BEng The Brazilian Engineer in Australia

If you’re not making a decision about your career right now, then that’s a decision.
You’ve chosen to stay where you are.

Structural Engineers who wait stay stuck
I've built BengLab to be exactly what I needed when I started.

A coaching platform for structural engineers who want better design skills and faster career growth.

PS: Spots are going fast and prices are going up again soon. Don't wait.

Secure your spot here:

benglab.thrivecart.com/benglab/

3 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 10

BEng The Brazilian Engineer in Australia

Structural Engineers: Don’t get married to one method

Turns out, I was missing something important

You’ve used the same approach for years
It works
It’s safe
It gets the job done

But when you stick too tightly to one way of doing things
You stop noticing the small things you could improve

Sometimes, just trying a different method
Can show you a gap in your current process
Something you’ve been missing without realising it

It doesn’t mean the old way was wrong
It just means there’s more to see

It could be something as simple as a structural detail
Or something bigger like how you lead your team
Perhaps a leadership habit that could be more effective

It’s good to refresh how you work from time to time
It keeps your thinking sharp
And your skills flexible

Because the moment your method becomes routine
Is the moment you stop growing.

PS: A huge thank you to everyone who supported the BengLab program! The May cohort finished strong, and we’ve now grown to 50 members in the community.

4 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 17

BEng The Brazilian Engineer in Australia

Sometimes you're just not lucky as a structural engineer.


I was engaged to design two residential projects…



But both had the same surprise:



A massive stormwater main and a sewer line running right through the property.



Building near or over underground services like sewer mains and stormwater pipes
means you’ve got to follow strict rules.


Why?


To make sure your footings don’t collapse into a trench one day and so council can access the pipes for maintenance.


Here’s what I had to follow on these jobs:


1. Minimum Clearances
• 1.5m from stormwater drains
• 1.2m from sewer mains (measured horizontally from the pipe’s centerline)


2. Manhole Access (Open to Sky)
• A 1.5m clear zone is required in all directions around the maintenance cover
• No structures allowed over this area not even lightweight sheds or awnings


3. Excavation Rules
• No excavation within 600mm of the pipe
• If you need to dig close, use a backhoe in layers or a vac truck for safety

4. Footing Design

Depending on the layout, I’d use:
• Cantilever strip footings to span over the pipe near building edges
• Reinforced concrete ground beams supported on piers to bridge the service


5. Retaining Walls
• I prefer concrete sleeper walls (soldier piles) in these areas
• Or even block walls with strip footings + piers. Same concept, adapted to the wall type


And yes, if you’re in Queensland, all this must follow the QDC MP 1.4.


PS: We don’t use bored piers less than 1200mm away from the pipe because they might drill through pipes and damage them.

Backhoe excavates in layers, and a vac truck uses suction to safely remove soil and debris without damaging underground utilities.


Hope that helps next time you hit pipes on site!

PPS: We're opening BengLab's May cohort shortly with exclusive bonuses for those in the email list.


Cheers,
Gabe

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5 months ago | [YT] | 29

BEng The Brazilian Engineer in Australia

If you are a structural engineer who doesn’t think ahead
You’ll be REdesigning. A lot.



One principle I teach inside my community is something I call “Thinking Ahead.”
There’s no point designing all your beams and columns
Only to realise the connections don’t work.


It happens more than you think
You get so deep into the vertical load paths
Then move to lateral loads
And suddenly half your members don’t make sense anymore


Or the push and pull from one connection
Starts messing with the members below
Or you run out of space for reinforcement in a tight concrete member.


That’s why I’ve learned
You’ve got to think ahead.


Designing structures isn’t about chucking in the biggest beam.
It’s about sequencing your thoughts.

Start big picture.
How’s the load travelling down?
Where’s the wind pushing?
How are things tied together?

Because once you’ve designed the whole thing
and then realise your connections or detailing don’t work...
It’s back to square one.




It’s like playing chess
If you’re thinking one move at a time, you’re losing


You can’t do it all at once.
But you can think a few steps ahead


We’re opening the BengLab May cohort next week.
Join the waiting list to be first to know.

link.benglab.com/thinkingaheadytcommunity

5 months ago | [YT] | 9

BEng The Brazilian Engineer in Australia

SOLD OUT!

Hey everyone,

I'm emailing to let you know that spaces on the BengLab program are now sold out and applications are closed.

For those of you who missed out, click the link to join the wait list for when we open a few more spaces (around mid-May).

If you're still going through the application process with me through email, the doors are still open to you.
​
Gabe


www.skool.com/benglab-7692/about

6 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 5

BEng The Brazilian Engineer in Australia

Hey,

I just put together a fun little guide featuring some of the most important Australian Standards we use every day in structural engineering.

Thought you might find it handy

I've sent the PDF full guide to my newsletter subscribers. Send me an email if you haven't received it.

Cheers

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6 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 34

BEng The Brazilian Engineer in Australia

Hey, just wanted to make sure you didn’t miss this.

I put together a free lesson that walks through how I lay out beams, joists, and posts in a real residential project.

It covers:

- How I choose between steel and timber
- Common details like balcony cantilevers and wet area setdowns
- My sketching approach and reasoning behind each step

If you’ve ever looked at a set of floor plans and thought “Where the heck do I even start?”... this will help.

​Watch the Free Lesson Here​: link.benglab.com/freelessonlayoutyoutubecommunity

Catch you inside,​

Cheers,

Gabe

PS: Already watched it? I’d love to hear what you thought. Just reply and let me know.

6 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 13

BEng The Brazilian Engineer in Australia

In commercial projects, it's common to push the outside columns right up to the site boundary. Why?
Because land is expensive—and every square meter counts.


But this design choice comes with a trade-off.

When a column sits at the edge of a footing, it causes eccentric loading.

That leads to very high bearing pressure under the soil.
And depending on the loading and soil capacity, it can mean huge pad footings.

To solve this issue, structural engineers often use strap footings, which help balance the load and significantly reduce the amount of concrete needed.

You might see this occasionally in residential jobs, but it’s rare.
Most councils have setback rules that prevent it.


Still—have you ever seen a steel column placed off-centre inside a bored pier?
That’s a similar workaround, just with a residential twist.

Hope this email was helpful. If you would like to know how to design a strap footing, comment below and I will send you a link of a tutorial video.


Cheers,

Gabe

PS: BengLab's fourth cohort is open. Only 10 spots!

www.skool.com/benglab-7692/about

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6 months ago | [YT] | 23

BEng The Brazilian Engineer in Australia

Buckling analysis in software isn’t the final word.

But it’s a powerful way to go beyond hand calcs.

Running a buckling analysis in software is just like using Euler's column buckling equation.
But this is not the column final compression capacity.

Here’s what every structural engineer should remember:

1. Ideal vs Real Columns: Euler’s equation assumes perfection. But real columns? They have kinks, residual stress, and loads that aren’t always centered.

2. Second-Order Effects Matter: Software gives you a clean-looking result. But don’t ignore imperfections and member interaction. That’s where real-life design lives.

The whole purpose of a software buckling analysis is to go beyond simplified capacity calculations.

Buckling analysis can account for the beneficial effects of other members restraining the column, significantly reducing effective lengths for compression buckling.

In simpler terms, instead of relying on textbook idealized end restraints (see image below), we can actually get the real values through a software buckling analysis.

Not to mention that real buildings are always more complex than a simple fixed-fixed, pined -pinned frame.

Cheers,

Gabe

P.S: We're opening spaces for the next cohort in the BengLab community next month. If you want to apply, here's the link to join.

www.skool.com/benglab-7692/about

7 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 11

BEng The Brazilian Engineer in Australia

Hey everyone,

Just wrapping up a suspended slab design for a client and wanted to share some thoughts on structural integrity reinforcement.

AS 3600:2018 introduced specific rules for this—essentially, steel bars placed at the bottom of slabs and running over the tops of columns. Why? To hold the structure together, even if one part fails.
Think of it like a safety net under a trapeze artist. If one section gives way, the whole system doesn’t come crashing down—this prevents progressive collapse.

It is important in slabs, especially where slabs connect to columns, to help prevent the slab from collapsing if the connection fails (like from punching shear).

You don’t always need integrity reinforcement, though. If your slab is supported by beams with shear reinforcement and at least two bottom bars running through every span into the column, you’re exempt (Clause 9.2.2, AS 3600:2018).

The reference to beams is intended to refer to members that cannot punch and are designed in accordance with Section 8 of AS 3600. Slab bands are specifically mentioned as not being considered beams in this context for the purpose of this exemption.

I can see how integrity reinforcement could be a challenge in flat plate transfer slabs for high-rise buildings, due to reinforcement congestion. What do you think?

Just something to keep in mind next time you’re working on slab-column connections.

​

PS: Our third BengLab cohort was sold out this week and applications are closed. Thank you all for the incredible support.

For those of you who missed out this time, click "Join Group" to get on the wait list
www.skool.com/benglab-7692/about

7 months ago | [YT] | 5