Day 11: Mechanical Engineering and 3D Scanning
Today I am in the Sparks office again interviewing but I will also get the opportunity to check out the Mechanical Engineering side of KCI by looking at the ins and outs of their own building!
Counselor Connections
- Mechanical Engineering is another great engineering field to go into. It is all about the interior of a structure- mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection!
- Surveying involves a lot of technology, including working with 3D laser scanners, drones, and robotic equipment. You will have to start out working in the field, but eventually you could work in the office on the tech side of things. If you like technology, you might like this career!
- You don't have to go to a 4-year college to get involved with technology and surveying. Technical schools, community colleges, and even some high schools offer CADD and other engineering technology programs to get you started in your career!
- Math is important in this field so learn your math skills in high school!
Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from UMBC
6+ years at KCI
I start my day with Adam Rickey and he is a super energetic guy and I feel like he could talk to me for hours! What's really cool is Adam is the same age as my fiancé, Eric, and they both went to UMBC for Mechanical Engineering. I wonder if they know each other, but I come to find out that Adam graduated in 2004 and Eric graduated in 2005, so they wouldn't have crossed paths too much. Still pretty cool and who knows, maybe they were in some classes together and definitely had some of the same professors!
Adam leads the MEP group, which works on everything inside of a building, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC- lots of acronyms) is a big part of this group as well. Above is a photo of Adam trying so patiently to describe to me how an A/C until works. I had a lot of trouble following him but I really appreciate him trying to break it down for me!
They work with power sources, lighting, brakers, and electric panels. The team interacts with the communications infrastructure divison to ensure cell service and wifi connections happen inside buildings. MEP covers a really wide range of systems within a structure. I learned that this team works with vertical building (buildings go up), whereas Civil Engineers typically work with horizontal building (roads, bridges, water). Adam said, however, that there is a lot of work overlapping with the Civil Engineers and they work together a lot. In general, however, Civil picks up everything up to 5 ft. outside a building.
I found it interesting hearing about the air purification devices people have started installing in buildings as a result of the pandemic. Adam talked about their proposal to put air purification devices in schools, which I think is a great idea.
I also found it interesting talking about the fire protection side of his group, which is so very important. He talked about what happened to the Twin Towers during 9/11 and how the impact of the planes caused the fire. So much about how a building is constructed can affect not only the structure itself but the lives of people inside the building.
Overall, mechanical engineers have the same responsiblities as civil engineers at KCI. Everything is very code-driven while ensuring that the owner's needs are met. It is the engineer's job to be able to see when there will be stumbling blocks along the way in order to prevent problems from happening and then fixing problems as they arise.
MEP is a small part of KCI compared to the civil engineering work but a very important one because it is so intertwined and important to the successfulness of a build.
I appreciated Adam giving me a good break down of this area of the company. Next he had one of his Professional Engineers, Ben Becker, Mechanical Practice Leader, give me a brief tour of the electrical, plumbing, and fire protection rooms in the basement of the Sparks building. He also took me up on the roof to see the massive HVAC systems. So much involved in operating just 1 single building! I really enjoyed talking with Ben. He did an awesome job communicating in a way that I could understand how things work. I also enjoyed chatting with Ben about his travels to South America (I love to travel). You can see some of the photos of the tour of the KCI building above!
How would you describe your job to a high school
student in a few sentences?
“I am business and people-oriented both internally with our team and externally with our clients." I run anything mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection related. I help meet financial and sales goals. I help bring in business and manage groups. I work with strengths and weaknesses within our team.
What advice do you have
for a high school student?
“Do shadowing/mentoring/visitation with what you think you may like. Bob Ross it- paint me a picture!"Put a business plan together if you have an idea. Talk with friends and family for ideas. Make sure you know what an entry-level job will look like and also what it will look like as you move through the ranks. Gather information to make an informed decision. Determine if it's the job itself or the people that you work for that matter to you. Be willing to advocate within your capacities. Keep your hunger and keep going!
Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Management from Wilmington University
8 years at KCI
After a quick lunch break, I went back to the conference room to meet with Mike to learn more about surveying. I enjoyed learning that he started out at a technical school, Delaware Tech, in Engineering Technology/Drafting before he went to a 4-year college. This was neat to hear since many of my students like to start out at community college.
Mike talked more about the technology side of surveying with me. Mike said that once the design of a project is complete (involving engineers, CADD technicians, and designers), the surveyors are called in by the contractors to map out where to do the construction. They surveyors are out on the site to map out the project along the way until the very end. At the conclusion of the project, a survey is done of the built condition to show the client or the county that it was built properly. Surveying is done using a variety of very expensive equipment, including laser scanners, drones, and robotic station equipment. The use of GPS is very important in this job too.
Mike also gives me a better break down of how surveyors can move up in their position. The entry-level position, is a "rod and chain person" and it simply requires someone that is smart, pays attention, and is engaged in learning. After about a year or so, they can move up to instrument person, and then after that is party chief. From party chief they become survery technician and then from there they can become a licensed surveyor. With 10 years of experience, they can become what is called a responsible charge. Mike said that he currently has 10 openings for surveyors and it is a high demand job right now. They are always searching for quality candidates. A lot of his current surveyors are working overtime because they can't keep up with the work. I also found it interesting that in some states, you are required to get a 4 -ear surveying degree, but not currently in Maryland.
Mike shows me a bunch of pictures and videos of the technology they use today out in the field. One of the projects he showed me was a sinkhole right next to the Light Rail at Camden Yards in Baltimore City. They used a 3D scanner to go inside the manhole to assess the damage and figure out how to fix the problem. If the 3D scanner didn't exist, a surveyor would have to go down in the manhole himself and that can be very dangerous and time consuming. The advances in technology have not only made the job more time efficient, but also has helped keep the surveyors safe from harm on the job sites.
Mike really immersed me in the "tech" side of surveying, which was really cool! I will learn more about 3D scanning through a Microsoft teams that Mike is coordinating with Colton Cilentro, who is in the Newark, DE office. I'm excited to see more of this cool stuff!
How would you describe your job to a high school student in a few sentences?
"My day-to-day is about organizing and putting people in the right place." Overall, surveyors research and understand laws and deeds to see where we can find ground to match that and then use it to compute final decisions of boundaries. We wear a lot of hats!
What advice do you have for a high school student?
“There are so many opportunities for creating a great career!" How much effort do you want to put in? Do research on what you want to be and what it will take you to get to that point. Make sure you know what career you're gettting into. Put your best effort in starting in the 9th grade and it will give you more opportunities. I also suggest taking the SAT!
Rising Sun High School- Vo-Tech in Drafting/3D Modeling/CADD
Working on Bachelor's Degree in Computer Programming from Champlain College
17 years at KCI
Colton seems like a really young guy but he has actually been a KCI employee for 17 years! He has been working at KCI since right out of high school. Colton was lucky enough to attend a high school that had a vocational program in drafting, 3D modeling, and CADD, which led him to this career. He said he started as a draftsman and worked his way up to a licensed surveyor and now he is a Senior Project Surveyor and he mostly works in the office on the technology side of things. It's amazing how much he has progressed in his career with just a high school diploma! Colton tells me that he is currently working on his Bachelor's Degree in Computer Programming because it will be helpful in his career now.
Colton also shows me some drone footage, which is super cool. I know I will learn more about drones tomorrow, but this type of drone work is highly sophisticated and involves much bigger and more expensive instruments to get the jobs done. Colton says that drones are often used to survey highways and turnpikes because it helps eliminate the need to block traffic and also eliminates safety concerns for the surveyors and pedestrians. Additionally, drones allow surveyors to get information about the rooftop of buildings so that the surveyor doesn't have to climb up on the roof. This is another way to ensure the safety of the surveyors.
I enjoy seeing how excited and passionate Colton is about this work. I think that a lot of my students who are interested in video games and robotics would love this type of career and I'm excited to share this with them!
How would you describe your job to a high school student in a few sentences?
"I am a professional measurer. I prove where things are and should be on the face of the Earth."
What advice do you have for a high school student?
“Don't take high school for granted. Take school seriously. You will use math- Algebra and Trigonometry."
I'm super excited to learn more about drones tomorrow!
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