SEAOSD February 2020 Newsletter 
President's Report

Hello, SEAOSD! In the past month many of our companies have dove headlong into student outreach mode, between UCSD’s SE Day and Cal Poly’s Structural Forum. Beyond just recruiting, I’ve always found that meeting students is a great gut check of where our industry will be in ten years. Their questions, curiosities and passions are going to the be the fuel that keep our engine running. This year, more than any previous, I’ve been struck by how many times students got very serious, very quickly, to ask “What is your company doing about sustainability?”
Now, like many of your firms, my firm certainly cares and talks about sustainability, but the students really pushed for more than buzz words or hand-waving answers. They are a generation who feel the urgency and imperative of stewardship over the future keenly and are coming of age in a time when they no longer need to forecast or imagine the consequences of our society’s inaction towards climate change. What I find so inspiring is that they have chosen to be structural engineers in the face of bigger problems than I wrestled with at their age. Protecting for live loads and mitigating seismic risk are important, of course, but their fervent questions go straight to the heart of our responsibility as a profession to dedicate our expertise towards the big picture problems our society is facing, not just be diligent executers of individual projects.
Two thoughts. First, I am pumped on the new generations joining our profession! I can’t wait to work with you. Keep asking us and yourselves what more structural engineers can be doing to fight climate change and actively design for an optimistic future. We’re going to be better for it! For SEAOSD members, don’t forget we have our annual Student Night with Industry this month (Feb 24th). We’re counting on you to come out, be mentors and discuss these issues yourself with our local students.
Second, SEAOSD certainly hasn’t been on the side lines regarding environmental stewardship. I am so thankful for those in our association who are years ahead of this conversation and passionate about sustainability. I’m also sure they would agree that we as a profession can and should be doing more. It’s in that vein, this month, that I’m happy to introduce the co-chairs of our Sustainable Design Committee (SDC), Jim Conley and Mike Romanowski:
If you are a structural engineer that loves this beautiful blue and green rock flying around the sun that we call home, the Sustainable Design Committee (SDC) is your home! We serve as activist, clearinghouse and learning center for the structural engineer’s role in the sustainability and resiliency of our built environment.
We have been a consistently active committee in SEAOSD for the past 10 years, offering presentations on sustainable design of all the major building materials and info sessions on green building certification initiatives – LEED, Living Building and Green Globes, to name a few. We have also tackled state level projects such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies that compare buildings using environmental impact estimator tools. Our Building LCA study done in 2013-14 compared the life cycle impacts of a prototype 5-story office building in Los Angeles using eight different structural/seismic systems including steel, concrete, masonry, timber and hybrid solutions. Last year, our Concrete Mix Design LCA study provided guidance to how we might specify more sustainable and lower cost concrete (there’s a winning combination!). This year, continued effort on the Concrete Mix LCA is on the docket, with a main goal of a white paper specification guideline engineers could “plug & play” within their drawings for low CO2 concrete mixes. We will also be supporting SE2050, educating membership about the carbon leadership forum pledge that “All structural engineers shall understand, reduce and ultimately eliminate embodied carbon in their projects by 2050.” The pledge was endorsed by ASCE-SEI at the end of last year. Ambitiously cool – check it out!
Okay, so who is in? Our meetings are held at lunch the first Friday of every month. We switch between online meetings and in-person meetings every other month. We dedicate a portion of every meeting to a ’Live & Learn’ topic catered to introduce newcomers & educate experienced members on topics within the sustainability movement – think Sustainability 101. Upcoming events:
- March Meeting (in-person) we will be tackling ’Woodcities’ – a perspective on how wood can be used for Building Safe & Affordable Communities (BSAC)
- April Meeting (online) we’ll discuss ’Living Concrete’ – highlighting cutting edge research on natural replacement options for cement, a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
- April 16 Presentation – ‘Mass Timber Structural Design’ a lunch & learn on the ins and outs of designing with this highly renewable & sustainable structural material.
The SDC brings valuable and tangible engineering options and references to all the membership as building owners and developers are looking to up their sustainable game in a market where it is being increasingly demanded. Reach out to us at [email protected] to be a part of the evolution.
Thanks, Jim and Mike! I’d suggest that each and every one of our firms find a representative to serve on the SDC, if not out of a personal passion, out of a recognition that our future engineers are going to demand it! See you all at Student Night and have a great month.
Casey Whitsett, S.E.
SEAOSD President
2019-2020
[email protected]
Welcome New Members
Angel Gonzalez – Student
Himanshu Gupta– Student
Raymond Chu – Student
Cambria Adams – Student
Karlyn Fischer – Associated
Viraj Sanghvi - Student
Calendar of Events
Future Meetings
Seismology Committee Meeting February 12, 2020
February 12, 2020
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Degenkolb Engineers
225 Broadway, Suite 1325
San Diego, CA 92101
Seismology Committee Meeting February 12, 2020
SEAOSD Student Night February 25, 2020
February 25, 2020
5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Stone Brewery Point Loma
2816 Historic Decatur Rd. #116
San Diego, CA 92106
SEAOSD Student Night February 25, 2020
SEAOSD, AIA, & ASHRAE 4th Annual Epic Mixer March 5, 2020
March 05, 2020
5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Ballast Point Little Italy
2215 India Street
San Diego, CA 92101
SEAOSD, AIA, & ASHRAE 4th Annual Epic Mixer March 5, 2020
SEAOSD joint meeting with ACI San Diego Luncheon March 17, 2020 "Wall Innovations Utilized in the Mid-Coast Trolley and LOSSAN Corridor Rail Projects"
March 17, 2020
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Stone Brewery Point Loma
2816 Historic Decatur Rd. #116
San Diego, CA 92106
SEAOSD joint meeting with ACI San Diego Luncheon March 17, 2020 "Wall Innovations Utilized in the Mid-Coast Trolley and LOSSAN Corridor Rail Projects"
SEAOSD April 27, 2020 Post-Disaster Safety Assessment Evaluator Training Workshop
April 27, 2020
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
San Diego Environmental Services Building
9601 Ridgehaven Court
San Diego , CA 92123
SEAOSD April 27, 2020 Post-Disaster Safety Assessment Evaluator Training Workshop
SEAOSD 19th Annual Golf Tournament May 4, 2020
May 04, 2020
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Twin Oaks Golf Course
1425 North Twin Oaks Valley Road
San Marcos, CA 92069
SEAOSD 19th Annual Golf Tournament May 4, 2020
SEAOSD Speaker Stipend 2020 Convention
Dear Members,
If you have interest in being a speaker at the 2020 Convention, please email [email protected] soon!
The SEAOSD chapter will be giving two Speaker Stipends of $1000 each to the abstracts that are approved. Once your abstract is approved please notify SEAOSD to request the stipend.
We look forward to sponsoring some of our local speakers.
2019-2020 SEAOSD Board of Directors
President
Casey Whitsett
[email protected]
Vice President
Steve Spence
[email protected]
Treasurer
Chad Closs
[email protected]
Past President
Steven Crook
[email protected]
Director 2019-2021
Jon Deck
[email protected]
Director 2019-2021
Aaron Taylor
[email protected]
Director 2018-2020
Aaron Pebley
[email protected]
Director 2018-2020
Dr. Jose Restrepo
[email protected]
Executive Administrator
Heather Caya
s[email protected]
Job Forum
Classified Job Listing
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SEA News charges $100 ($150 for non-members) for “Job Posting” ads for 2 months in SEAOSD Newsletter.
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In addition, the advertisement will be posted at www.seaosd.org under “Job Forum” for 2 months.
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Please limit ads to 100 words and one graphic that may include company logo (4” x 2”).
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Advertisements may be renewed or extended for $50 ($75 for non-members) per each additional month.
SEAOSD Mentor Program
“Share your passion for Structural Engineering with budding college students! Sign up to be a mentor for a day and introduce your mentee to the world of structural engineering. Take part in an opportunity to show the next generation of structural engineers the different aspects of this industry and what it entails. Truss us. It’ll be fun!”
March 4-6 in San Diego, the National Earthquake Conference
Held March 4-6 in San Diego, the National Earthquake Conference is the place where professionals in our field gather to connect, network, and learn. Don't miss this must-attend meeting where you'll gain new knowledge, broaden your technical expertise, and connect with multidisciplinary colleagues. We have an incredible program designed for you, including sessions on resiliency planning, seismic risk reduction, designing for functional recovery, advanced technology tools, and much more. The dynamic agenda will also feature the first public release of results from a new earthquake scenario and risk study for the San Diego region. Developed by experts over the last five years, the scenario will showcase the impacts and consequences of a potential M6.9 earthquake on the Rose Canyon Fault. For more information on the conference and to register, please visit earthquakeconference.org.
Past Newsletters
SEAOSD January 2020 Newsletter
SEAOSD December 2019 Newsletter
SEAOSD November 2019 Newsletter
SEAOSD October 2019 Newsletter
SEAOSD September 2019 Newsletter
SEAOSD March-April 2019 Newsletter
SEAOSD February 2019 Newsletter
SEAOSD January 2019 Newsletter
SEAOSD December 2018 Newsletter
SEAOSD November 2018 Newsletter
SEAOSD October 2018 Newsletter
SEAOSD September 2018 Newsletter
SEAOSD July 2018 Newsletter
SEAOSD May 2018 Newsletter
SEAOSD April 2018 Newsletter
SEAOSD March 2018 Newsletter
SEAOSD February 2018 Newsletter
SEAOSD January 2018 Newsletter
SEAOSD December 2017 Newsletter
SEAOSD November 2017 Newsletter
SEAOSD October 2017 Newsletter
SEAOSD August-September 2017 Newsletter
SEAOSD July 2017 Newsletter
SEAOSD June 2017 Newsletter
SEAOSD May 2017 Newsletter
SEAOSD April 2017 Newsletter
SEAOSD March 2017 Newsletter
SEAOSD February 2017 Newsletter
SEAOSD January 2017 Newsletter