Newsletter of the
Structural Engineers Association of Washington
Download PDF Version Here
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State Leadership
President
Mike Visser (SE)
Vice President
Daniel Sumerfield (SC)
Treasurer
Matt Leslie (SC)
Secretary
Shalini Prochazka (SE)
Past President
Jim Farley (SW)
Trustees
Mike Visser (SE)
Shalini Prochazka (SE)
Tyler Winkley (SE)
Matt Leslie (SC)
Brian Parsons (SP)
Vacant (SW)
In this Issue:
- Seattle Chapter's November Virtual Meeting: "Introduction to Structural Thermal Breaks"
- Sign Up for the SEAW Refresher Course!
- Steel Day 2021 Recap
- Superior Court Victory for Public Safety and Professional Engineers
- Additional Donations Needed for Wind Study
- SEFW Fall Forum Fun Facts
- Calendar of Events
- Ads
- Member Notices
- Employment Postings
- Message from the Chair
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Seattle Chapter's November Virtual Meeting: "Introduction to Structural Thermal Breaks"
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Join your fellow SEAW members for this webinar!
Date: Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Time: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: GoToWebinar
Cost:
SEAW Members and Students-FREE! Non-Members-$15
PDH: 1 Hour PDH certificates will be emailed to attendees after the webinar.
Register to Attend:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
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About the Presentation:
Structural elements that project through the building envelope, such as those used in the construction of balconies and canopies, break the insulation layer and create thermal bridges. Incorporating a thermal break within structural elements significantly improves the thermal performance of building envelopes and helps avoid costly issues down the road.
This course discusses solutions to separate the external components from the insulated interior of the building, minimizing thermal bridging, energy loss and moisture issues. Attendees will learn the benefits of incorporating structural thermal breaks, as well as the concerns and potential issues when they are not included. Local building code requirements and engineering design best practices when working with structural thermal breaks will also be discussed.
The following learning objectives are covered in this course:
- Understand how, why and where thermal bridging occurs.
- Identify the three main problems caused by thermal bridging.
- Discuss the pros and cons of different approaches to addressing the problem.
- Know how to incorporate structural thermal breaks into your design
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About the Presenter:
Alyson Hallander
As a Product Engineer at Schöck North America, Alyson leads education efforts, designs structural thermal break connections for projects throughout the United States, and regularly travels to provide design and installation guidance on projects. She has a B.S. in Structural Engineering from The Ohio State University. Before joining Schöck, Alyson spent a few years designing nuclear submarines for the US Navy before refocusing her career on sustainable building solutions in the AEC field.
Special thanks to Schöck, sponsor of this webinar.
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Sign Up for the SEAW Refresher Course! |
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The SEAW Seattle Chapter will hold its annual Refresher Course on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from February 1st through March 31st.
The course instruction and PDF notes are designed to assist engineers preparing for the NCEES Structural Exam and for practicing engineers who want to review principles of structural engineering. Fifteen two-hour lectures will present information regarding:
- Structural Analysis
- Wind Design
- Foundations & Earth Retaining Structures
- Seismic Design I & II
- Structural Steel Design I & II
- Concrete Design I & II
- Pre-stressed/Post-tensioned Concrete Design
- Bridge Design I & II
- Wood Design
- Masonry Design
- Cold-Formed Steel Design
Course presentations are exclusively offered online through GoToMeeting.
Oregon SEAO members have been invited for the fifth year and may register at SEAW member pricing.
For those unable to attend the course, complete course notes of the most recent course are available via a download link for access at a price of $150 for SEAW members, and $200 for all others.
Date: February 1 - March 31, 2022
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Webinar Access Only!
Registration Fees:
Full Course
Members - $350
Non-Members - $425
Notes Only
Members - $150
Non-Members - $200
For more information or with questions, please email Mark Whiteley or Allison Tran at CKC Structural Engineers, 425-455-2144.
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SEAW YMG collaborated with AISC to participate in AISC’s 2021 Steel Day on September 24th. Our groups came together to tour Precision Ironworks, Inc., a structural steel and miscellaneous steel fabrication facility in Pacific, WA. Their diverse project portfolio includes the Bellevue Transit Center, Eastside Catholic High School, and Bellevue Square.
The tour consisted of walking through Precision Ironworks’ 30,000-square-foot facility with demonstrations of select fabrication methods including fillet welding, assembly of specially detailed HSS and wide-flange steel members, cutting and coring of bent plates, and use of a specialty laser cutter.
The tour was led by Precision Ironworks’ friendly and professional staff who were well-versed and technically savvy with the nuances of steel fabrication and the facility’s workflow. AISC catered the event with delicious food and beverages. They even accommodated a raffle with prizes consisting of several AISC manuals of steel construction and seismic design, as well as a custom YETI cooler.
The experience was incredibly valuable from an engineering perspective and chapter membership enjoyed it immensely. Tremendous thanks are due to both Precision Ironworks for pausing operations and setting up their facility as well as AISC for organizing and catering the event. Without their efforts many young engineering professionals would not have gotten the chance to network with one another or see in-person how structural steel may be put together!
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Superior Court Victory for Public Safety and Professional Engineers |
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Prior to a Court Order issued September 29, 2021, the following professional titles and verbatim job descriptions were allowed in Washington State for unlicensed individuals working within the public domain, and dealing directly with the general public:
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Environmental Engineer: Perform the full range of professional environmental engineering duties within an assigned environmental program involving the protection of public health.
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Civil Engineer: Perform professional civil engineering work. Conceive, lay out, design, and supervise engineering projects, such as roads, dams, bridges, buildings, structures, stream improvements, and boat launching ramps.
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Bridge Engineer: As an engineering professional: design and check the design of transportation structures of intermediate size and complexity, such as two and three span reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete girder bridges, or tie-back retaining walls.
- Multiple other “Engineer” title variations for unlicensed individuals completing technical work well within the statutory definition of “Practice of Engineering” (RCW 18.43).
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However, on September 29, the Thurston County Superior Court entered an Order that determined the following, among other findings, in support of public safety and the statewide PE community:
This Court finds that the use of the title “Engineer,” or any variation thereof, necessarily tends to convey the impression of licensure when it is used by someone who either engages in the practice of engineering … or who works within an agency, organization, or business that engages in or offers engineering services.
The Board’s and Attorney General’s enforcement policy and de facto rule regarding the unlicensed use of the title “Engineer” is unlawful and inconsistent with the plain text of the Act (RCW 18.43). Use of the title “Engineer,” or any variation thereof, is unlawful when used by someone who engages in the practice of engineering … or who works within an agency, organization, or business that engages in or offers engineering services if that person is not a registered professional engineer.
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Paul Tappel (PE No. 23801) holding a stack of legal documents from the case (Tappel v. Washington). The image below the T-shirt text shows a leather slingshot and five small stones like David had when he faced Goliath.
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Additional Donations Needed for Wind Study |
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The Wind Engineering Committee (WEC) has the following report for November:
Washington/Oregon Special Wind Regions (SWR) Study – The Special Wind Regions (SWR) Study has been initiated with CPP. Their study will quantify specific wind speeds and boundaries for the special wind regions along the Olympic Peninsula, Washington’s Pacific Coast, and the Columbia River Basin. CPP’s study of these SWRs will be ready in two to three months.
For this immediate joint SWR study, the Structural Engineers Association of Oregon (SEAO) will only have funds for Oregon’s portion along the Columbia River. SEAO will not have funds for the SWR study along Oregon’s Pacific Coast. The SWR analysis solely for Washington’s Pacific Coast needs to include the historic storm systems and patterns off both the Washington as well as the Oregon coasts. As a consequence, the economics inherent in a simultaneous joint study of the SWRs along both Oregon’s and Washington’s Pacific coastline is not available.
As a result, SEAW will need to fund the Washington Coast portion of the SWR Study without SEAO participation. CPP’s additional cost for the SWR analysis for only the Washington Pacific Coast is an additional $7,500, of which $1,100 has already been raised. Individuals and firms wishing to make a tax-deductible donation to remedy this unexpected situation can do so via the Special Wind Regions Study at https://sefw.org/donate.html. For all individuals planning any end-of-year charitable gifts, please consider donating to the SEAW SWR study.
For those sponsoring SEFW’s 2021 Fall Forum this November 17, donations can also be directed towards the SWR Study. Firms already committing sponsorship for the SEFW Fall Forum can request their sponsorship donation be directed to the SWR study.
The results of CPP’s study will first be reviewed by the SEAW WEC and approved by the SEAW State Board. The final recommendations will then submitted for adoption by the Washington State Building Code Council, and eventually for inclusion in ASCE 7 and the UBC.
WDM Design Example 3A – A final draft of a revision to Design Example 3A of the SEAOC Wind Design Manual is close to completion. It is anticipated the revised problem will be forwarded to the SEAOC for review and subsequent inclusion in the next revision of the SEAOC Wind Design Manual.
Participation – All SEAW members, whatever their experience, are encouraged to participate at in WEC meetings. Please contact the WEC chair, Scott Douglas sdouglasscott@gmail.com, to join the SEAW WEC and receive additional information and announcements on Committee activities and actions.
Meeting ID: 832 8667 4423
Passcode: 456546
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SEFW Fall Forum Fun Facts |
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By Angela Gottula Twining |
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We’re just weeks away from the 11th Annual SEFW Fall Forum! Register for “Washington Sports Venues Then & Now: Evolutions in Design” at www.sefw.org. The event will be in-person at Town Hall Seattle and simultaneously broadcast.
“Crosscut” historian and journalist Knute Berger will lead a panel including Steve Hofmeister of Thornton Tomasetti and local engineers Jon Magnusson and Mark Aden to discuss sports venues around the state that have been renovated and reinvented. The Forum will be of interest to not only technically focused structural engineers but also sports fans from all walks of life – feel free to invite your colleagues, friends, and neighbors! It’s free!
To further pique your interest for the event, here are some fun facts about the various sports venues that will be discussed:
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The iconic ClimatePledge Arena roof, which was maintained, lifted, and suspended in air while a massive renovation project took place at and below grade, weighs 44 million pounds! That’s the same weight as 109 Boeing 747-800 jets.
- The first game at “Washington Field” was November 27, 1920, when Dartmouth defeated the Washington Sun Dodgers 28-7…. Washington didn’t call itself the Huskies until 1922, after retiring the Sun Dodgers name and calling itself the Vikings for just one year.
- UW Husky Stadium holds the record for having the loudest game in college football history: 133.6 decibels in 1992 against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. (Washington won, 29-14.)
- WSU Martin Stadium has undergone FIVE (five!) expansion and renovation projects since opening in 1972 – in 1975, 1979, 1999, 2006, and 2012 – with a current seating capacity almost 50% more than the original stadium.
Corporate partnerships are still available for firms, and individuals are invited to become a “Friend of the Foundation” for a $100 tax-deductible gift. Thank you to the many firms who have already donated to SEFW, including Platinum Sponsor Verco Decking.
Thank you for your continued support – and we’ll see you on Nov. 17!
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- Nov 5. - Post-Disaster Building Safety Assessment Training
- Nov. 16 - Seattle Chapter's November Virtual Meeting: "Introduction to Structural Thermal Breaks"
- Nov. 17 – SEFW Fall Forum, “Washington Sports Venues Then & Now: Evolutions in Design”
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In accordance with SEAW bylaws, membership applications are vetted by the executive director, granted probationary status by the chapter board, and posted for membership comment. Membership is considered accepted 30 days after posting if current year dues are paid and no member objections have been received. Read More
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New Members:
- Kyle Gysler
- Seyyed Mehdi Radeghi Mehrjou
- Derek Fink
- Donald Fuerstenau
- Rachel Zable
- Ryan Ruzycki
- Logan Moir
- Michael Nylander
- Jakob Tayman
- Ryan Jewell
- Issac Larson
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Are you currently seeking employment as a structural engineer, senior manager, or a senior engineer technician? Check out our job board for current employment opportunities. Learn More
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GLR Engineers is seeking applicants for a structural engineer position in our Spokane, WA office. The applicant shall have a minimum of 4 years of relevant experience in the field of structural consulting design. Desired experience shall consist of working with multiple types of building materials, project types and the ability to contribute on multiple projects and deadlines. The selected applicant will be expected to produce structural calculations required for permit submittals, work with GLR’s in-house drafting department to produce construction drawings, coordinate with architectural clients and other design team members, and succeed in operating in a team environment. Knowledge of Revit modeling is a plus. Applicant must be self-motivated with a strong drive to learn and expand their knowledge base.
GLR Engineers is a structural engineering firm with offices in downtown Boise, ID and Spokane, WA. We work on a variety of project types across the country and offer a diverse range of design experience on a week to week basis. Work will be shared between both office locations, web-based communication skills are a must. We offer a competitive salary, excellent benefits, and flexible work hours.
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By Darrell Staaleson
As SEAW Brand Ambassador to NCSEA, I met with my counterparts for a discussion about how to conduct our marketing campaign on social media and how to present our profession in a manner that reflects our values. We are going to be presenting stories from practicing Engineers from every sector in a nationwide social media campaign with We #SEEAboveAndBeyond. Stories from SEAW will be submitted through PIC. In the coming months be thinking about your experiences and how your work highlights our profession. We look forward to hearing what you have to say!
Please consider joining the Public Information Committee.
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Structural Engineers Association of Washington
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