Structural Connection | Summit Postponed, New Publication Available, Grant Program Accepting Applications, and More

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING SUMMIT POSTPONED

The NCSEA Structural Engineering Summit has a long history of bringing the structural engineering community together to network, learn, and celebrate the successes of our profession. In today’s challenging environment, it will be difficult for the Summit to deliver on that purpose this October as originally planned. As a result, NCSEA will be postponing the Summit—both the live event in New York and the virtual event—to February of 2022. NCSEA will announce the new dates for the Summit in the near future.

The Summit offers the industry an immersive experience, both in-person and online, with unrivaled educational opportunities, an industry-leading trade show, and unique networking opportunities.

The Structural Engineering Summit draws the best of the structural engineering profession. The Summit also highlights structural engineering innovation & ingenuity with the Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards as well as outstanding service and commitment to the organization through the Special Awards, which honor members pivotal to the Council.

2021 GRANT PROGRAM OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS

The NCSEA Grant Program awards SEAs funding for projects that advance their SEA and the structural engineering profession in accordance with the NCSEA Mission Statement. Supported by the NCSEA Foundation, the SEA Grant Program has delivered more than $60,000 in Grants since its inception. Past funded initiatives range from building up STEM resources to launching a local SE3 committee.

Applications are due November 9, 2021. Application requests must be reviewed and approved by the Member Organization before being submitted to NCSEA for consideration. For questions, email ncsea@ncsea.com.

Apply

NEW PUBLICATION AVAILABLE:

EXCAVATION SHORING DESIGN GUIDE

Reviewing a pertinent worked example bolsters any structural engineer’s confidence. The new Excavation Shoring Design Guide is comprised solely of such detailed work examples and provides the real construction details that are necessary to round out complete designs including site characterization and earth pressure diagrams, soil/grout bond strengths, and deflection curves. It is a practitioner’s manual filled with best practices. View the table of contents.

Download the digital version for instant access.

Pricing: $99 members | $199 nonmembers

Preorder the paperback at a special rate.

Pricing: $149 members | $249 nonmembers

Save $20 by purchasing the pre-order. Prices increase by $20 on October 1^st. Buy now and save!

Purchase Now

Welcome to the next installment of Read.Watch.Listen: a monthly forum hosted by the NCSEA SE3 Committee to share and promote conversations on diversity, equity, and inclusion within the structural engineering profession. Each month, we will curate a series of articles, audio-visual and digital media to facilitate self-education in matters that affect our professional practice as structural engineers. Whether you choose to read, watch, or listen (or all three!), we hope you will join us in this important conversation.

This month, we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage month, which runs from September 15th to October 15th and coincides with the Independence Days of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Chile, and Belize. Each year, this time is dedicated to recognizing the accomplishments and contributions of Hispanic Americans to our society. In addition to highlighting just a handful of these achievements, this month’s resources call attention to some of the difficulties that Hispanic engineers face in our industry.

As we reflect on the achievements of Hispanic engineers, it is also important to look to the future. According to the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities' 2018 Status Report on Engineering Education, 10% of all engineering degrees are awarded to Hispanic students. While this number is increasing, it is still short of reflecting the Hispanic population in the United States which is roughly 18.5% according to current U.S. Census data. Organizations like the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) are working to engage students, foster Hispanic leadership, and improve Latinx representation in engineering.

Missed the previous installment? Check out the NCSEA SE3 Committee News and Publication page. Share your thoughts and/or recommended resources for the next issue at ncsea@ncsea.com.

READ

Hispanic Heritage Month: Creating Character, Community, History. Together.

This article provides an overview of the history of National Hispanic Heritage Month and highlights a handful of notable Hispanic scientists and engineers. The article also discusses the use of the term “Hispanic”, and why many have opted to use more inclusive terms like “Latinx”.

WATCH

Ellen Ochoa: Beyond the Barrier

Ellen Ochoa, a Mexican American woman from California, was the first Latina astronaut in space and the first Latina Director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. Emily Key, the Director of Education at the Smithsonian Latino Center, shares information on her life and accomplishments.

LISTEN

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage with Latina Leader, Eileen Vélez-Vega

This episode of SWE’s Diverse Podcast features an interview with Eileen Vélez-Vega, who is currently serving as Puerto Rico’s Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Public Works. Vélez-Vega shares some of the obstacles she has faced as a Latina in engineering, as well as the significance of her leadership in the field.

The NCSEA Resilience Committee seeks to provide a multidisciplinary collaboration platform to formulate recommendations and innovations to enhance resilience in the built environment. In an effort to further the Committee’s goal to educate the structural engineering community on resilience approaches to planning, design, and construction, the following resilience-focused content addresses strategies, practices, and ways of thinking to meet the challenges of designing in a multi-hazard environment. Acknowledging that resilience-thinking is cross-disciplinary, the content highlighted will be from many different perspectives and disciplines intentionally.

RESILIENCE THINKING

In this short course video hosted by SDG Academy in 2018, Carl Folke, Science Director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University, does a beautiful job describing the multi-dimensionality of resilience thinking. The concept of resilience is oftentimes confusing since there are many entry points to thinking about resilience (e.g. disaster resilience, community resilience, climate resilience, development resilience). But these concepts are all interrelated and all drive towards the ultimate goal of sustainable development. Folke encourages re-thinking development in the Anthropocene by applying resilience thinking to our complex development challenges

2021 U.S. INFRASTRUCTURE SNAPSHOT - CDP

CDP is a global environmental non-profit focused on mainstreaming environmental disclosure and reporting to drive action for a climate-safe, water-secure, deforestation-free world. In 2020, 800+ cities disclosed to CDP on topics including climate hazards and vulnerabilities, adaption, and other sustainability and resilience topics. As part of this effort, 97 U.S. cities disclosed 304 sustainable infrastructure projects valued at $25.6 billion needing funding. CDP has mapped these projects with the goal of guiding and focusing investment, supporting cities, and identifying funding gaps.

A REVIEW OF THE LANDSCAPE OF GUIDANCE, TOOLS, & STANDARDS FOR SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE

A recently published position paper from the International Coalition of Sustainable infrastructure has been more than two years in the making. This paper contains a comprehensive review of current guidance, tools, and standards available for practitioners of resilient and sustainable infrastructure. Despite there being a lot of resources available, the landscape is disconnected and fails to provide a clear line of sight for applying resilient and sustainable principles to projects throughout their lifecycle. The paper concludes with four targeted actions to fill identified gaps from the literary review.

Join the Conversation on LinkedIn!

SPOTLIGHT: STRUCTURAL LICENSURE COMMITTEE

The NCSEA Structural Licensure Committee works with SEAs to assist with the adoption of consistent licensing laws and rules in the interest of public safety, especially relating to the licensure of structural engineers.

This committee is focused on:

Recognizing the unique responsibility structural engineers have to protect the safety, health, and welfare of the public.
Promoting structural licensure by educating and supporting SEAs pursuing licensure.
Developing consistent licensing laws and regulations among all states.
Recognizing the NCEES 16 hour structural exam as the standard exam for SE licensure.
Supporting the transition of any engineer who currently practices structural engineering to become licensed as an SE.

Interested in Joining?

The committee is chaired by Kristen Kilgore and Alan Kirkpatrick.

KRISTIN KILLGORE, PE, SE (IL, OK), LEED AP, PMP

Kristin Killgore is an Associate/Project Manager for FSB Architects and Engineers in Oklahoma City. She is the co-chair for the NCSEA Structural Licensure Committee, a representative in the Structural Engineering Licensure Coalition, and a membership committee co-chair of the Oklahoma City Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women.

ALAN KIRKPATRICK, PE, SE

Alan Kirkpatrick is a Principal with Kirkpatrick Forest Curtis, PC in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He co-chairs the NCSEA Licensure Committee and is a member of the ASCE/SEI Structural Engineering Licensure Rationale Research Committee and the Structural Engineering Licensure Coalition (SELC).

Click here for structural licensure resources developed and maintained by the Structural Engineering Licensure Committee.

If the Structural Licensure Committee isn't for you, NCSEA has a variety of committees - both technical and non-technical - that work to further the association’s mission to constantly improve the level of standard of practice of the structural engineering profession throughout the United States and to provide an identifiable resource for those needing communication with the profession. Click here to learn about the rest of the committees.