The Civil Engineering Academy Podcast

You got your degree, built your career, and checked all the boxes you're supposed to. So why does it feel like something's still missing? 🤔 That’s exactly what @Jake Kennington is here to help you with. 👇Jake is a licensed PE and SE who achieved every professional achievement every engineer strives for…but still felt pulled toward something more. The tricky part?He couldn't quite put his finger on what that "more" was — just like many engineers feel today. You’ve achieved many things you were supposed to, but you’re still not living that life you actually want.In this episode, Jake opens up about the wake-up call that changed his perspective about this, why being good at your job isn't always enough, and how you can (and should) make room for personal fulfillment without throwing your professional life out the window.If you’ve ever found yourself asking the question, “Is this what my life turned out to be?,” this episode is for you. 👍🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:How He Got Into Civil Engineering by Accident and What He Does TodayWhy He Felt Like There Was Something Missing in Life, Despite His Career SuccessThe Reason Why You Feel Drawn to Doing Something Else Outside of WorkWhy We Run CEA on the Side of Our Day JobsHow the "Strong Beam, Stronger Column" Principle Applies to Your Career & LifeA Real-World Example of How Engineering Success Alone is Not the GoalHow to (Re)Gain Your Personal Life...Without Letting Go of Your Professional LifeHis Wake-Up Call That Made Him Realize His Was Living His Life All WrongThe Gratitude-Ambition Paradox That Motivated Him to Write His Upcoming BookWhat He Would've Done Differently in His Life That He Tells All Young Engineers TodayHow Jake Can Help You and How to Connect With Him🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONEDThe Second Summit PlaybookGroup Coaching ProgramEarly Book Reader Signup PageBrigham Young University (BYU)California State University, Fresno💬 CONNECT WITH JAKE:LinkedInActively Human Website🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOUThe Civil FE Startup GuideThe Civil PE Startup GuideFREE Floodplain Manager Course Module🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSESCivil FE Review CourseCivil PE Review CourseFloodplain Manager Review Course📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMSFE Practice ExamsFE CBT Exam SimulatorPE Bonus Theory QuestionsPE Practice ExamsPE CBT Exam SimulatorFloodplain Manager Practice ExamFE Environmental Practice ExamPE Environmental Practice Exam📱 CONNECT WITH CEAWebsiteNewsletterFREE CEA CommunityLinkedInYouTube [email protected]

Gearing up for the Civil FE for the first time? 🤔 Before you dive into studying, there are a few crucial things you should know about it so you can prep accordingly — and then take the exam effectively. 👇 In this episode, we break down all these basics of the FE exam so you know exactly what you’re up against.From what the exam tests you on, how it’s administered, and when and where you can take it…all the way to practical tips on how to prepare for these exact exam aspects so your exam day goes as smoothly as possible.Whether you haven’t started your FE journey yet or are getting ready to schedule your exam already, this episode will help you get the basics straight before test day so nothing gets in your way. 😉🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:What’s Covered on the Civil FE ExamThe Exam Format & InterfaceWhere You Take the Civil FE ExamReferences You Can Use on the ExamWhen Can You Take the Civil FE Exam?How Long is the Exam?Scheduled vs. Unscheduled BreaksWhen You (Actually) Finish Each SessionHow Many Questions are There on the Exam?Do You Need to Solve the Questions Sequentially?When and How You Get Your ResultsWhat to Do After Your Get a Passing ScoreWhat Score Do You Need to Pass?📄 RESOURCES MENTIONED:Civil FE Exam SpecificationsPearson VUE’s Test Center Searching ToolMyNCEES AccountNCEES Video on Alternative Item Type (AIT) Questions🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOUThe Civil FE Startup GuideThe Civil PE Startup GuideFREE Floodplain Manager Course Module🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSESCivil FE Review CourseCivil PE Review CourseFloodplain Manager Review Course📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMSFE Practice ExamsFE CBT Exam SimulatorPE Bonus Theory QuestionsPE Practice ExamsPE CBT Exam SimulatorFloodplain Manager Practice ExamFE Environmental Practice ExamPE Environmental Practice Exam📱 CONNECT WITH CEAWebsiteNewsletterFREE CEA CommunityLinkedInYouTube [email protected]

Passing the PE exam isn't always a straight play to the end zone. Gracie Johnson knows that firsthand. After 3 attempts off by 1-2 questions, she was down to one more run — and this time, she scored the touchdown! 👇Gracie is a civil engineer in Texas who had a very turbulent experience with the PE exam. She got off to a rocky start in 2024, when the specs changes made the course she had bought totally obsolete. Then, she tried a review course that left her second-guessing herself. Now, add in wedding planning, an unexpected apartment flood, and full-time job…and you've got quite a few curveballs to deal with. 😅In this episode, she dives into how she managed to pull that off even with all of this going on, and everything she learned along the way.From how she organized her study time around her life and her insane cadence for taking practice exams that worked really well (+ why)...all the way to the biggest surprise she’s had on the exam that may be the reason why the Transportation pass rates plummeted in latest stats.If you’re taking the transportation PE exam, especially if you’re a repeat taker, you’ll want to listen to this one. There’s a lot of wisdom you can apply to your own prep, from someone who walked the walk. 😉🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:How Her PE Exam Prep Started off on the Wrong FootThe Second Review Course She Signed up for...And What Was wrong With ItWhy She Took Transportation Even Though She Doesn't Work With ItHow She Found Civil Engineering Academy (And Went With It)Why She Didn't Switch Exams After a Few Failed AttemptsHer Advice for Repeat Takers Questioning Whether They Should Switch ExamsHow CEA Helped Her Pick Herself Back Up After Her Third Failed AttemptAn Unexpected Life Curveball That (Almost) Put a Damper on Her StudiesWhat Her Study Schedule Looked Like With a Full-Time Job and LifeHow The Ultimate PE Course Planner Helped Her Stay on Track During Her StudiesHer Insane Approach to Practice Exams Most People Would Call "Crazy," But Works!The Biggest Surprise on the Transportation Exam That Caught Her Off GuardWhat May Have Caused the Nosedive in the Latest Transportation PE Pass RatesWhat She Enjoyed About the CEA PE Course That Got Her Across the Finish LineHow the Weight of Having to Pass the PE Carried Over Even After She Had PassedThe Immediate Impacts of Passing the PE That She's Noticing at Work🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONEDCEA PE CourseUniversity of OklahomaDunaway💬 CONNECT WITH GRACIE:LinkedIn🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOUThe Civil FE Startup GuideThe Civil PE Startup GuideFREE Floodplain Manager Course Module🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSESCivil FE Review CourseCivil PE Review CourseFloodplain Manager Review Course📚 OUR PRACTICE MATERIALSFE Practice ExamsFE CBT Exam SimulatorPE Bonus Theory QuestionsPE Practice ExamsPE CBT Exam SimulatorFloodplain Manager Practice ExamFE Environmental Practice ExamPE Environmental Practice Exam📱 CONNECT WITH CEAWebsiteNewsletterFREE CEA CommunityLinkedInYouTube [email protected]

Failure of tanks that store highly hazardous chemicals can be huge, like the Longview Tank Disaster this year. The problem? The current method used to keep track of the structural integrity of the tanks is from 1967! 😲There’s another way to spot thinning tank walls before they become a serious problem, and that’s exactly what Travis Keener, PE, jumps back on the show to talk about!After years working with SPCC plans and tank inspections, he’s been exploring with a brand-new method to measure tank wall thickness that could change the way engineers approach tank inspections forever.In this episode, he breaks down what this method is, how it works, its limitations, and what it means for the traditional ultrasonic thickness (UT) meters.Go give this episode a listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the full interview on YouTube. 😉🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:The Longview Tank Disaster: What, How, and Why It HappenedWhat Causes the Deterioration of Tank Thickness Over TimeHow Tank Thickness is Evaluated Today (And What's Wrong With it!)A Brand-New (and More Effective) Way to Measure Tank ThicknessHow the Standard UT Meters WorkHow Laser Scans Compare to UT MetersDo These Laser Scanners Use LiDAR?How to Use Laser Scanners in Different Tank ConditionsThe Theoretical Inaccuracy of Laser Scans That Didn't Happen in the Real WorldWhen Laser Scanners Started Being Used (And What the Future Looks Like for It)When Tanks Typically Fail — and WhyAre There Any Limitations to Using Laser Scanners to Measure Tank Thickness?Do Laser Scanners Mean the Death of Traditional Methods?The Primary Standards for Tank Safety & Who Sets ThemThe Cost to Use Laser Scanners (And How to Find a Way Around It)How to Use Laser Scanners With Floating Roof TanksThe Standard Method That Will Be Used 10 Years from Now….With Laser ScannersWhat the Repair of a Corroding Tank Looks Like🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONEDCEA Podcast #305 (Travis Keener)Longview Tank DisasterCSB Investigation Update DocumentLeica RTC360OSHA Process Safety ManagementAPI STD 653STI SP001 Standard💬 CONNECT WITH TRAVIS:[email protected](+1) 918 440-0136🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOUThe Civil FE Startup GuideThe Civil PE Startup GuideFREE Floodplain Manager Course Module🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSESCivil FE Review CourseCivil PE Review CourseFloodplain Manager Review Course📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMSFE Practice ExamsFE CBT Exam SimulatorPE Bonus Theory QuestionsPE Practice ExamsPE CBT Exam SimulatorFloodplain Manager Practice ExamFE Environmental Practice ExamPE Environmental Practice Exam📱 CONNECT WITH CEAWebsiteNewsletterFREE CEA CommunityLinkedInYouTube [email protected]

What does a career in Structural Engineering look like? 🤔Most people think it’s only the (demanding) technical side, but that’s not the case — and Structural Engineer Zach Bowden, P.E. is here to prove it. 👇In this episode, Zach jumps on the show to pull back the curtain on what a career in Structural Engineering looks by diving into his own journey into the field.From how he got into it to what he learned working on every complex project from seismic design to mass timber...all the way to the need for the PE vs SE license if you want to build a career in structural engineering.Do you really need the SE? Zach answers that question.On top of that, there’s another side to Zach’s career that’s just as interesting: Structural Engineering educator.He also dives into why he started The Structural Engineering Podcast, and how talking with other Structural Engineers from across the industry has helped him in his own career, as well as given back to the next generation of Structural Engineers.If you’re a Structural Engineer — or thinking about becoming one — this conversation is packed with real-world lessons about building and growing a career in this field.So, go give this one a listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the full interview with Zach on YouTube. 👍🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:How Road Cycling Got Him into the Civil Engineering WorldWhat Made Him Pick Structural Engineering Over the Other Civil DisciplinesThe Aspect of Structural Engineering Most People Fear...But That's Why He Went for ItWhen Can Structural Engineers Have Only the PE...and When Do They Need the SE?His Experience With the SE Exam So FarIs Structural Engineering a Good (and Lucrative) Route for a Civil Engineer?How The Structural Engineering Podcast (SEP) Got Started2 Big Ways That Doing a Podcast Helped Him Both Professionally and PersonallyWhat Turns a Good Engineer into a GREAT Engineer?Why Engineers Do Make Good Leaders...But Engineering Alone Won't Be Enough🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONEDThe Structural Engineering Podcast (Website)The Structural Engineering Podcast (YouTube)StructurEd AppMax Loeb, PE (SEP Co-Host)Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, by Gary VaynerchukWhat Got You Here Won't Get You There, by Marshall GoldsmithSEP Episode with Ron KlemencicWashington State University💬 CONNECT WITH ZACH:LinkedIn🎁 OUR FREEBIES FOR YOUThe Civil FE Startup GuideThe Civil PE Startup GuideFREE Floodplain Manager Course Module🖥️ OUR REVIEW COURSESCivil FE Review CourseCivil PE Review CourseFloodplain Manager Review Course📚 OUR PRACTICE EXAMSFE Practice ExamsFE CBT Exam SimulatorPE Bonus Theory QuestionsPE Practice ExamsPE CBT Exam SimulatorFloodplain Manager Practice ExamFE Environmental Practice ExamPE Environmental Practice Exam📱 CONNECT WITH CEAWebsiteNewsletterFREE CEA CommunityLinkedInYouTube [email protected]