View in your browser

There’s probably a lot of folks out there saying: "Man, I’m never gonna have me a rush like that. Earth’s a parking lot and outer space is just too pricy." Let me tell you something: There’s a lot of ways to blaze a trail. I always think back to those unsung heroes of the past, like that prehistoric gourmet who looked at that lobster and said, "I’m going to eat that." Or the first healer who picked up a knife and said, "Let’s operate boys." You see, adventures come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, like getting your hair cut, or falling in love. Even getting behind the wheel and backing out of the driveway can be a sublime act of faith … as well as a monumental act of courage.

~ Jeffrey Vlaming, Northern Exposure S3:E20 “The Final Frontier”

On a recent site visit in Washington, I saw a familiar name on an exit sign on the freeway: Roslyn. The little town with its bemuraled (Microsoft Word says that’s not a word but I’m not going to let Satya Nadella define the alpha and omega of my vocabulary!) café, which looks like it was frozen in time a century ago, served as the filming location for the critically acclaimed TV series Northern Exposure. The show follows the lives of the eclectic residents of the fictional town of Cicely, Alaska and the young doctor from New York City forced to move there as repayment for a medical school scholarship. Hilarity and drama ensue, of course. The quote above was delivered by my favorite character, Chris Stevens, the community’s ex-con radio DJ and unofficial chaplain, played by John Corbett. [Read More]

President’s Office Hours, Thursday, January 15th, 3PM to 5PM

This month, we’re keeping the Latam theme but moving to the East Bay! David will post up at Tierra Mia Coffee at 2001 Broadway in Oakland, just off the 19th Street Oakland BART Station, from 3 to 5PM on Thursday, January 15th. Are you a SEAONC veteran with complaints to (politely) lodge? New to SEAONC with questions? Want thoughtful opinions on deep beams or irrational opinions on deep dish pizza? Stop on in. First few attendees get their beverage of choice (and some happy hour apps) on David’s tab.



Can’t make it this time? No worries. We’re hoping to make this a regular informal gathering with your SEAONC Officers and change up the locations (maybe even virtual) and times a bit in the coming months. Stay tuned and let us know if you have a favorite afternoon haunt to consider for February or thoughts on a time that might be more appealing for you! 

Thank you to our Anchor Sponsor, CSI!

Your generosity and support of SEAONC are greatly appreciated.

December Meeting Update

For our December Board Meeting we were thankful to be hosted by PEER in Davis Hall on the UC Berkeley campus ahead of our evening meeting at the Faculty Club. We were joined by a familiar face in Wayne Low, now serving as SEAOC Treasurer, to talk shop. Key points of business included:

• Approval of 2026 University Research Program grants.
• Approval of a new update to the CQA Committee’s Guidelines for Welding Procedure Specifications.
• Planning for upcoming monthly meetings in January and February and testing new ideas to enhance engagement at spring events.
• Review of corporate sponsor and individual member renewals and planning for 2026.
• A recap of activities at the SEAOC Board level, including plans to update SEAOC’s Association Management System.

Upcoming Meeting

"Lessons in Resiliency from the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfire Recovery Efforts"

• January 6, 5-7:30 p.m.
• AIA San Francisco
• Register here

Join us for SEAONC’s January meeting, featuring the presentation Lessons in Resiliency from the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfire Recovery Efforts. Garrett Mills, Principal and CFO at T&S Structural, will share key insights and lessons learned from the recovery process. We’ll gather at AIA San Francisco for an engaging evening of learning and connection.

SEAONC’s Firm Directory is Almost Here!

SEAONC has created a Firm Directory as a resource for building owners affected by San Francisco’s Concrete Building Safety Program. The Directory is maintained by SEAONC and includes recommendations on how to select a structural engineer in an informed manner. SEAONC hopes that this directory improves awareness of structural engineering and simplifies the process for selecting an engineer, while also creating a new SEAONC membership benefit.

View the directory and share a link with your network. A link to “Find an Engineer” will be on the SEAONC website soon!

We encourage your firm to be included.  Don’t see your firm yet? Reach out to communications@seaonc.org for a link to submit an entry. 

There is no fee to be part of the directory, but to be included, a firm must have:

• At least one SEAONC member
• At least one California-licensed Civil or Structural Engineer on staff

Thank you to all the firms who opted in during the initial round of entries. SEAONC looks forward to the growth of this directory and the continued improvement of building safety throughout Northern California.

Apply Now: SEAONC Endowed Diversity Scholarship

The SEAONC Endowed Diversity Scholarship is now accepting applications. This $3,000 scholarship, administered through the NCSEA Foundation, supports a student from a historically underrepresented background in structural engineering, with preference given to those planning to practice in Northern California. Eligible students are encouraged to apply by Feb. 1, 2026. Learn more and apply here.

Young Member Forum

YMF x SE3 Joint Meeting and Game Night Recap!

For our November monthly meeting, YMF teamed up with SE3 to have a collaborative meeting and game night. Each committee took a half hour to go through their usual committee business, while the other was able to learn a bit more about what that committee does. Afterwards, we enjoyed pizza, refreshments, played games, and painted pumpkins to get in the fall festive spirit. This was a great event to learn more about each committee and encourage mingling between the two!

YMF x Seismology Gingerbread Competition

With more than 50 participants, YMF joined Seismology to host one of our most successful events of the year - a gingerbread house competition. With 12 randomly assigned teams, 36 lbs of homemade frosting used, and $100 worth of candy, we had fierce competition and a fun night! Teams were judged on overall height, seismic stability (tested on a shake table provided by the seismology committee), and aesthetics. Some photos are featured below including our overall winners who went home with big prizes including a Sherlock Holmes Lego Set to a Polaroid camera. This event will go down in gingerbread history.

Coming Soon! YMF x DES SAP Evaluator Night

Curious how buildings get evaluated after earthquakes? In January, YMF is teaming up with the DES Committee to host the first ever SEAONC SAP Evaluator Night! Attendees will get to try their hand at tagging buildings through several hands-on case studies of different forms. This event does not require SAP evaluator training of any form, has no experience requirement, and is open to all of SEAONC. Note: it is not a replacement for SAP evaluator training. If you’re interested, register for the event here!

SE3

Disabled Professionals in AEC

The SE3 Committee is hosting a virtual event on Disabled Professionals in the AEC industry. Our group of panelists will share lived experiences of disabled professionals working in the industry. We hope to demystify what accessibility means in the workplace and promote teamwork between professionals with different access needs. SE3 is a subcommittee of SEAONC, Structural Engineers Association of Northern California, that is dedicated to using diversity, equity, and inclusion to attract and retain the best talents in structural engineering. Stay tuned for more information!

Timeline: Event to be held in February with exact date to be determined soon.

Format: Online Panel Discussion with Q&A at end.

Outreach

Shake n Bake!

The Outreach Committee hosted two fun events with the Construction and Trades Pathways students at John O’Connell HS. The students learned about structural engineering from a quick presentation and then competed to build the tallest gingerbread house that could withstand the shaking from the shake-table. 

Shadow program 

We’ve launched our shadow program website! We want to give students the opportunity to shadow a structural engineer to experience a sneak peak in a day in our life! We’ll pair you with a student based on interest and availability.

If you’re interested in volunteering to be a shadow for a student, please sign up here!

Existing Buildings

January In-Person Meeting

SEAONC EBC is having an in-person meeting in January! Join us at Degenkolb Oakland for a presentation from Jim Malley, SE, about a steel moment frame retrofit of the Caltrans District office building in Downtown Oakland. 

Date: January 26, 2026; 5:30-7pm

Location: Degenkolb Oakland, 601 12th St Suite 400, Oakland, CA 94607

Dinner will be provided for in-person attendees! Please RSVP below so that we can get a headcount to order. 

RSVP HERE

A Teams link will also be provided for virtual attendance. Email buildings@seaonc.org with any questions or if you want to be added to our meeting invite list.

Presentation Abstract:

This presentation will summarize the seismic analysis and rehabilitation design of a fifteen story steel moment resisting frame building constructed with connection details that were found to be vulnerable to fracture in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. This building is located in Oakland, California, less than five miles from the Hayward Fault.

Previous testing of the existing steel moment connections demonstrated that the beam flange to column flange complete joint penetration groove welds were vulnerable to fracture, and consequently the building presented a risk to life safety in the event of a major earthquake.  Seismic rehabilitation to meet the requirements of the State of California, Department of General Services resulted in a retrofit scheme including a combination of moment connection strengthening and addition of viscous dampers.

To meet the proposed requirements, two phases of sophisticated analysis techniques were performed in the rehabilitation design.  First, to estimate the necessary connection strengthening and damping, multi-mode two-dimensional nonlinear pushover analyses were performed along with single-degree-of-freedom nonlinear dynamic time-history analyses.  Then to refine the scheme and perform final checks, nonlinear time history analyses of building frames were performed.  These models included a nonlinear fiber element that approximated the fracture behavior observed in the existing connection tests and incorporated results from the test program to model the strengthened connection behavior. Concurrent with the analysis portion of the work, various connection modification schemes were studied, designed, and subjected to full-scale laboratory testing.

Survey: Firm Membership Sponsorship

We want to hear from you! Does your firm sponsor your SEAONC membership and/or event registrations? Take this short 2-minute survey and let us know. 

Explore SEAONC Membership Options for Individuals and Firms

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP: Apply for a SEAONC membership today and get ready to thrive in a vibrant community of structural engineering professionals. Gain access to essential resources, diverse perspectives, and collaborative opportunities across all specialties, empowering you to excel in your career and make lasting contributions to the field. 

Click to complete your membership application today!

MASTER MEMBER PROGRAM: Our Master Member program simplifies and streamlines your renewal process. Designed for firms with three or more members, this program enables you to receive one complete invoice for your entire roster for membership renewals or event registrations if desired. Please Note: Master Member lists and invoices will be managed and distributed by the Membership team in Club Express. Email membership at office@seaonc.org or call us at 628-626-1725 with any questions or requests.

CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP: Our corporate membership program showcases your firm's dedication to the industry and amplifies your influence. Enjoy increased visibility and exclusive benefits, including opportunities to speak at our events and shape the future of our association. Read about the levels and pricing here.

Need more information? Connect with our Membership Team. 

Ready to join? Click to review options and sign up!

We appreciate the generosity and support of our SEAONC Corporate Members!

Visit the benefits and pricing page on our website for more information about how your business can support SEAONC's mission.

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

SEAONC welcomes your feedback on our newsletter and on any other Association endeavors. To share your input email us at office@seaonc.org.

Having trouble logging into the SEAONC website?

Most information on www.seaonc.org is open to the public, but a few items, such as access to the SEAONC posting for membership, require a member login. If you have not entered your member login since we created a new website in 2018, you must first reset your password. It's quick and straightforward! Contact the office for assistance.

Structural Engineers Association of Northern California

office@seaonc.org

628.626.1725