Want to save money on a construction project? Hire an engineer

As professionals, we design beautiful structures, safe roads and comfortable buildings in a team environment with other experts.

In the engineering world, we have two types of construction concepts: horizontal and vertical. Horizontal construction focuses on infrastructure projects like bridges, dams, roads and highways. Vertical construction focuses on buildings like residential structures, medical centers and commercial centers.

In vertical construction, we may also work with an architect. In all cases of design work, engineers develop a plan to ensure that the design is sound and safe.

As engineers, we are called to serve the public good and we take safety seriously. I like to tell people that being an engineer means being a pre-responder to a disaster. Long before the ground rumbles, the fire begins, the winds howl or the snow falls, we are protecting the public.

As engineers, we look to make a building strong and enable it to handle a disaster so that people inside a building can safely get out.

We are also problem solvers. Sometimes as we develop plans, we face challenges that must be overcome so a project can move forward. These are some of our most favorite projects because they demand that we find a solution through research and creative thinking.

Engineering is often a collaborative field. Frequently we will perform peer reviews of another engineer’s work and vice versa. We are a team. We are a society. Peer reviews provide an opportunity to see how someone else approaches a problem, see how she or he solves it, and ensure nothing is missed.

If you want to learn more about Hood River Engineers and what we do, visit our website at www.hoodriverengineers.com. If you have a question for me or one of my engineers, email us at GorgeExpert@hoodrivernews.com We are glad to offer an opinion at no cost.