How I made my first Software-Civil Engineering Project



Introduction:

Building foundations are the backbone of any structure. That’s why I created a web tool that designs building foundations for geotechnical engineers. The tool was developed by I alone and it took me about 1 month to complete. The focus of this project was to make geotechnical engineering lives automated. With this tool, you can easily design building foundations with just a few clicks. It’s easy to use and saves time.

My story:

I have a Civil Engineering background and I've always been passionate about designing building foundations. However, I noticed that the typical ways of designing building foundations take too much time. Either you have to use hand calculations which take a long time because there are many iterations or you've to use spreadsheets that are difficult to understand and do not cover all the cases.

As a lecturer, I saw many students struggling with hand calculations when designing building foundations. They would spend hours working on calculations and still not get the results they needed. That's when I realized that there was a real need for a more efficient and automated way of designing building foundations.

As I started working in the industry, I noticed that new employees at Civil Engineering firms also struggled with the spreadsheets mentioned above. They would spend days trying to understand how to use them and still not get the results they needed.

That's when I decided to combine my Civil Engineering background with my Software Engineering education and interests to create a web tool that would make designing building foundations easier and more efficient. I learned software engineering through a program called ALX which helped me develop my skills in coding and web development.

I spent countless hours researching and learning about software development and web design. It was challenging at first, but I was determined to create something that would help other geotechnical engineers like myself to save time and improve their work.

What I've accomplished:

I used these technologies to create the web tool:
  • Python: I chose Python because it is easy to learn, write, and debug, and it has many libraries and frameworks for web development. Python also supports multiple paradigms, which gives me flexibility and choice in how I structure my code.
  • Flask: I chose Flask because it is simple, fast, and scalable, and it allows me to have full control over the design and features of my web tool. Flask also has many extensions that can enhance its functionality, such as SQLAlchemy for database integration.
  • HTML: I used HTML to create the user interface of my web tool, such as the forms, buttons, tables, and images. HTML is easy to use and widely supported by all browsers. HTML is also the foundation of web development, as it can be combined with other languages and technologies.
  • Bootstrap: I used Bootstrap to make my web tool look professional, modern, and consistent across different devices and screen sizes. Bootstrap provides ready-made components that can be easily customized and integrated into any web page. Bootstrap also helps me save time and effort by reducing the need to write custom CSS or JavaScript code.
  • SQLite3: I used SQLite3 to store and retrieve the data of my web tool, such as the user inputs, the foundation designs, and the project details. SQLite3 is easy to use and integrates with Python using the sqlite3 module. SQLite3 also supports multiple features, such as transactions, triggers, views, indexes, foreign keys, etc.
  • Managed hosting: I chose managed hosting because it saves me the time and hassle of setting up and managing my own server, and it ensures that my web tool is always online, fast, and secure. Managed hosting also offers various benefits, such as scalability, reliability, support, and customization.
I have completed several features for my web tool including:
  • A user-friendly interface that allows users to easily input their data.
  • A login feature that allows users to see advanced results.
  • An algorithm that automatically generates foundation designs based on user input.
Most difficult technical challenge:
One of the most difficult technical challenges that I faced while creating my web tool that designs building foundations was selecting the right technologies to use. There are many options available for web development, and each one has its own advantages and disadvantages. I wanted to choose the technologies that would best suit my needs and goals, such as simplicity, speed, scalability, reliability, and usability. However, I was confused and overwhelmed by the variety and complexity of the technologies, and I received different opinions and suggestions from different people. To overcome this challenge, I decided to do some research and analysis on the different technologies that I was considering. I used Python as my programming language, as it is easy to learn, write, and debug, and it has many libraries and frameworks for web development. However, I was not sure which web framework to use for Python, as there are many options, such as Django, Flask, Pyramid, and Web2py. I compared Flask and Django, as they are the most popular and widely used frameworks for Python. I found out that Flask is a lightweight and minimalist framework that gives me full control over the design and features of my web tool, while Django is a full-stack framework that provides a lot of functionality out of the box, but also imposes a lot of structure and conventions that can be restrictive and complicated. After trying out both frameworks, I decided to use Flask because it is simple, fast, and scalable. For the database system, I also had many options to choose from, such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and SQLite3. I compared SQLite3 and MySQL, as they are the most common and widely used database systems for web development. I found out that SQLite3 is easy to use and integrate with Python using the sqlite3 module, and it supports multiple features, such as transactions, triggers, views, indexes, foreign keys, etc., while MySQL is a powerful and reliable system that supports many features but also requires me to install and configure it on a server, which can be time-consuming and complex. After trying out both systems, I decided to use SQLite3 because it is simple, fast, and self-contained. For the front-end development, I used HTML. However, I also needed to use some additional technologies to make my web tool look more attractive, responsive, and interactive. I compared Bootstrap and Foundation, as they are the most popular and widely used front-end frameworks for web development. I found out that Bootstrap provides more components and themes than Foundation, but also has more dependencies and complexity than Foundation. After trying out both frameworks, I decided to use Bootstrap because it provides more functionality and customization options. For the web hosting solution, I also had many options to choose from, such as shared hosting, dedicated hosting, cloud hosting, etc. I compared dockerized app on a server with Nginx and Gunicorn and managed hosting, as they are the most flexible and scalable solutions for web development. I found out that dockerized app on a server with Nginx and Gunicorn is a solution that involves using Docker, a software platform that allows me to build, run, and deploy my web tool as a containerized application. A container is a standalone unit of software that packages up the code and all its dependencies so that it can run anywhere. Nginx is a web server that can handle high traffic and serve static files efficiently. Gunicorn is a web server gateway interface (WSGI) server that can run Python web applications and communicate with Nginx. This solution gives me more control and customization over my web tool, but also requires me to set up and manage the server, the Docker environment, the nginx configuration, and the Gunicorn workers. Managed hosting is a service that provides web hosting solutions that are fully managed by the provider. This means that the provider takes care of all the technical aspects of running a web server, such as security, performance, backup, maintenance, and updates. Managed hosting saves me the time and hassle of setting up and managing my own server, and it ensures that my web tool is always online, fast, and secure. After trying out both solutions, I decided to use managed hosting because it provides more benefits and guarantees than a dockerized app on a server with Nginx and Gunicorn.

What I've learned:
Creating this web tool was a challenging and rewarding experience for me. I learned a lot from this project, both technically and personally. Here are some of the main takeaways that I want to share:
  • Technical takeaways: I learned how to use various technologies for web development, such as Python, Flask, HTML, Bootstrap, SQLite3, and managed hosting. I learned how to calculate the optimal foundation design based on the user’s input and the soil properties using Python’s math libraries. I learned how to create a user-friendly and responsive user interface using HTML and Bootstrap. I learned how to store and retrieve the data of my web tool using SQLite3 and Python’s sqlite3 module. I learned how to deploy and host my web tool using managed hosting.
  • What I might do differently: If I had more time and resources, I might try to improve some aspects of my web tool, such as adding more features, enhancing the user experience, optimizing the performance, and testing the reliability. For example, I might add a better storage feature that allows the user to save their foundation designs on the cloud or on their local device, and access them anytime and anywhere. I might also add more functionality to the user interface, such as allowing the user to edit, save, or share their foundation design. I might also optimize the performance of my web tool by reducing the loading time, improving the accuracy of the calculations, and handling errors gracefully. I might also test the reliability of my web tool by conducting more experiments on different scenarios and locations, and checking for bugs or glitches.
  • What I learned about myself as a software engineer: I learned that I have a passion for solving real-world problems using software engineering skills. I enjoyed the process of researching, designing, developing, testing, and deploying my web tool that designs building foundations. I also enjoyed learning new technologies and applying them to my project. I learned that I have a growth mindset that allows me to overcome challenges and learn from failures. I also learned that I have good communication and collaboration skills that enable me to work effectively with others and seek feedback.
  • How this project informs my software engineering path in the future: This project has inspired me to pursue more projects that involve web development, data analysis, civil engineering, and other domains that interest me. I think these fields are very interesting and have a lot of potential for innovation and impact. I want to continue learning new skills and technologies that can help me create more useful and creative web tools that can solve real-world problems. I also want to explore more opportunities for collaboration and networking with other software engineers and domain experts who share similar interests and goals.
  • Confirm or question any beliefs I held prior to this project: This project has confirmed my belief that software engineering is a powerful and rewarding career that can make a difference in the world. It has also challenged some of my assumptions about web development, such as thinking that SQLite3 is not suitable for web applications or that managed hosting is not secure enough. I realized that these assumptions are not always true and that each technology has its own strengths and weaknesses depending on the context and requirements of the project. Therefore, it is important to do some research and analysis before choosing the technologies to use for a web development project.
Finally:

Hello, I’m a software engineer who loves to create web tools that can solve real-world problems. I created a web tool that designs building foundations based on the user’s input of the project specifications and the soil data. Here are some links that you can check out:
I hope you enjoy using my web tool and learning more about me.




 


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