such practices in other colleges. It may also be worthwhile to attend public speaking courses or attend toast master clubs.
9. In many of the regular structures having four floors, normally designed by fresh engineers, the designs are not checked, leading to serviceability problems and, in rare cases, even to partial or total collapse; the quality at construction sites is inadequate and not checked. It is astonishing to read about the collapse of structures regularly in India. In countries like Germany, all the designs are proof-checked by competent authorities. Such a practice should be introduced in India. Though this kind of checking may delay the design process, it will result in durable structures.
10. It is interesting to note that the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has proposed a master’s degree or equivalent education requirement for licensure. Such an approach may be adopted in India.
11. It is also equally important to have training programs for construction professionals, so that quality is maintained not only in designs but also in construction.
12. Even though some seminars are being organized by engineering colleges, they are not attended by practicing engineers, maybe due to the theoretical content of these seminars. In the USA, several organizations like the ASCE, American Concrete Institute, American Institute of Steel Construction, and Portland Cement Association conduct practice-oriented seminars in different cities and give continuing education credit for the same.
13. The current pandemic situation has resulted in online courses and webinars. Through this online mode, students can learn from experts who may live anywhere in the world.
14. Each student is unique. Now that all students have their own computers, the colleges should develop computer-aided instruction by allowing each student to study in their own phase.
15. As diagrams and figures are easier to remember than words, wherever possible, it may be advisable to use artificial intelligence (virtual reality) programs, which make the students understand the subjects well by presenting the subject matter interactively.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The construction boom in China, India, and other developing countries has opened up an unprecedented opportunity for civil and structural engineers.  However, the college education and the engineering practice are not compatible. Due to this, the engineers coming out of the colleges are not immediately employable.  This may also be due to the mushrooming number of colleges, which were started as business ventures, without considering the quality of education. The engineering education gives more importance to theory, and practical aspects are not taught. Research and development are taking place at a faster rate than ever before, and the structural engineer needs to keep track of them. Moreover, fresh graduates give more importance to software packages, while ignoring the behaviour of structures and structural elements. Such a mindset will lead to erroneous results and, in some rare cases, may lead to the failure of structures. Hence, colleges must orient the students towards practice by giving importance to the modeling of structures and their behavior rather than to number crunching exercises. There is also a dearth of qualified and experienced teachers.  Fresh graduates should understand the complexity of present-day projects and make education a life-long process by attending seminars, workshops, and continuing education programs. They should also have the habit of updating their knowledge by studying good books and journals. Each one of us have the responsibility of molding fresh graduates to tackle the challenges posed by the profession: the colleges, by updating the syllabus periodically; the companies, by providing proper training required for their needs; the professional organizations and journals, by providing necessary material for updating the knowledge and conducting continuing education programs, and finally the fresh graduates themselves, by taking responsibility to update their knowledge, understanding the behavior of structures and structural elements, and incorporating quality control measures in their designs and constructions.

References

1.   Ashok K. Jain (2020), The Civil Engineering Education – Then and Now-(University of Roorkee and Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee)-My Reminiscences, Centre for Structural and Earthquake Engineering, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, UP 201014, November 2020, 48 pp.
2. Buch, J.D. (2010), “What Ails Structural Engineers?” The Indian Concrete Journal, Dec., Vol. 84, No.12, pp.19-21.
3. Emkin, L.Z. (1998) “Misuse of computers by structural Engineers- A Clear and Present Danger”, Proceedings of the first Structural Engineers World Congress, SEWC’98, San Francisco, California, U.S.A., July 19-23. http://www.cuteser.com/MisuseComputer.pdf
4. Jain, S.K., and Sheth, A. (2002), Earthquake Engineering in the Civil Engineering Curricula, The Indian Concrete Journal, September 2002, Vol. 76, No.9, pp. 558-562.
5. Patel, P.V. (2010) “Role of Civil Engineers in Disaster Mitigation”, The Indian Concrete Journal, Nov. 2010, Vol. 84, No.11, pp. 29-31.
6. Powell, G.H. (2008) "Structural Analysis: Are we relying too much on computers? Part 1: The Problem, and Part 2: A Solution", STRUCTURE Magazine, ASCE, Nov., pp. 50-52 and Dec., pp. 20-23.
7. Prabhakar, N., and Subramanian, N. (2017), "Collapse of Kolkata Flyover- Practitioner's Perspective", The Bridge and Structural Engineer, Journal of the Indian Group of IABSE, Vol. 47, No. 1, Mar., pp. 79-84.
8. Subramanian, N. (1990)   “Technical Education -  A  Practitioners' View  Point”, Journal of the Institution of Engineers  (India),  IDGE Div., Vol. 71, June, pp. 9-12, Also All India seminar on Autonomy in Technical Education, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai,  15-16th Mar.
9. Subramanian, N. (2011) "Are our structural engineers geared up for the challenges of the profession?" The Indian Concrete Journal, Jan., pp.21-26
10. Subramanian, N. (2013). Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, pp.79.