There is a widely-held misconception that a Reserve Study must be prepared by a trained engineer. However, the truth is that the entire concept of a reserve study was developed by Ed Edgley, the CEO of RDA. Ed Edgley is not an engineer; and he has performed more studies than any other reserve specialist. The simple fact is:
- There is no engineering involved in performing a reserve study.
- Engineering schools do not offer classes on how to perform a reserve study.
- Engineering training and skill sets are not specifically useful to performing reserve studies.
- An engineer’s skill set is typically focused on design, not on field inspections.
- Even if you hire an engineering firm, it’s very unlikely that an actual engineer will perform your study.
Engineering companies save money by employing engineering techs to perform their fieldwork, and their engineers are free to design from the comfort of their office. The true skill set valuable to conducting a reserve study is time in the field. This cannot be learned from time spent in school or in an office. In fact, Ed Edgley frequently emphasizes that the engineers he has trained have had the most difficulty grasping reserve concepts.
While it’s true that good engineering firms frequently provide reliable services, the practice of reserve studies is typically only one of many services. It’s generally not their main focus nor expertise. RDA has made reserve studies their one and only specialty.
