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Structural Masonry Design Seminar Announced

The Northwest Concrete Masonry Association is sponsoring a newly updated one-day seminar on reinforced masonry design on September 18, 2024, in DuPont, Washington. It will focus on the requirements of the 2021 IBC Masonry Provisions and the referenced material standard TMS 402/602 codes. Both working stress and strength design of reinforced concrete masonry will be covered. Learn how to use and interpret the building code through masonry building element design examples. Participants can earn continuing education credit. (Certificates of attendance listing contact hours that can be used for continuing education PDH units will be issued.)  

This is a practical design seminar for practicing engineers. Seminar topics include: 

• Masonry Materials  
• Code Overview  
• Beam & Column Design  
• Out-of-Plane Walls  
• In-Plane Walls  
• Anchor Bolts  
• Masonry Veneer  
• Constructability  
• Quality Assurance  
• Limit Design 

All participants will receive a seminar workbook, which includes a bound set of course notes and masonry technical bulletins. Other design reference material and masonry design aids will be available for purchase at special seminar prices. 

Check-in begins at 7:30 AM. The seminar will be presented from 8 AM to 4:30 p.m. Morning coffee service, lunch, and afternoon break refreshments will be provided.

Register and find more information at www.nwcma.org/seminar.

SEFW Forum to Spotlight Waterfront

Katie Bohocky

Executive Director

Company

The Structural Engineers Foundation of Washington is excited to announce its 14th Annual Fall Forum, “Seattle Waterfront Transformation:  A Collaborative Approach.” The event, planned for Thursday, November 14, will be back at Benaroya Hall. 

The Forum will feature Peter Steinbrueck, a nationally recognized architect, design strategist, community planner, and public policy thought leader. As a former Seattle Port Commissioner and former Seattle City Council member, Steinbrueck led efforts to advance innovative urban policies in seaport resiliency, airport master planning, mega-project delivery, land use development, and environmental sustainability. 

The lecture is free and is open to the public. Pre-registration is requested and is open at www.sefw.org.  

We invite you to join us for a fantastic evening supporting the mission to advance structural engineering through scholarships, education, research, and outreach! 

Contact our administrator at admin@sefw.org with any questions or comments.  

ACE Needs Strutural Engineers

Angela Gottula

Executive Director

ACE Mentor Progam of Washington

The ACE Mentor Program of Washington is recruiting Puget Sound area structural engineers to serve as mentors for the 2024-2025 program. If you are not familiar with ACE, it is an after-school extracurricular program that pairs students interested in A/E/C fields with professional mentors who guide them through a design challenge. About 400 students from 75+ area high schools participate every year, many of whom go on to college to study A/E/C careers and even come back and mentor with ACE.  

Mentors undergo a background check, participate in training and orientation, and join with many other mentors to create a full “design team” to guide students. 

In terms of commitment, mentors can anticipate volunteering at 15 two-hour sessions with students that run from November to May. Mentors introduce the students to structural engineering and then guide them through the structural design on a mock project. Projects in the past have included an aquarium, fire station, or historic preservation library.

At a recent ACE meeting, structural engineers taught students about “live” and “dead” loads, and students identified the loads in the office lobby area. Creative and hands-on activities that bring engineering concepts to life are a big part of the ACE program.

Photo courtesy the ACE Mentor Program. 

Here are what some local mentors are saying about their experience: 

• “I’ve truly enjoyed mentoring with ACE for several years now. It is incredibly fulfilling to spend time with so many bright, hardworking students and be able to spread my enthusiasm for structural engineering with them. I strongly encourage any structural engineer who wants to give back to their community to become involved in ACE and other mentoring organizations to help  bring along the future leaders of our industry.” Jaycob Greissl, PCS Structural Solutions, Tacoma 
• “ACE is a great opportunity to teach the younger generations about our industry and what we do as structural engineers. Growing up, I wish I had a program like this. The biggest reward is seeing how much the students learn in such a short time at their end of year presentations.” Carolyn McCann, KPFF Structural Engineers, Seattle 

There are 70+ affiliates around the country, and the Washington affiliate has student teams in Seattle, Bellevue, and Tacoma. There has been interest in ACE teams in Bellingham, Spokane, TriCities, and the peninsula, and any potential mentors who are interested in helping establish ACE in these geographic areas are welcome to mentor with the virtual ACE team for a year to get an understanding of the program.  

To register for ACE, please visit app.acementor.org, or to find out more email the ACE executive director at SeattleWA@acementor.org.

Please share the opportunity with your colleagues and your firms! Applications are being accepted for all of September, and ACE hopes to have the mentor teams assembled by mid-October. Structural engineers are needed!  

Equilibrium to Reward Unique Engineering Articles 

Angela Gottula & Darrell Staaleson

Equilibrium Committee

The Equilibrium team of the SEAW Public Information Committee is excited to announce a new program to promote submission of “Engineer’s Notes from Afield” articles to Equilibrium. “Engineer’s Notes from Afield” are personal reflections by SEAW structural engineers in their careers or everyday lives. Going forward, SEAW will provide a $10 gift card to any engineer whose “Engineer’s Notes from Afield” article is accepted for publication. Additionally, the Equilibrium subcommittee will select one article as a “Best Of” at the end of the calendar year, and reward that author with an additional $100 prize.  

Any SEAW member is eligible for publication into Equilibrium! Darrell Staaleson, chair for the SEAW PIC, recently recalled an inspirational thought from many years ago:  “You can learn structural engineering from a university, but you learn HOW to be a structural engineer from SEAW.” One way to learn HOW to do something is by observing it, processing it, writing about it, and sharing it.  

“Engineer’s Notes from Afield” should be technically competent, spotlighting any number of engineering principles. Articles should show how structural engineering provides service to the community and civilization. Personal stories, humor, and accompanying graphics or photos can (and should!) be included, as well.  

What types of things might be good subjects for an “Engineer’s Notes from Afield” submission? A few ideas, including some successful articles in the past, include: 

• Observations from travels. What were your thoughts as you explored the Brooklyn Bridge, Roman Coliseum, or Great Wall of China on your last summer vacation? 
• Reflections on daily activities. How can mountain biking, gardening, or being stuck in traffic be analogous with structural engineering? 
• Unique professional experiences. Did you recently tour a steel factory, earthquake site, or university research space? What did you learn that would be helpful to share with others in the profession? 
• Creative applications of structural engineering. Did you design your back deck in Revit, help your child with a Lego replica of the Burj Khalifa, or volunteer to build a float for a parade? How did your insight as a structural engineer contribute to your experience? 
• And much much more….  

We welcome your ideas! Please help us make Equilibrium a true reflection of the SEAW membership with knowledge to be shared.  

Equilibrium is published 10 times per year, near the beginning of the month. While articles can be submitted at any time, a “call for articles” is released toward the beginning of most months. To be added to the monthly solicitation email list, please contact seawequilibrium@outlook.com. 

If you have any questions, please contact our committee at the email above. 

An Engineering Notes from Afield article in 2023 highlighted a humanitarian trip to Turkey after the devastating earthquake there. Photo courtesy Scott Douglas.  

September 18, 2024, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM 

NWCMA Structural Masonry Design Seminar, (@DuPont) 

October 17, 2024, 12:00 - 1:00 PM 

Wind Engineering Committee Meeting, (@Via ZOOM) 

November 5-8, 2024 

NCSEA Summit (@MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV) 

November 14, 2024, 6:00 PM 

SEFW Fall Forum (@Benaroya Hall) 

December 20, 2024, 12:00 - 1:00 PM 

Wind Engineering Committee Meeting, (@Via ZOOM) 

September 25-26, 2025 

SEA Northwest Conference (@Spokane) 

Please see the SEAW website for other event dates and information: https://www.seaw.org/calendar

Welcome New Members!

Peter Swanson

Exceltech Consultants

PE Member - Seattle Chapter 

Robert Hudson

Python Fasteners

PE Member - Seattle Chapter

Kristina Euler

KTA Engineering

Associate Member - Seattle Chapter

Sangameshwar Beemari

Seattle University

Student - Seattle Chapter

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.

Structural Engineers, All Levels

Swensen Say Faget

Location: Tacoma, WA

Swenson Say Faget has immediate openings in our Tacoma, WA office for talented Structural Engineers. All experience levels are encouraged to apply. Expectations include being smart, having common sense, playing well with others, and tackling challenges like a dog with a bone.

At SSF we approach project design with open minds and technical chops to find solutions to some real head-scratchers. Our loyal clients provide our engineering staff at all levels opportunities to collaborate directly with architects, owners, contractors, developers, artists, and public and private entities on projects of all types and sizes. We have an informal culture and flexible team structure that encourages and supports the development of well-rounded and technically savvy engineers.

Qualifications include:

• PE License Preferred for Project Engineers and Project Managers
• Meticulous attention to detail with demonstrated analytic, problem-solving, and three-dimensional conceptual skills.
• Excellent command of the English language with above average verbal and written communication skills.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.

Our annual salary ranges represent the low and high end at SSF. Actual compensation will be based on various factors including but not limited to experience, skills, depth and breadth of technical ability, and individual performance.

• Staff Engineer: $75,000 - $85,000
• Project Engineer: $85,000 - $95,000
• Project Manager: $90,000 - $105,000

Salary is just one component of SSF’s total compensation package. Other compensation includes annual discretionary bonuses based on company profitability and employee contributions to SSF’s success plus additional wages calculated and paid quarterly for extra time and effort above set goals.

For a full list of benefits and more information check us out at https://ssfengineers.com/careers/ . If you like what you see, we’d love to hear from you. Submit your resume and letter of interest to info@ssfengineers.com.

Mid-Level Structural Engineer with Historic Renovation Experience

Swensen Say Faget

Location: Seattle and Central WA Offices

Swenson Say Faget has immediate openings in our Seattle and Central Washington offices for experienced and talented mid-level Structural Engineers with a passion for historic preservation and adaptive reuse.



At SSF we approach project design with open minds and technical chops to find solutions to some real head-scratchers. Our loyal clients provide our engineering staff at all levels opportunities to collaborate directly with architects, owners, contractors, developers, artists, and public and private entities on projects of all types and sizes. We have an informal culture and flexible team structure that encourages and supports the development of well-rounded and technically savvy engineers.

Qualifications include:

• PE License Preferred for Project Engineers and Project Managers
• Familiarity with ASCE 41
• Meticulous attention to detail with demonstrated analytic, problem-solving, and three-dimensional conceptual skills.
• Excellent command of the English language with above average verbal and written communication skills.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.

Our annual salary ranges represent the low and high end at SSF. Actual compensation will be based on various factors including but not limited to experience, skills, depth and breadth of technical ability, and individual performance.

• Project Engineer: $85,000 - $95,000
• Project Manager: $90,000 - $105,000

Salary is just one component of SSF’s total compensation package. Other compensation includes annual discretionary bonuses based on company profitability and employee contributions to SSF’s success plus additional wages calculated and paid quarterly for extra time and effort above set goals.

For a full list of benefits and more information check us out at https://ssfengineers.com/careers/ . If you like what you see, we’d love to hear from you. Submit your resume and letter of interest to info@ssfengineers.com.

Project Manager

Datum Engineers

Location: Dallas and San Antonio, TX

Tired of the same old grind?

Feeling a little roasted with your current work situation? Then don’t percolate – check out this HOT Structural Engineering Project Manager job, which includes an opportunity for firm ownership! Our client, Datum Engineers, is seeking a Structural Engineering Project Manager to be the catalyst between clients and the design and construction teams. This pivotal role provides the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects - in size, construction types, and end uses. Projects will include both new construction and renovation/assessment/adaptive reuse of existing structures.

Datum Engineers is a nationally recognized, award-winning structural engineering firm with a belief rooted in bringing to life clients’ architectural vision with innovating structural engineering solutions. While Texas-based, Datum has completed projects from Seattle to Miami, working with some of the most talented architectural designers from around our nation.

What you’ll be doing:

• Organizing and leading projects and internal teams to execute all aspects of structural engineering design - including analysis, design, coordination, detailing, development of plans and specifications, review of submittals, performance of site visits, and assessment of requests for information
• Communicating with clients, contractors, and other external team members regarding project goals and requirements; Coordinating structural designs with other disciplines
• Developing and adhering to recognized design criteria based on building codes, standard practices, and Company engineering standards; Performing structural analysis and design calculations for incorporation into construction documents
• Forming and fostering strong positive relationships with internal and external team members
• Contributing to knowledge sharing within the company by assisting with the development of design standards and details, and documenting and sharing lessons learned
• Note for Dallas position: Participate in business development activities with current and potential clients through networking, industry meetings and following up on potential leads (about 15% to 20% of your time).

What we’re looking for:

• Ability to represent the firm well, growing relationships with clients and peer firms in the AEC industry
• Flexibility and adaptability with a willingness to take on whatever project work is needed to help the office team
• Eagerness to being part of a firm helping to shape the fabric of the City of San Antonio
• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college/university in Architectural Engineering or Civil Engineering, with an emphasis in Structural Engineering; master’s degree in Structural Engineering strongly preferred
• At least 6 years of experience in the structural design of buildings; Prior formal project management experience is strongly preferred
• Competence with a variety of structural systems (concrete, steel, wood, masonry, etc.)
• A current Texas Professional Engineer License (structural engineering); non-residences should be willing to obtain license directly after hiring

What next? If this opportunity sounds like the perfect blend, apply today for immediate consideration. Send resumes to mbyers@alchr.com

Datum Engineers offers competitive compensation and excellent benefits (not small beans!), including an opportunity for firm ownership; medical, dental, and vision insurance; piping hot free coffee, Flexible Spending Account; matching 401(k); PTO; paid holidays; and the opportunity to work with renowned engineer and designers who are putting their dreams into action. 

Applying or Renewing your Membership in SEAW

SEAW is organized into the membership categories and their corresponding dues structures 

listed below. Select the membership category that best fits your status.

Your contact information is shared with our foundation, SEFW.

In order to “opt-out” please contact the association office. Click here for our privacy policy.

Please consider making a line-item donation to SEFW as part of your dues renewal. Special designation can be placed on the donation, so it can be applied to scholarships, disaster preparedness or research opportunities. SEFW fulfills its mission with the assistance of donations from individuals and corporations. More information on SEFW and its mission to promote structural engineering can be found at www.sefw.org. Thank you for your support!

Structural Engineers Association of Washington 

info@seaw.org | 206.338.7376 | www.seaw.org