Engineering Structural Mep interview prep.

Behavioural questions to expect

1. Walk me through your engineering background and project portfolio.
2. Walk me through your CV.
3. Tell me about a weakness, a failure, or feedback you've received and worked on.
4. Why consulting engineering? / Why structural (or MEP) specifically?
5. Why this sector or system - the sector (healthcare / education / commercial high-rise / mission-critical / lab + life sciences / civic)?
6. Why the firm?
7. What do you think makes the firm distinct from a top competitor?
8. What do you think day-to-day looks like for a discipline engineer at this firm?

Technical concepts to master

• Load path + lateral systems (structural)

  Gravity load path · Lateral system selection · Seismic base shear (ASCE 7 Section 12.8) · Wind pressures (ASCE 7 Chapters 26-31) · Diaphragm + collector design

• HVAC load + system selection (mechanical)

  Block load + room-by-room load calculation · System type selection · Air-side sizing + distribution · Hydronic sizing + pumping · Controls + sequence of operation

• Electrical sizing + selective coordination (electrical)

  Service + feeder + branch sizing (NEC) · Voltage drop · Short-circuit + AIC + selective coordination · Emergency + standby + legally required (NEC Articles 700 / 701 / 702) · Healthcare essential electrical (NFPA 99 + NEC 517)

• Plumbing + fire protection essentials

  Plumbing fixture count (IPC Chapter 4) · Sanitary drainage + venting · Water supply + pressure · Sprinkler design (NFPA 13) · Standpipe + fire pump (NFPA 14 + 20)

• Sustainability + energy modelling + decarbonisation

  Energy modelling tools · ASHRAE 90.1 baseline + proposed · Electrification + all-electric design · Embodied carbon (structural) · Daylight + lighting modelling

Practical drills

• Pick a project where you owned the load path (structural) OR the system sizing (MEP) at DD or CD level. Walk through the engineering decisions as if you're in front of a sealing principal at the firm: context + governing code + decision + calculation + coordination + outcome + lesson. Bring the calc sheet or sketch you'd want to show.
• Your client wants {ambitious program} on a tight project in jurisdiction. The structural / MEP / fire-protection scope has a binding constraint - {seismic Site Class F / OSHPD healthcare / high-rise standpipe + fire pump / lab 100% outside air / mission-critical N+1 redundancy / NYC LL97 carbon limit}. Walk through how you'd approach the constraint analysis, the coordination across disciplines, and the trade-offs you'd present to the design team + client.
• STRUCTURAL VARIANT: A 6-storey commercial office in seismic design category D, occupancy risk category II, Sds = 1.0g, R = 8 (special steel moment frame), Ie = 1.0. Estimate the seismic base shear (ASCE 7 Section 12.8). MECHANICAL VARIANT: A 50,000 sf open office in ASHRAE climate zone 4A with 1 person per 100 sf, 1 W/sf lighting, 1 W/sf equipment. Estimate peak cooling load + AHU CFM, naming your assumptions. ELECTRICAL VARIANT: A 480/277V panel feeds a 200A continuous load at 75 deg C THWN copper - what conductor size (NEC 310.16 + 215.2 continuous) + voltage drop over 150 ft?

Smart-question anchors

• Project staffing rhythm - how an engineer at this level moves between SD, DD, CD, and CA phases in a typical year
• Technical review + sealing cadence - peer + senior + sealing principal review, how technical decisions get escalated
• Analysis tool stack + BIM workflow - ETABS / RAM / RISA / Trane TRACE / IES VE / Revit MEP version + LOD discipline
• Sustainability + decarbonisation trajectory - 2030 Commitment, electrification expertise, embodied carbon, ASHRAE 189.1 + LEED + Passive House work
• Licensure + career path - EIT supervision, PE exam reimbursement, SE path for structural, study time + mentorship

Sourced from

ASCE 7 Minimum Design Loads + Associated Criteria for Buildings + Other Structures · ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals + Standards 90.1 + 62.1 + 170 + 55 · NEC (NFPA 70) National Electrical Code + IEEE standards · NFPA 13 + 14 + 20 + 72 + 99 + 101 fire + life safety standards · ACEC + SEAOC + ASHRAE + ASCE professional interview + practice references