President's Message

Steven Crook, SE

2024-2025 SEAOC President

My name is Steve Crook, and I’d like to begin this first message with a heartfelt “thank you” to your Past President, Emily Guglielmo, whom I’ve had the honor of watching and learning from for the past two years. There is no shortage of superlatives people use to describe Emily; “force of nature” probably comes up the most. You rock, Emily!

I’d also like to express sincere gratitude to Krista Looza, for her insight, humanity, and knack for finding the good and positive in all things and all of us.

Reach a little farther back, and there’s Ken O’Dell. Ken’s fearlessness and brilliance make the most audacious proposition seem achievable, even inevitable.

I stand sheepishly among some truly excellent leaders.

This year’s Board of Directors includes two phenomenal future leaders, Kelsey Parolini and Devon Lumbard. Kelsey steps into the role of President Elect; her polite demeanor masks a gargantuan talent for observing, distilling, and transforming. Devon returns to the Board after two years as Director for Central; this time as Treasurer. He’s a fundamentally good and wise person whose enthusiasm for our structural community makes me excited for things to come.

I would also like to thank your leaders who will be serving on our Board of Directors this year. From Northern: Wayne Low, Joyce Feng, and David Ojala. From Central: Doug Mayer and Laura Rice. From Southern, Craig Chamberlain, Garrett Mills, and Maria Mohammed. From San Diego: Harshda Prasad and Steve Kerr.

It’s a great time to be SEAOC. The past few years have seen remarkable progress at reinventing ourselves as an organization; leveraging our strengths in the face of new conditions to not only remain relevant but be more effective in our mission. This year continues the work toward the vision of seeing Structural Engineers throughout California valued as key influencers, expert resources, and innovative leaders in our profession and community.

In the past couple of months, our Board has identified several initiatives to build on recent successes, as well as pivoting to new opportunities. We will keep you updated as we work on Continuous organizational improvement, Technical Resources, Advocacy, Continuing Education, and Licensure and Professional Practice.

Thank you for the privilege of working with you, your local leaders, and all of our committees as we continue to advance the people, practice, and position of structural engineering in California.

“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.”

-Dolly Parton

“Unless you’re willing to lose everything to win, you lose it all by losing.”

-James S.A. Corey, Tiamat’s Wrath

Register for the SEAOC Webinar: Structural Observation and Inspection Practices for Externally Bonded FRP Composites

Speaker: Amir Bonakdar, PhD, PE

Fyfe RFP

12 - 1 pm

Wed, Nov. 20

$50 SEAOC members

$75 non-members

Join us for a webinar on the use of externally bonded fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) and learn what to look for and what tests to perform to verify the in-situ performance of an FRP system.

Special Wind Regions and Basic Wind Speed in Southern California

SEAOC's Wind Committee is pleased to host a FREE two-hour charrette from 10 a.m. - 12 noon, Thursday, Dec. 12.

The first hour of this online event will include presentation of the results of studies commissioned by SEAOC to define Basic Wind Speeds in Special Winds Zones in Southern California, as were introduced in ASCE 7-22.

The second hour will be a facilitated discussion to hear ideas regarding how to achieve a consistent approach to defining wind speed requirements in these areas. We are seeking ideas related to both technical recommendations and ways to organize the numerous jurisdictions in developing a common approach.

Design and consulting engineers, plan checkers, and building officials are all invited share experiences and expertise and provide input.

SEAOC/SESOC Collaboration Update

By Kelly Cobeen, SE

The collaboration between SEAOC and the Structural Engineering Society of New Zealand (SESOC) was in full swing at the September SEAOC Convention where SESOC Past Presidents Michelle Grant and Paul Campbell were able to join us in Portland to participate in collaborative presentations and make connections with friends old and new.

With the SEAOC Convention behind us, the group returns to ongoing work of making connections, encouraging collaboration, and planning for SESOC Conference 2025.

The SESOC September 2024 Newsletter is available to SEAOC members using the below link. The newsletter provides updates of interest on a number of significant current efforts affecting seismic design of new buildings and evaluation and retrofit of existing. https://d2rjvl4n5h2b61.cloudfront.net/media/documents/Sesoc_-_newsletter_-_September_24.pdf

SESOC Conference 2025 – The dates and location have been established and the call for abstracts will be coming soon. Interested SEAOC members are encouraged to participate.

Location - Takina, Wellington, New Zealand

Dates (NZ time) - Mid-afternoon Wednesday 25 June 2025 to Friday 27 June 2025

Call for Abstracts - To be announced, November 2024.

Please reach out to Joyce Fuss (Joyce.Fuss@lionakis.com ) or Kelly Cobeen (kcobeen@wje.com) if you are interested in further information about this collaboration.

Paul Campbell and Michelle Grant enjoying the SEAOC Board and Committee Member Dinner.

SESOC/SEAOC collaboration members at the CSI party: Kelly Cobeen, Paul Campbell, Michelle Grant, Laura Whitehurst and Joyce Fuss. [Photo credit: the CSI photo team]

SEAOC DES Committee Deployed

By Stefanie Rae Arizabal, DES Co-Chair

With the passing of the 35th Anniversary of the Loma Prieta Earthquake on October 17, we would like to take a moment to spotlight a critical federal program that was inspired by the many daring rescues completed by California first responders following Loma Prieta. The National Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) Response System was established in 1989 to provide assistance in structural collapse rescue. The System has 28 US&R task forces, 8 of which are in California. These teams can be deployed by FEMA to a disaster area or they may be pre-positioned when a major disaster threatens a community. You can learn more about the System here: https://www.responsesystem.org/sts.

Each task force is rostered with multiple rescue expert disciplines, including several Structures Specialists (StS). These licensed engineers have special training to assess and stabilize damaged structures with the ultimate goal of facilitating rescues and keeping their teammates safe. Many SEAOC members serve on the 8 California teams and are ready to deploy with only a few hours’ notice. In early October, 11 StS from 6 of the 8 California teams deployed, including Dorian Sulc of CA TF-1 LA City, Brian Smith and Daniel Bradbury of CA TF 2 LA County, Jack Wegleitner of CA TF-3 Menlo Park, Stefanie Rae Arizabal of CA TF-4 Oakland, James Kramer, Jerry Luong and Bruce Newell of CA TF-5 Orange County, Jonathan Glassman and Dan Cook of CA TF-6 Riverside, and Christina Becker of CA TF-8 San Diego deployed to the Southeast to respond to the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. We are grateful for their many volunteer hours spent training and willingness to deploy on short notice to use their expertise to respond to disasters. We also applaud their employers, coworkers, and clients for supporting their deployment and thereby contributing to this critical emergency response effort.

Our thoughts are with those facing the long road to recovery after hurricanes Helene and Milton caused severe damage and destruction across the Southeastern US, but proud that our SEAOC colleagues are able to assist our fellow Americans in their time of need through a program inspired by our own disaster recovery 35 years ago. If you are interested in learning more about the US&R Program or becoming an StS, please reach out to des@seaoc.org.

2023-2024 Annual Report

SEAOC has published its 2023-20224Annual Report, which touches on the productive year behind, financial highlights, and the busy year ahead.

Click here to download the report.

SEISMICALLY VULNERABLE EXISTING BUILDING FACT SHEET SUMMARY

SEAOC is excited to announce the completion of the Seismically Vulnerable Building Fact Sheets. The sheets were developed to address the critical need for awareness and action regarding the safety of existing buildings during earthquakes. They summarize common structural vulnerabilities in building types including Unreinforced Masonry, Non-Ductile Concrete, Wood Soft/Weak Open Front, Rigid Wall - Flexible Diaphragm, and Pre-Northridge Steel Moment Frames. Each sheet explains the unique risks associated with these building types and highlights potential retrofitting solutions to improve building resilience, protect lives, and support community recovery.

These fact sheets are intended for building owners, policymakers, AEC industry professionals, and the general public, and provide a resource for structural engineers to help convey how seismically vulnerable structures may perform poorly in a seismic event. The information within is particularly valuable for those in earthquake-prone areas looking to better understand how to mitigate risks through retrofitting.

We would like to acknowledge the SEAOC Existing Buildings Committee and our regional chapters across San Diego, Southern California, Northern California, and Central regions, for their collaborative efforts in compiling the sheets. Click here to download your copy today.

2024 Convention Proceedings Now Available!

The 2024 SEAOC Convention Proceedings are now available. Click here to download yours today!

Mark your calendars and save the date for the 2025 SEAOC Convention!

UPDATES FROM THE MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

It's almost time for the sweetest structural engineering event of the year—the 2024 SoCal Gingerbread Challenge! Join SEAOSC in Orange County, this December for a whimsical, family-friendly event conveniently located in Discovery Cube OC in Santa Ana.

Organized by the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California (SEAOSC), the SoCal Gingerbread Challenge is an annual holiday tradition encouraging engineering professionals across Southern California to get creative and construct elaborate but structurally sound buildings from gingerbread, candy, and icing. After an intense build night, the gingerbread creations are put on public display for a three-day exhibition, during which the public is invited to vote for their favorites.

But that's not all! During the SoCal Gingerbread Challenge exhibition, people of all ages can build their own gingerbread creations. Make your dream house, then shop while you wait for it to dry. When you return, you can test your design on our Shake Table to see if it would hold up in an earthquake! Real structural engineers will be standing by to answer your pressing questions and assist with the building and testing processes. Learn More