Opinion Practice N.º 01
Why I write these notes
Abstract. For ten years I have kept notebooks on how I design, what I automate and which mistakes I make. This is the public version: a log of design, automation and lessons learned.
When I started working in 2015, something happened to me that may sound familiar: I used code formulas and factors without fully knowing where they came from. They worked, reviewers accepted them, and we moved on. But every time something did not add up, I realized I had no idea where to start looking.
So I started writing things down. In a notebook I kept the clause behind each factor, the example that finally made it click, and the mistakes I found in reviews, sometimes at eleven at night. Ten years later I have several notebooks, and almost everything I know about bridges and seismic design is in them.
Those notebooks sat in a drawer. Now they go here.
How they are written
Every note follows the same path:
- The general idea, in plain words and, when possible, with something from everyday life.
- Why it matters on a real project.
- The formula and where it comes from, with the code clause when relevant.
- An example with round numbers, so you can follow it on a calculator.
- What to check when it is your turn.
What you will find
Notes are organized in sections, like a work logbook:
- Design log: how I designed or modeled something, step by step, with its numbers.
- Automation & code: Python and OpenSees scripts that save me hours, and how to build them.
- Lesson learned: real mistakes, how I found them and what I check now so they do not happen again.
- Code reading: an AASHTO or Peruvian E.030 clause explained from scratch.
Topics are seismic design, bridges, dams and modeling. The lessons learned cost me the most, which is why I think they are the most useful.
An honest warning
These are study notes. On a real project, the engineer of record and the governing code decide. If you spot a mistake, message me on LinkedIn: I will fix it and credit you in the note.
Educational, reference-only content. Opinions are my own and do not represent any employer. On a real project, the engineer of record and the governing code decide.
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