For many civil engineers, this course is required if you’re pursuing structural engineering, CEM, or infrastructure systems. The course title can be a bit misleading-rather than full structural systems, it focuses on the design of individual members in both steel and reinforced concrete. You’ll spend the first portion of the semester on steel design and transition to reinforced concrete for the final month.

The class is structured around participation, three non‑cumulative tests, and regular practice problems. Some topics can be challenging, such as shear block failure, steel flexural member design, and non‑yielding reinforced concrete analysis, but these make up a relatively small portion of the course. Much of the remaining content is very code‑driven, as long as you understand the distinction between nominal and design strengths.

Ozbulut is a strong instructor who emphasizes participation and keeps students engaged through frequent questions and in‑class discussion. His office hours are somewhat limited, so planning ahead is important, but he was flexible and accommodating when I needed to meet outside the posted times. Overall, while the course includes some difficult material (especially on Test 2), it’s very manageable, and the concepts are approachable with consistent practice. It’s a solid and essential class for anyone heading into any sort of infrastructure design.

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