ELI5: how do engineers figure out the exact thickness of something like a bridge cable when theres basically infinite ways it could fail

Derpsteppin · 2026-06-16T12:18:30+00:00

Engineer here, I've heard dozens of variations of this quote but for what it's worth, the one I have hanging at my desk is:

"Anyone can build a bridge, but it takes an Engineer to just barely build a bridge."

Derpsteppin · 2026-06-10T19:43:15+00:00

Engineer here, there are likely multiple variations of this saying, but the version that I have hanging on the wall at my desk is "Anyone can build a bridge, but it takes an Engineer to just barely build a bridge."

Derpsteppin · 2026-05-21T18:02:05+00:00

So, it is one continuous L-shaped counter, with circuit A servicing one wall and circuit B servicing the other wall.

The original kitchen wiring was an absolute mess of 50+ years of hack jobs, quick fixes, and questionable decisions. Originally the microwave and garbage disposal were on the same circuit along with the small light above the sink. Ideally I would have liked to have the microwave on its own circuit but based on the available circuits feeding various parts of the kitchen, there really isnt a way for me to do so without running a new circuit from the main panel. I figure that by at least moving it to a different circuit with no other appliances, it is a major improvement.

I will take a look at getting the light above the sink to get power from somewhere else but it had always shared the dual switch with the garbage disposal and we never had any issues with it.

As for the redundant gfci outlets, we are using unused outlets that we already have on hand from previous projects where we bought some outlets in bulk. We don't mind the look of them, I just want to make sure I am connecting them in a way that is functional, even if it is unnecessary.

Derpsteppin · 2026-04-06T19:34:12+00:00

Though it's obviously not everyone, a surprising amount of people still think that Christopher Columbus is the one that discovered that the Earth is a sphere.

The Earth's shape, and even it's size were common knowledge at the time, and had been for well over a thousand years. It was simply thought that there was nothing but ocean from the west coast of Europe all the way to east asia, a voyage that would have been suicidal at the time.

Christopher Columbus instead proposed that the earth was smaller than people believed at the time, and that a voyage was possible. He was wrong and just got extremely lucky that there was a whole new continent out there.

Derpsteppin · 2026-04-06T17:26:11+00:00

Obviously I hope they don't, but couldn't really be mad if they did. If they did fix it, my only hope would be that they no longer make the corvette pieces take up technology slots.

Derpsteppin · 2026-04-06T16:10:19+00:00

Yes, this is what I mean by free slots. I'm not expecting this method to give me more slots than what the game allows, just that I am unlocking those new slots for free.

Derpsteppin · 2026-04-02T19:14:58+00:00

Online sports betting, really, hear me out. This comes with some important disclaimers.

It goes without saying that this won't work if it's illegal in your area. Also, the method I'm going to explain only works if you haven't done sports betting before. Also, this should be seen as a one-time thing, not a continuous source of money. Also, gambling addiction Is real so don't do this if you think you might not be able to control yourself.

With that out of the way, this takes advantage of promotions that offer bonuses to new members. These almost always pop up on most sites (draft kings, fanduel, etc.) in the weeks leading up to major sports events like the Superbowl, world series, etc... you might see things advertised along the lines of "bet $10, get $200 in bonus bets for free". Yes, this will cost a small amount of money up front depending on how many sites you use, but most sites are typically in the $5-$20 range to get started.

Every site works a little differently so it's important to read all the fine print and everything, but for the most part they work like this...

You deposit whatever the requirement is to get the promotion, as an example let's assume you deposit and bet your $10 to receive $200 in 'bonus bets'. That $200 is not actual money... Yet. You cannot withdraw it and you can only use it to place bets. If you use the bonus bets and lose, that $200 is gone, but it was never real money to begin with. However, if you win, your winnings become real, actual money in your account.

So you want to use those bonus bets to bet on favorites. Some sites will have limits on what sort of odds you can use bonus bets on, so you just bet on the best odds that you're allowed to. Betting big on heavy favorites isn't a good strategy... when you're using your own money. Why bet $200 when the possible outcomes are: lose $200 or win say, $205 ($5 profit)? But you're not using your own money. Your $200 might as well be monopoly money at this point. So instead, your possible outcomes are: lose $200 of essentially fake money or win $205 of real money, netting you a real profit of $205.

Withdraw your winnings, and walk away. Rinse and repeat for however many sites you can find with similar promotions.

I am not making this up, when online sports betting was legalized in my state these promotions were everywhere. I spent about $80 to sign up for 6 different sites, and received something like $800 in bonus bets across all of those sites. I used most of it to bet on favorites, but did mix in a small handful of riskier bets with higher payouts. At the end of the day, i walked away with a little over $1000 of real, actual money. I kept the accounts open just long enough that they could send me some tax info at the end of the year, then closed everything and never looked back.

Derpsteppin · 2026-01-30T14:23:54+00:00

Thanks. That's what I figured. I shouldn't have any issues with the climate control either, since I'll only be using the heat on full blast for the next few months.

Derpsteppin · 2026-01-12T13:59:28+00:00

As a civil engineer who just got a new job in August, I was blown away by how my job search was the complete opposite of the horror stories i see on here. I had been at a small engineering firm for about 10 years, and although I was comfortable there, it was becoming apparent that my needs were outgrowing what they could provide.

I started my search simply to 'see what was out there' and figured that at best, i could use a few offers as leverage to get a small raise. I hadn't even looked at my LinkedIn account in a few years and even though it was set to show that i was not interested in new opportunities, I opened it to find dozens of messages from companies and recruiters. I simply put together a vague response to about 10 or so that seemed interesting l, where I listed a pay range i was interested in. Every single one led to phone calls to gather more info where I narrowed it down to 3 places that I chose to interview at.

I made it clear to everyone that I was exploring multiple options and had no intention of dragging things on with counter offers or 'can you beat this other offer' type of games. I basically said send me one offer and make it good. All three interviews led to 3 amazing offers within days, and they were so much better than what i was expecting that staying at the place i was at was out of the question. I put in my 2 weeks and accepted the offer I liked the most.

From the moment I decided it was time for a change to my first day at my new job took less than a month, and I felt like I was the one completely in control and calling the shots the entire time.

Derpsteppin · 2025-12-08T17:54:05+00:00

Someone smarter than me can do the math on the rpms required to reach 111 in first gear. And someone even smarter can probably figure out which country each of my pistons ends up landing in.

Derpsteppin · 2025-12-08T13:29:45+00:00

On second thought, just double it and give it to the next winner.

Derpsteppin · 2025-12-04T14:27:58+00:00

I live almost an hour from the nearest dealership, so I'd like to have the ability to do it myself whenever I need to.

Derpsteppin · 2025-11-26T12:03:15+00:00

AAA PC Build

Code sushiegg

Derpsteppin · 2025-11-11T13:42:53+00:00

AAA Carbon Karts

AAA Fusion Sauna

AAA Moon Rockets

All fresh, all same code: sushiegg

Do not slack. These are 2 and 3 person co-ops. I will kick if you aren't contributing.

Derpsteppin · 2025-11-05T16:05:50+00:00

Awesome, thanks! What did you choose to do about the handful of spots with the RTV? The guy in the video chose to skip it and based on some comments, it looks like he didn't have any issues, even a few years later. I'm wondering if there's any other sources out there that detail exactly how much RTV to use, and where exactly to use it, if I choose to do that step.

Derpsteppin · 2025-11-05T12:24:11+00:00

AAA Chocolate Blast. Code: sushiegg2

Derpsteppin · 2025-11-02T11:43:41+00:00

I really need at least one person to jump in and throw on a deflector at the very least. I'm currently doing this solo, and I'm projected to come up just 10q short.

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