#180 Getting started in civil engineering feat. Thanos Karampourniotis

00:00:00: Hello and welcome to today's global podcast.

00:00:03: Today we held it in English because I have a very special international guest, before we jump into the introduction of our guests i want to say something... Because being a civil engineer means having a passion for buildings structure analysis especially precise calculations but entering an industry with such long and diverse history isn't that easy.

00:00:29: Our guest today, Thanos supports civil engineers in starting their careers and shares his own experiences as a consulting engineer with everyone who is just enthusiastic about structural engineering.

00:00:44: What I really like are his weekly tests and quizzes on structural engineering systems where The structure engineer can always prove his skills and structure analysis.

00:00:58: And I think we will also jump into this topic, but before we do that Thanos thank you for being here.

00:01:04: welcome to our global podcast.

00:01:07: Thank You very much for having me.

00:01:08: Daniel it's a great honor to be here.

00:01:22: Hello and thanks if you recommend some global podcast their podcast rund um das Thema Bau.

00:01:28: If your photos to the bibe is lost gates.

00:01:32: Thanos I have already said something about you, but it would be the best if you could introduce yourself.

00:01:37: So who are you and what are your doing?

00:01:40: Yeah so a few things about me...so as we can imagine i'm originally from Greece.

00:01:45: everything about me speaks greece.

00:01:48: So originally from greeces..i studied in the greek university civil engineering.

00:01:54: back in that day i finished in two thousand seventeen.

00:01:59: Then in two thousand nineteen, I came to the UK to pursue a PhD in civil engineering.

00:02:04: And since September of twenty-twenty three have been working in consultancy first with WSP and now we start up in Glasgow.

00:02:13: that's more or less it about me.

00:02:14: you know this small stuff?

00:02:17: Okay yeah i think these companies are very known In the fields of structural engineers general consulting planning especially when doing construction projects.

00:02:29: Maybe we jump step before.

00:02:32: So you have started civil engineering and yeah, I always ask the same question so what was their motivation to study civil engineering?

00:02:41: Yeah!

00:02:42: So i think it is a few things... First of all my father back in Greece.

00:02:47: he has his own excavation company so i was always familiar with the construction sector.. She had bought me when Very, very young.

00:02:56: He had bought me my own small excavator that I was riding on plus.

00:03:00: there are so many pictures of me going into his own excavations when i'm like two or three years old.

00:03:07: So I think he pushed me quite a lot in this specific industry.

00:03:11: first off all Plus I was always relatively good with numbers so that helps a bit as well.

00:03:17: But one thing not a lot people know about is That I was considering to become an architect Back in the day when I was in high school, so it's between you know do i go to the science stuff more or to the artistic staff?

00:03:30: More.

00:03:31: So i decided to go with the more sciency stuff To study civil engineering eventually.

00:03:38: Okay And then you have developed let's say a little bit.

00:03:42: Yeah there there A fable passion for structure analysis.

00:03:46: So how did you come to this topic?

00:03:49: structure analysis

00:03:51: okay, so This is another interesting story about it.

00:03:56: So, the last time I saw Bending Moment Diagrams before I started working in the industry was in two thousand seventeen.

00:04:06: because after that you know i went to do a phd surveillance and they wouldn't have a lot...I didn't see any bending moment diagram stuff.

00:04:13: so when I was interviewing for specific company For Arab basically..when I was interviewing for Arab back in twenty-twenty three they gave me like twenty different exercises in many moment diagrams and I had only one correct, specifically one correct example.

00:04:35: Nineteen examples were not correct.

00:04:38: so that means i lost.

00:04:40: basically at this point first of all relearn again bending moment diagrams, shear force diagrams.

00:04:48: And secondly I'm going to start setting that online so other people in my place don't be there while being at the future and help them a bit.

00:05:00: That's how it started more or less

00:05:05: After you have seen let say for first time these structural diagrams structural systems with a bending moment diagram and you could not solve it, how did that feel?

00:05:21: It didn't very nice to be honest.

00:05:23: You know...it's like a missed opportunity plus apart from missed opportunities when you start working in the industry as well because you always use these types of formulas And this type is thinking about fundamentals.

00:05:43: So you need to start from the scratch, basically.

00:05:46: It's like not only a missed opportunity in terms of... You know?

00:05:49: A possible job position but it is a missed opportunities on starting with right foot when we started working as a graduate per se.

00:05:58: so its a lot of miss stuff.

00:06:03: I should have done better there.

00:06:05: Okay and now you are also posting these kind examples on LinkedIn.

00:06:12: And this is also the reason why a lot of people are commenting, contributing to your posts myself included because I'd like too do them.

00:06:23: so how did you decide not solving just for me but when and what happened that you posted it?

00:06:35: So i think first started posting back in August of twenty-twenty four.

00:06:42: So I don't know, you probably are aware of Dr.

00:06:45: Javed Guresi.

00:06:47: so he is like a... He's professor in London and started doing that stuff And i really liked it.

00:06:57: Why didn't do the same thing?

00:06:58: Because first off all It helps me understand structural analysis better.

00:07:02: but secondly other people understands structural analysis more.

00:07:07: It will give them a platform.

00:07:08: because you know, when someone comments something that has value for other people in relatively at least big platforms.

00:07:15: Other people who see it and they get value from the person or this person would be highlighted as well.

00:07:21: so I do find these types of posts gives value to many different aspects.

00:07:33: I don't know if i have answered your question.

00:07:36: Yeah, absolutely in my opinion it's... It is an added value definitely for the platform but also for the community of structural engineers.

00:07:45: and yeah they came that you give them also a chance to prove themselves?

00:07:50: If they can still do it!

00:07:52: And are allowed to do structure analysis.

00:07:55: Yeah uh..I find it quite interesting because When when we hire here at Lua, will be also doing something similar.

00:08:03: I give them let's say three four examples of structural systems and they have to draw me the moment diagram.

00:08:10: yeah They don't have to calculate something but they have two.

00:08:13: draw me a qualitative moment diagram And it's always quite interesting To see really a lot of different results.

00:08:22: Yeah Although that people are calculating in the industry for five years, after ten years any structural projects.

00:08:32: They cannot manage it because they are used to.

00:08:35: let's say do this only on their computer but never recapitulate it.

00:08:41: yeah so um Do you have here also some?

00:08:44: Let's see feedback You would like to share especially For people who maybe pretty new into this job, and maybe also for people who are longer in this.

00:08:54: How is your feedback here?

00:08:55: Or let's say give some insights here.

00:08:58: So okay what I would say even though it might sound a bit boomer.

00:09:04: so What i would says that I think I find In myself...I found out when do calculations by hand Even if its like bending moment diagrams or whatever.

00:09:13: If you want to design a beam Whatever It Might Be..If I Do Calculations By Hand I Feel That I Learn and understand concepts a bit better than if I try to model something, that's on me.

00:09:26: And i think in the past i have read one or two papers that seem to be arguing this is the case.

00:09:32: as humans we are more inclined to learn when do something by hand rather then just doing it like...do a model of that.

00:09:41: so..i usually tried to do stuff with my hands rely on software because otherwise it's difficult for me to learn maybe forever people.

00:09:51: It's not, but for me certainly is.

00:09:53: I would say so.

00:09:54: i would say that my suggestion will be try to at least once in every task or access as you might have tried to do some hand calculations rather than just simply put stuff inside like a software program and expect the grade output from.

00:10:11: yeah completely agree with you?

00:10:13: At The end the softwares trusted tool like a calculator you can use for your daily work, but at the end it's always your responsibility to evaluate their results.

00:10:25: And if you cannot interpret and evaluate their result then yeah pretty bad... But its basically your job as an engineer because You'll always take the responsibility For what you're doing here.

00:10:36: I would like to jump into your daily projects.

00:10:43: Is it to be a structural engineer?

00:10:46: Maybe for the our English community, say something about your daily life.

00:10:50: What do you are doing as structural engineer

00:10:53: my daily life.

00:10:54: so I'm specifically consultant.

00:10:56: so ninety nine point nine percent is about in an office basically.

00:11:04: So what my usual day would?

00:11:08: So potentially a lot of markups, you know if you want to I don't know communicate your designs the different Discipline or two a client.

00:11:18: You will do a few Markup's design intent.

00:11:20: He would do some very easy Sections and stuff like that.

00:11:25: That's one thing that they will do either by hand or buy specific PDF software.

00:11:31: I might do some modeling three D modeling with Different stuff if I want to like create the frame of my structure per se.

00:11:39: You have a lot of three D modeling or i will Have A few meetings either with The design team Or With the client, or with just colleagues.

00:11:49: so?

00:11:49: I would say that mainly what I do as a structural engineer is a Lot Of different things.

00:11:55: I think engineering in general not only structural but engineering general because it has this aspect being multi-disciplined, there are so many different disciplines working on the same thing at the same time.

00:12:07: So I think you won't usually see it every day but in principle... You do the big stuff like models, markups drawings and meetings.

00:12:25: that's more or less what i would say

00:12:30: today.

00:12:32: A lot of people are also asking if the structural engineer is just, let's say calculation engineer or is he even more than that?

00:12:44: I make it maybe very funny because as a structural engineer you have to take the model from an architect and put into your calculations tool.

00:12:53: See whether design checks are correct.

00:12:57: but there definitely is more than just that!

00:13:02: If there is a more creative aspect, you would say something that you can create rather than just follow someone else's path.

00:13:10: You could say yes I do think That There Is Like A Big Aspect In Terms Of How Creative You Can Be But You Can be Creative in Terms of Problem Solving.

00:13:21: I Would Say Rather Than Just Like Pure.

00:13:24: You Know i Have A White Piece Of Paper In Front Of Me And I Can Just Do Whatever I like.

00:13:30: It doesn't work like that, you have your own limitations which might come from the architect.

00:13:35: But I do think creativity comes from limitations.

00:13:38: Usually for my side and life... ...I feel it has always been most creative when given specific limits.

00:13:47: Boundary conditions can only move within those boundaries or not go outside.

00:13:52: otherwise I found it quite difficult to be creative, so there is this creative aspect.

00:13:59: It's just not necessarily how people that are outside of this profession might think or would believe it is more boundary condition but still problem-solving.

00:14:14: you have to solve problems and in order to solve some problems You have to be created sometimes All

00:14:22: right very interesting.

00:14:24: So, of course everyone of us started into the career.

00:14:28: The professional carrier and especially at the beginning there are always a lot of questions new things to learn And Probably also let's say some mistakes you have done in your early career.

00:14:44: so In order to give some Let's say feedback for for the future engineers because we have also a huge community who are listening to this podcast.

00:14:56: It was still studying or maybe in their early part of that career, what would you think?

00:15:01: What were let's say your most... Your three biggest learnings may be even mistakes.

00:15:08: where you've learned the most as structural engineer?

00:15:12: My Three!

00:15:12: You're giving me a lot Like making it more difficult For Me.

00:15:16: Okay my Three Okay, so let me think.

00:15:21: I think the first one okay.

00:15:23: So especially when you are early in your career You haven't developed your confidence that much?

00:15:30: That can lead to some issues.

00:15:32: One of these is Let's say you're given a task To fulfill it and have to design A beam whatever It might be.

00:15:40: sometimes what do we find Is that you are stuck at Some point.

00:15:44: you cannot just continue because you don't understand What process to finish to complete the task is now one mistake that a lot of people do and I have done it in the past as well.

00:15:56: It's usually because of lack of confidence, Is that you don't go around asking people?

00:16:02: Because You know like okay i'm stuck here...I need to proceed..i need to progress with this task but i cannot do this alone!

00:16:09: And its someone who is more experienced ,more senior than me.

00:16:13: So i would say One issue is People dont ask.

00:16:16: they are afraid of asking or stressed about it because they feel that they might seem inadequate to their colleagues.

00:16:24: No, That shouldn't be the case!

00:16:26: Because The only way for you to learn is ask stuff.

00:16:29: and first of all I think what i always say at this point in my life Is ask all these stupid questions?

00:16:35: The more stupid question ,the better the question.

00:16:38: But In order For that To happen You have to find people who do not judge you for stupid questions .You Have to Find Those People and stay with them, which these people I usually call mentors.

00:16:49: Personally i like calling the mentors.

00:16:52: so i would say that this is a very big thing for me.

00:16:55: asking questions...i have made this mistake not to ask questions.

00:16:58: you have to do that!

00:17:00: This is the first one..the second one will be over relying on software actually....and again this has to do with confidence as well.

00:17:08: when we don't have enough confidence to do something by hand per se or read a guideline from concrete center, whatever it might be.

00:17:18: You don't have that necessary confidence.

00:17:22: what you tend to do is start modeling stuff and then you're like okay I modeled it there.

00:17:29: go your senior engineer for example.

00:17:32: i have modelled this which was fun.

00:17:36: something hasn't gone right, usually it might be your supports or it may be the joints between members.

00:17:45: But this is an issue that when you don't have confidence and are over-reliant on software because you're expecting to do work for yourself It doesn't work like that...it will do some work!

00:17:59: So I think that's another thing.

00:18:01: Do not over rely on software.

00:18:04: The software is a tool But then you are the designer.

00:18:08: That's the second thing that they have made in the past and The third one.

00:18:17: I Have to find a third one now.

00:18:18: Wow, so that's difficult.

00:18:22: Third one There is.

00:18:24: there will be something certainly but I cannot figure out something very specific right now to be honest But certainly they will because I'm very prone to making mistakes.

00:18:35: To be honest with you, i am very proud of that

00:18:38: yeah?

00:18:38: Because only when doing mistakes in my opinion Doing mistakes You have the biggest learning and also place to improve yourself.

00:18:46: so basically this is pretty important.

00:18:50: I don't know how How do feel by doing the first structural calculations and structural analysis after graduating from school.

00:19:00: But I was thinking, hey look... ...I know the design checks.

00:19:04: I have learned the Eurocode and it's pretty good in structure analysis.

00:19:09: but when i arrived at my first job doing simple designs let say for simple houses yeah?

00:19:19: It is so difficult because from a lot of things not in my study how to apply load, how to calculate let's say load setups or load layers of from different.

00:19:36: Let's see yeah live loads I applied on some concrete slabs or some roofs and i have never done this in the study.

00:19:47: And when I arrived there oh okay!

00:19:49: Never heard of it...I don't know How much I should apply here.

00:19:53: so Have you also faced something like that when you started your career?

00:19:59: or have you faced some other let's say challenges, especially at the beginning as a young engineer?

00:20:04: I think one big difference between us is that.

00:20:08: i have started in a worse case than you did actually so because when i start it they haven't seen anything regarding structural engineering for seven years more or less.

00:20:19: So You said You knew all the theoretical stuff when you started.

00:20:24: I had forgotten everything, so i had to relearn everything from scratch.

00:20:28: So it was really challenging for me.

00:20:30: like whatever you described...I had already forgotten!

00:20:35: For Me..i would say that When you start working It's quite challenging because The theory behind what your applying reality is completely different in our sector.

00:20:49: The applied part of our science is completely different to the theory.

00:20:53: And you cannot learn that in university.

00:20:57: it doesn't work like that.

00:20:59: so I think for me, It was a very challenging period when i started working at the industry but At same time people around me really wanted help me develop.

00:21:13: who am as professional and person wanted to help me.

00:21:19: So I think there was this culture of safety, you can ask whatever you like whenever you like and we will try to help as much as we get.

00:21:31: so these cultural safety really helped in that sense too fight the challenging aspect and learn stuff on-the-go Scratch actually.

00:21:44: So yeah, I would say that for me it was a really challenging time but i Was very very fortunate to have colleagues That Really wanted to support when they think about the culture not only of a firm because this thing exists The culture of a farm But its much more important than the culture Of your team or people you work with Every single day.

00:22:08: thats an important bit.

00:22:10: Its good to be part of a culture that wants to help you, I think especially as an early career profession.

00:22:19: It's big thing.

00:22:21: Yeah the environment... The right environment that wants you to be successful is very important because then you feel also the support and they want us so that you improve yourself.

00:22:36: Okay imagine we would have let say someone who would like to change his path from carry on civil engineering and now also wants.

00:22:47: To become a structural engineer, but he has to learn everything from scratch.

00:22:52: because okay maybe you have started several engineering that yeah it's long time ago.

00:22:59: is its still possible to learn structure engineering from scratch?

00:23:04: And if yes what will be your strategy to learn this from scratch, are there specific points?

00:23:12: Maybe it's a specific topics you would choose and maybe you wouldn't neglect.

00:23:17: What do you suppose?

00:23:20: Yes first of all because I'm an example exactly like that.

00:23:25: yes so the reason why is one thing.

00:23:28: The second thing what i propose to do?

00:23:31: So this something which has been mentioned quite alot in my LinkedIn profile as well.

00:23:35: so think that Eurocoach you know, all these guidelines are inherently difficult to understand.

00:23:43: I still believe that like... That hasn't changed in my mind.

00:23:47: so i usually tend to find much easier to follow guidelines from different institutions Like um In the UK we have The institution of structural engineers per se which gives great guidelines Great manuals.

00:24:01: We have the concrete center as well Which is great very easy To follow step by step processes when it comes to designing, so I would say that for me what helps if you want to learn something from Scratch again is start by reading those publications.

00:24:18: From the big institutions because they know even though these institutions are not very easy to read.

00:24:27: So this exactly why we found this gap in our market and like okay We're going help our engineers understand the process is better.

00:24:35: So I would say that this a great way to start, apart from that of course it's exactly what i said earlier.

00:24:43: you need always ask things around you and find the right people and ask them most stupid questions we can.

00:24:53: but these two things will follow again because I followed them early on in my career and was fortunate enough.

00:25:04: Yeah, I never stop asking.

00:25:07: The whole life is a learning all right.

00:25:10: so now apart from let's say your challenge of learning everything from scratch as structural engineer Now looking into real challenge off Let's see maybe some specific projects Do you have here?

00:25:27: A specific project in your mind where do think?

00:25:30: oh this was very difficult but there I really challenged myself and am very happy to succeed it.

00:25:39: Is there something in your mind, a project?

00:25:42: There is one!

00:25:44: It would be relatively unprofessional of me to say which exactly it was but... ...there's one mega-project that i'm fortunate enough to work on.

00:25:53: in the past so.... Really difficult projects you know, in every day I think there was something like twenty-five to thirty structural engineers or structural technicians that were working on full time.

00:26:14: Like shoot and we're talking only about one discipline... Only one discipline!

00:26:18: We are not talking any other discipline.

00:26:20: A very big project That i was very fortunate enough to work on.

00:26:26: Very difficult but One thing I was very fortunate enough to learn from that project which i hadn't learned in the past because you cannot learn it on a smaller scale.

00:26:43: So, this project spanned for four or five years before we started working with it already.

00:26:57: One difficult thing when you have these huge projects is first of all how do you manage information?

00:27:03: How do you store it?

00:27:05: how Do You find It?

00:27:06: because, during those four to five years people leave the firms.

00:27:10: They go To different teams or they leave The firm completely.

00:27:13: so you need to figure out ways In order to properly Store information being able to Figure it out to figure Out exactly what it is like.

00:27:24: I did some designs back then So i Need to figureout how to properly store them so that in two Years from now potentially if someone wants to see that design, the parameters.

00:27:38: The assumptions I made because something changed in a project so my design has to change as well.

00:27:46: they need to figure out where everything is.

00:27:48: So...I remember times when i had five or six different people telling me where something was located.

00:27:57: That's huge!

00:28:01: I learned quite a bit on that project, especially when it comes to organizing.

00:28:05: Organizing people, organizing information, organizing calculations everything and yeah i think that was very pivotal moment for me to understand exactly what the difference is between huge projects And the last project.

00:28:22: So you mentioned thirty engineers?

00:28:26: And technicians at the same time altogether.

00:28:28: Yeah all together.

00:28:29: Wow okay And from the same company or let's say other companies?

00:28:35: Same

00:28:36: company,

00:28:38: yeah.

00:28:38: Maybe then what would you like to see?

00:28:40: is communication easier when all of them are in a wrong company?

00:28:45: No I mean it isn't that easy if there were so many people.

00:28:49: If they're on the same team Of course yes But even though we have about thirty people That's still huge number.

00:28:55: I guess It must be Yes, because you can just call whoever you like whatever.

00:29:03: Yeah

00:29:05: And how do we manage it?

00:29:06: So who is responsible then?

00:29:08: for which part of the structure let's say for the structure analysis Is there okay?

00:29:14: hey look You are four The foundations here for that section off in the building your for that part Of the building.

00:29:20: this is like that.

00:29:21: How can I can imagine their responsibilities?

00:29:25: so these people?

00:29:26: From my experience from that project it was mostly Different buildings, it wasn't one building.

00:29:32: It was like five or six buildings.

00:29:35: So basically what you had back then is that?

00:29:38: You have the lead designer for each building and below Beneath that lead designers there were a few different engineers.

00:29:46: in beneath those engineers They were specific technicians.

00:29:50: so basically you have at three That's how it works.

00:29:53: For its building.

00:29:53: you have only design through that designer.

00:29:56: There are different designers.

00:29:59: my experience from that specific project.

00:30:03: Regarding the project management, because I had also recently some conversations with people here in Germany who are focusing on helping other planners or even construction companies to manage projects very good and better how can i imagine a project management?

00:30:24: in your case.

00:30:25: Very simple, I think it's very huge this topic but maybe just to break it down and some sentences how can i imagine the huge project manager fan of such a huge project?

00:30:40: Uh...I wouldn't want be that position probably!

00:30:44: But uh..it seems quite tricky ,quite difficult to manage such huge projects From my very little experience because i don't have the experience in project manager but from what I've seen, so you essentially have someone that needs to oversee every single discipline more or less.

00:31:04: What they do and that takes huge amount of knowledge.

00:31:09: when it comes designing like Before I saw this project, potentially you can become a project manager without being amazing in designing.

00:31:19: Without knowing everything.

00:31:21: design that's not the case especially when we talk about specific projects.

00:31:25: need someone who is great at designing and very good managing people because our profession isn't concrete but it's what i believe.

00:31:40: I think you need someone that has a lot of skills, not only when it comes to technical stuff but also people's skills.

00:31:49: It is very difficult to balance all these things at the same time i think.

00:31:56: Okay!

00:31:56: Very interesting... I would have one last question about structural engineering and then move on another topic.

00:32:03: so what do we say?

00:32:07: So some challenges when doing structural design and structure calculations.

00:32:13: Yeah, especially by also working with programs.

00:32:17: I have always heard yeah okay to find here that said they write boundary conditions which kind of supports?

00:32:25: um Have i considered the right stiffness?

00:32:28: Have applied a lot.

00:32:30: did i forget The self-weight all these questions?

00:32:36: Do you have here kind of let's say top three?

00:32:39: No, I give it a second chance with the top three.

00:32:43: It is always free!

00:32:48: So when it comes to modeling so yeah first off all its exactly what type of support.

00:32:57: That's one very, very big thing especially if you want to model something that is part of a bigger structure.

00:33:03: let's say because if you have a very big section and you model everything more or less you will know the supports.

00:33:07: but If You Want To Model One Specific Park You Have To Know All The Supports Around It.

00:33:13: So That'S One Thing...The Second Thing I Would Say Is That Connections!

00:33:19: i find it so many times..that the connections i make instead of being pinned are fixed.

00:33:24: Or You Know The Opposite or I will forget that i have to make this connection, a cantilever and the backspan.

00:33:30: I have to fix it!

00:33:31: I forgot all these stuff.

00:33:32: so... All of the time..I had issues with connections between members all the times.

00:33:38: So thats second thing.

00:33:40: A third thing again is the third thing.

00:33:43: It's so tricky you are making more difficult for me.

00:33:46: The Third Thing One thing that I find tricky sometimes.

00:33:52: if u want let say Create an output with all your reaction forces, for example.

00:33:59: Like not every single model can give you specifically the output that we want in CSV format For example.

00:34:08: So if I have let's say one hundred and fifty columns Okay If i just take every single reaction from each column it will take me some time.

00:34:22: So yeah, I think every single software has its own uniqueness in that type of stuff.

00:34:29: Some softwares are better at output some others not.

00:34:32: so you have to figure out what the positives and what the negatives of each software we're using.

00:34:39: At the same time R i would say which needs a lot of experience.

00:34:47: When talking about software let's say A lot people tend use or tend to model only three D. Yeah, because okay I'm a three d i can capture everything.

00:34:59: but when talking too let's say very experienced structure engineers they'll say oh why three D?

00:35:05: I have done this in former times just by two D and it worked the same way.

00:35:11: yeah In my opinion It may be something between between two D Three D But what is your experience?

00:35:20: When I first started modeling stuff, it was always three D exactly what you're saying right now.

00:35:25: Always three D even if It's not needed.

00:35:28: but i think With time and with experience You start going to two d as well.

00:35:35: so your starting To try to simplify things because The more you simplify something the easier it is for you to interrogate that thing.

00:35:44: its much easier.

00:35:46: First of all there Is no cost in Time And there is not that much cost in mistakes.

00:35:52: They are not exactly because it's a simplified model, your mistakes aren't going to be that many and its much more easy for you interrogated.

00:36:01: so thats why I think when you're inexperienced You don't really understand us or go into three D Because like okay Three D resembles reality Much More Than Two D. So Why Don't i do That?

00:36:13: that's not usually the case, if it is needed for whatever reason.

00:36:19: All right good.

00:36:22: now let us leave a little bit of the topic of structural engineering move.

00:36:27: we will dive more to our general construction industry maybe in itself because I see you are also very interested in innovation trends and new technologies.

00:36:42: And yeah, engineering has made great strides towards modernization in recent years.

00:36:50: What are let's say the technologies or maybe method techniques?

00:36:56: In the construction industry you have seen right now and where do see also a big future of what is quite interesting.

00:37:05: So I would say that an innovative method for me Reusing material.

00:37:13: What do I mean by that?

00:37:14: So usually in our industry, you know the norm is when we design a building what you have in mind Is it that they will be demolished to the next fifty or one hundred years?

00:37:24: That's what would usually happen mine.

00:37:26: so that how we designed something now there is A different way of thinking that this starting too Happen.

00:37:35: i don't know about like Europe and Germany where your located but In The UK There is a different way of thinking that it's starting to happen right now, which is more or less we have to design something.

00:37:50: And with think about in terms not demolishing the future but deconstructing so that we can reuse some members columns and beams if for example still frame structure you just be like okay next fifty years or even all of these members will be reusable.

00:38:15: So why don't I do that?

00:38:16: Because first off, theoretically because it's a bit more complex than that.

00:38:21: but theoretically you won't need to pay as much for a new let say steely member.

00:38:28: Theoretically It is more complex But at the same time You dont'need create more material and produce CO too.

00:38:38: so its a more sustainable way seeing things.

00:38:42: It's a more resourceful way, so that is one thing I really like about the UK specifically because there are these ways of transitioning to this trying design something in order to be constructed rather than demolish it.

00:39:02: To keep it let us say in circular environment and environmental economy at first planned as office building, but then from this office building you can also do residential or even let's say a parking building.

00:39:22: Yeah?

00:39:23: Okay yeah okay so I just another type of usage of this building...

00:39:30: Not only that!

00:39:31: You can just deconstruct it and use those members somewhere else completely somewhere else.

00:39:39: Stuff like that happen in the UK.

00:39:41: It's not the prevalence of the norm, but it does happen because even if you deconstruct something If-if You know if you have a beam that hasn't deflected thirty five millimeters for example You can potentially reuse it.

00:39:54: if he doesn't have like some thing That affects this structural integrity off it.

00:39:59: so it does happened Just reusing somewhere else.

00:40:05: Okay interesting good And are you also facing, let's say some trends or innovations where we think okay quite nice but it is very difficult that It will be successful.

00:40:17: So do you see a risk at specific Trends technologies?

00:40:23: Yes But I am not going to be very original about this.

00:40:27: I would say AI for me right now At least specifically in our industry because In my mind, AI has been very successful in some industries like marketing.

00:40:39: For example because someone could just write a copyright can't just try it like ask to GPT you're right for me this post for LinkedIn Because we want to advertise our product whatever.

00:40:49: so It's very easy for charge EP T to create something that is relatively okay when it comes to copywriting.

00:40:57: However the same thing doesn't really apply yet at least in our industry.

00:41:01: You don't have something that can just design a member.

00:41:06: It'd be like, okay the calculations are correct.

00:41:08: I have done some let's say testing when it comes to designing stuff and even more simply examples i would say... And we're not yet there.

00:41:22: so our industry hasn't yet implemented AI!

00:41:26: That is for very good reason because AI doesn't really work the way that were expecting right now.

00:41:33: Plus I would say that there is a safety issue.

00:41:36: There, I'm assuming you know like AI can lie.

00:41:41: we know from papers that AI has the aspect of it can try to lie with user.

00:41:49: so if we have something at all like AI that could potentially lie in our industry which is much focused on health and safety because people's lives are now shoulders.

00:42:01: It's difficult for us to just implement AI, to use an AI tool if it is a black box.

00:42:07: If I don't know what its thinking right now... ...it will be hard on me to trust that.

00:42:11: so we need a lot of thinking and reviews and checks from what it has done.

00:42:16: So it's tricky in our industry to implement this completely

00:42:22: Absolutely!

00:42:23: Especially when the AI takes knowledge from somewhere where you do not have let say power controlling that knowledge Yeah, because then I hallucinate that they say some sentences gives you.

00:42:41: Some results only to let's see make you feel satisfied here and Because he wanted to have an answer.

00:42:50: but at the end it can be also even wrong And this is something which could be very tricky.

00:43:00: But in my opinion when we Can manage it that the AI is using really knowledge with which?

00:43:07: It's verified By let's say our use cases or by our company or buy our knowledge then I think he can be very, very helpful.

00:43:17: If you train it.

00:43:17: You know i'm assuming That you have so much data.

00:43:20: That you can work with.

00:43:21: So if you train in your own specific Data.

00:43:23: i am expecting that you know The output will give you.

00:43:27: it would Be much higher quality of a general LLM like charge APT, it would be of much better quality.

00:43:34: Yes I can certainly agree with that.

00:43:37: all right good.

00:43:39: so now interesting question for you.

00:43:42: imagine you will have one wish free to change something in the let's say construction industry or even in the structural engineering world.

00:43:51: this which what would it be?

00:43:54: i think It would be too focus more on people than concrete.

00:44:02: Because again, it comes back to what I said earlier.

00:44:05: I do believe that our industry is about people.

00:44:07: It's not about concrete.

00:44:08: It's about people.

00:44:10: and Yeah, I think That would be my wish.

00:44:14: yeah because you know i'm...I have been fortunate in My career to be around very good colleagues.

00:44:21: Not everyone has had the same fortune as I have.

00:44:24: All right cool all right Thanos.

00:44:27: now to my most favorite Question is about your favorite project or building.

00:44:35: Do you have here something?

00:44:38: Yeah, yeah I do and again i'm not original at all the least original person out there.

00:44:44: so... Okay!

00:44:45: So.. I was thinking of some things specific from Greece.

00:44:50: yes let's say

00:44:51: no it's not for Greece.

00:44:53: No, I don't think Greece is very famous about its architecture or it's a structural engineering.

00:44:59: Ah yeah

00:45:03: the Parthenon.

00:45:06: Close enough close enough.

00:45:08: so For me It would be the Sydney Opera House actually which has been designed by Ara Which is a firm that i'm working for right now.

00:45:19: and they think to me what the Sine Opera House symbolizes for most parties.

00:45:26: It is technical excellence, but it's not only technical excellence... For me this passion of trying to go beyond your limits and this passion to finish something whatever that costs you have to finish because it needed sixteen years to be finalized from design to construction.

00:45:49: so a lot difficult times happen, you know through the lifetime of that project.

00:45:57: But that's what symbolizes to meet like whatever the difficulty You have to persevere and continue finalize them.

00:46:05: I would say yeah

00:46:07: Have ever been to Sydney?

00:46:09: No

00:46:10: it is quite far.

00:46:10: for me It was quite far.

00:46:14: Yeah.

00:46:14: so i said to everyone who has let us say his favorite building or project he had at least to visit it once in his life.

00:46:24: I should, you're right!

00:46:25: Thank You very much!

00:46:26: Allright

00:46:28: Thanos...I want to say thankyou very much.

00:46:31: It was a real pleasure to have you here on my podcast and for the future i wish y'all all the best And take care of you!

00:46:41: ThankYou Very

00:46:41: Much!!

00:46:41: It Was A Pleasure For Me

00:46:43: too!!!

00:46:43: I hope u saw it and hopefully people will see it.

00:46:47: how much of a pleasure it was for me as well, and I'm wishing you all the best in your life.

00:46:51: Thank you!