Newsletter of the
Structural Engineers Association of Washington
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State Leadership
President
Darrell Staaleson (SE)
Vice President
Jim Farley (SW)
Treasurer
OPEN
Secretary
OPEN
Past President
Siri Ashworth (SE)
Trustees
Mike Visser (SE)
John Tate (SC)
Logan Rasmussen (SP)
In the Issue
- May Dinner Meeting is Going Virtual
- 2020 Seattle Chapter Board Election Results
- 2018 IBC Seminar
- Not Receiving Your Structure Magazine?
- NCSEA SE3 2020 Survey
- Know the Story, Build the Future
- Achieving Net Zero Embodied Carbon in Structural Materials
- Engage in the Education of Future Structural Engineers
- State and Chapter Committee Reports
- Membership Postings
- Employment Opportunities
- Upcoming Events
- From the Editor
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Seattle Chapter's May Virtual Meeting!
"High Exposure: Advantages of HSS in AESS Applications"
Our in-person May dinner meeting has been moved to a virtual meeting.
Join your fellow SEAW members for this webinar!
Date:
Tuesday, May 26th
Time:
4:00PM - 5:00PM PST
Location:
GoToWebinar
Cost:
Free!
Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the Seattle Chapter is offering this webinar to all SEAW members at no charge. Viewing the webinar will qualify you for 1 PDH.
To Register:
Click here
to register for the webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Presentation:
Brad Fletcher, S.E., will talk about hollow structural sections in Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel projects, with a particular emphasis on the Hartsfield Airport canopies - winner of a 2020 AISC Ideas2 Award. The Hartsfield Airport canopies are comprised of approximately 1000 feet of exposed structural steel covering eight lanes of traffic. The canopies create a new dramatic entrance to the airport.
Presenter:
Brad Fletcher, S.E., serves as a Sales Engineer for Atlas Tube, providing technical expertise on the use of Hollow Structural Sections (HSS) and Pipe Piling products to design engineers, detailers, fabricators and architects. A registered structural engineer, Brad has two decades of experience, having held senior positions at leading architecture and engineering firms including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Halvorson & Partners. Brad holds both Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Civil Engineering from Purdue University. He is active in many industry groups including the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois & ASTM International.
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2020 Seattle Chapter Board Election Results!
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President
Mike Visser, PE, SE
Michael D. (Mike) Visser
, PE, SE, is the founding Principal of Visser Engineering. He came to Seattle in 1993 after working in Chicago, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. He worked at the Austin Company in Renton prior to founding Visser Engineering.
Mike is licensed in Washington, Oregon, California and Idaho. His experience ranges from heavy industrial (aircraft hangers, manufacturing facilities and nuclear power plants) to commercial (retail, movie theaters) and residential (apartments, condominiums and single-family residences).
He has experience with design in aluminum, steel, concrete, masonry and wood.
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Mike joined SEAW in 1994, has taught the seismic portion of the SEAW Refresher Course
since 2009, and has been on the SEAW Board of Directors since 2017.
"It is an honor to have been asked to serve as the Seattle Chapter President. My involvement in SEAW has benefited me in many ways over the years - I have found the more I am involved, the more I get back. My personal goal is to see SEAW grow to be a more of a go-to resource for its members."
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Vice-President
Shalini Prochazka
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Shalini Prochazka,
P.E., S.E is an Associate Principal at Armour Unsderfer Engineering. Her structural engineering experience includes a wide variety of projects including seismic retrofit of commercial buildings and seismic support of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, retail buildings, architectural and curtain wall components. From 2014 until 2017 she worked for Simpson Strong-Tie as the branch engineer where her primary focus was providing engineering and application support to sales and customers involved in product and literature development.
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She served on the board of the SEAW Seattle Chapter from 2016 through 2019. In addition, during her involvement she served on the SEAW Outreach Committee to promote structural engineering among K-12 students. Ms. Prochazka is currently a member of the WABO/SEAW Liaison committee and manages the Seattle chapter of WiSE (Women in Structural Engineering).
"Involvement with SEAW is a pleasure; because strength comes from community, collectively we can achieve more and SEAW provides a platform to achieve this purpose. My goal is to serve the SEAW community by increasing member participation and support the goals of the committees for the advancement of the structural engineering profession.”
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Owen Kohashi, PE, SE
is the Structural Engineering Supervisor at Seattle City Light. He moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington and worked at Magnusson Klemencic Associates for 18 years prior to working at City Light for the last 9 years. Owen joined SEAW in 1992 and was a founding member of the Sustainability Committee.
Owen is licensed in Washington, and is also a LEED Accredited Professional, a PMI Project Management Professional, and an AWS Certified Weld Inspector. He has a wide range of experience with different materials such as concrete, PT, wood, and masonry, and has a special expertise in steel design.
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He has experience designing many different building types, including cultural and performing arts buildings, higher education buildings, libraries, convention centers, office buildings, parking garages, retail, hospitals, stadiums, and hangars. In addition to building design, his work at City Light has allowed him to experience engineering of less common structures, such as hydroelectric dams, powerhouses, substations, transmission towers, and underground structures.
"I [am] honored and pleased to serve on the Board of Directors, and feel that I can bring a new voice to the Seattle Chapter Board that represents not only the majority of members that are consulting engineers designing buildings, but also those members that are practicing structural engineering outside of the mainstream."
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Jeffrey J. (Jeff) Dragovich, PhD, PE, SE, F.ACI
is a consulting structural engineer based in Shoreline. He is a Seattle native who completed his undergraduate work at Seattle University, and graduate school at the University of Illinois.
Jeff is a licensed PE and SE in Washington and California and SE in Illinois, a fellow of the American Concrete Institute (F.ACI), and a voting member of ASCE 41, ACI 318-H (the seismic subcommittee of the ACI 318), and ACI 369.
His 24 years of experience ranges from working with structural engineering consulting firms, aerospace, academia, and as a research structural engineer in NEHRP at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
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In 2012 he returned to the Seattle and has been working ever since as a consultant to design firms in the area. His expertise covers concrete and steel structures, particularly seismic design, nonlinear analysis, and software development.
Jeff joined SEAW in 2012. "I have found the Seattle chapter meetings informative and a great way to stay connected to the structural engineering community. As a board member I hope to expand my involvement with SEAW and support subcommittee work."
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By the Education Committee
** Due to the on-going Covid-19 health crisis, the Education Committee has changed this all-day seminar into an all-day webinar only. Please note that the cost of the webinar has been reduced by $50 for members and non-members. Those who have already registered at the $240/$340 levels will receive a refund check of $50, SEAW administration will contact you **
Are you ready for the 2018 IBC? The SEAW Education Committee is hosting an all-day webinar about the changes to the structural provisions of the 2018 IBC which is scheduled for adoption by the State of Washington on November 1
st
of 2020. This webinar is a continuation of the September 2019 seminar that presented the changes to ASCE 7-16 and ASCE 41-17 and will focus on the materials standards. It will take place on Saturday May 16, 2020. Save the date!
The May webinar will cover:
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Chapter 17: Special Inspections
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Chapter 21: Masonry (TMS 402/602-2016)
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Chapter 22: Steel
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AISC 360-16
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AISC 341-16
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AISC 303-16
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AISI S240-15 & S400-15/S1-16
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Chapter 23: Wood (NDS 2018)
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Tall Wood Building provisions
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City of Seattle amendments
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City of Seattle URM ordinance
Presenters:
Ed Huston, PE, SE, Smith & Huston Inc.
Jon Siu, PE, SE, Department of Construction & Inspections, City of Seattle
Nancy Devine, PE, SE, Department of Construction & Inspections, City of Seattle
Erik Lofthus, PE, SE, KPFF
Hans-Erik Blomgren, PE, SE, P.Eng. Struct.Eng., Katerra
James Farley, PE, SE, MC Squared
Alexander Lang, PE, SE, LEED AP, Magnusson Klemencic Associates
Taylor LaForge, PE, SE, Magnusson Klemencic Associates
This webinar will qualify for 5 to 6.5 PDH’s (exact duration is still being determined) for the person registered only. A PDF of the notes will be emailed the day before the webinar.
Time: 9:00 am - 4:30 pm (may end sooner)
Location: Online only (due to the current health crisis)
Cost per person: Members $190; Non-Members $290; Students $50; Notes only $100 (pdf only)
Sponsor Name in notes: an additional $150.
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Not Receiving Your Structure Magazine?
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By Leo Baran
Any SEAW member can log into their NCSEA account and check to see what address is current, as well as have full access to member-only resources.
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By Hannah Evans
The NCSEA SE3 Committee is requesting your participation in its third nationwide survey of structural engineering professionals, now through mid-June! This is the largest survey of structural engineering professionals in the United States and provides valuable comprehensive information about our profession regarding demographics, compensation, satisfaction, engagement, and retention.
By participating in this anonymous survey, you will be helping us understand which factors influence engagement and retention for structural engineers living in Washington.
Please take the 10-15 minute survey and forward to as many colleagues in your area as you feel comfortable, especially ones that are not part of SEAW or those who have left for other careers, as they are the hardest to reach, but equally important! We need to get feedback from as many Washington-based structural engineers as possible to ensure our voice is heard at the national level when survey findings and paths forward are discussed.
Thank you so much.
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Know the Story, Build the Future
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By Angel Gottula Twining
The Structural Engineers Foundation of Washington is excited to kick off its annual fundraising campaign, “Foundation of the Future.” Donations made to SEFW support its mission to promote the profession of structural engineering through scholarship, education, research, and outreach.
This year’s campaign theme is “Know the Story, Build the Future,” which will share stories from past scholarship winners and where they are today. The SEAW Scholarship Program originated in 1985 and has awarded a total of over $180,000 to 73 students. A 501(c)3 charitable organization,SEFW was started in 2010 in part to fund the SEAW Scholarship Program,effectively shepherding tax-deductible donations to deserving Washington structural engineering students selected by SEAW. The backgrounds, education paths, and achievements of these 73 students are incredible and vast, and we look forward to getting to know some of them better during in the next few weeks.
The SEFW fundraising campaign began on May 6 when SEFW participated in the Give BIG campaign, Washington’s annual day of community giving. Thank you to everyone who participated and donated to SEFW during that generous event! Over the next few months, SEFW will share messages in email, social media posts, and in-person appearances at virtual SEAW meetings.
SEAW has a rich past of young engineers who progressed in their careers and are changing the world. SEFW is excited to be part of that effort, using donated funds to support structural engineering students at the beginning of their professional journey. Consider a gift to SEFW today, to add to this support!
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Donations can be made by check (sent to SEFW’s mailing address), PayPal, text message (text SEFW to 707070), or by phone. More details about SEFW and where to donate can be found on the website,
www.sefw.org
. Thank you for your continued support!
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Achieving Net Zero Embodied Carbon in Structural Materials
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By
Chris Jeseritz
Published research from local institutes to international panels are stating the importance of reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. Currently, structural materials account for over
10% of global CO2 emissions
, with most of those emissions contributed from steel and concrete. Additionally, according to the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction’s 2019 Global Status Report, the global building stock is set to double by 2050. Therefore, quite the challenge is presented to structural engineers to achieve net zero carbon buildings to meet societal needs by 2050. To address this challenge, the Structural Engineering Institute’s Sustainability Committee has recently published a white paper titled “Achieving Net Zero Embodied Carbon in Structural Material by 2050.”
The white paper examines in detail four transition tracks that make achieving net zero embodied carbon in the built environment possible. The four transition tracks are:
- Design Improvements
- Greening the Electrical Grid
- Material Production Improvements
- Carbon Offsets
These four tracks may be combined in various proportions to reach net zero, as shown in the table below.
The Carbon Working Group encourages structural engineers, architects, contractors, and others who wonder how the construction industry can meet critical carbon emission reduction targets to read this paper.
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Table Credit: Webster, M. (2020) “Achieving Net Zero Embodied Carbon in Structural Materials by 2050”.
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Engage in the Education of Future Structural Engineers
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By Melissa Verwest, Knife River Prestress / Gonzaga University Adjunct Professor – Spokane WA
Chances are you access Equilibrium online. And if you navigated to the Newsletters page for this latest edition, maybe you noticed the SEAW Outreach column to the left of the page. Maybe you have even clicked on the “Learn More” button wondering if there is a way you can personally help “forge relationships with schools and organizations to promote structural engineering in the community”. Engagement with future structural engineers through education is a very fulfilling and rewarding experience and the opportunities to do so are endless!
The SEAW and SEFW are great places to start your adventure of education engagement. Follow the link at the end of this article to access their resource page. In addition to these resources, there are so many ways to get involved and share your story to help ignite the passion of the next generation of structural engineers. They may call upon you to tap into your inner extroverted engineer, you know, the one that looks down at other people’s shoes! The small investment you make to coordinate an educational opportunity can last with the student participants throughout their entire careers and inspire them to engage in the education of those following them in the future.
Whether you can invest a little or a lot of time, any investment is better than none. Academic institutions of all levels are more than happy to host guest lecturers. It just takes a few phone calls to get to the right person to coordinate a visit. Just think, in one class period, you could share your story and talk about all the amazing things you do every day. Maybe you even choose an alma mater to once again sport some school pride!
If that is a bit too much in the spotlight for your taste, you can coordinate to have individual students come to your place of employment for a shadow day. You could also coordinate a small group to come with you on your next site visit. If you work with suppliers, you could arrange a plant tour of a facility. Setting up a field trip with introductions to other professionals could easily dim your spotlight while providing networking opportunities for all participants.
If you are interested in donating more time and possibly looking forward to an audience, consider volunteering for local high school and university programs. Many academic institutions have student competitions that would welcome advisors and mentors. STEM programs also present opportunities for sharing your experience. In addition, many universities use industry professionals to sponsor student project ideas as well as act as Adjunct Professors to help provide different perspectives for the betterment of student learning. Check out the opportunities with Gonzaga University’s Center for Engineering Design & Entrepreneurship (CEDE) through the link provided below.
When you think about it, who better to promote the profession of structural engineer than all of us? Recognizing that we are all facing some challenging times now, we can brainstorm ways that we can contribute to our community in the near future. Development of a hands-on experience and sharing of a personal story at the academic level today will better prepare students who will be the next industry contributors. While we are all champions for our professional industry in the present, the educational contributions we make though collaboration of industry experience and academic training will provide our greater community with champions of structural engineers in the future. Go forth and educate!
Gonzaga University Center for Engineering Design & Entrepreneurship (CEDE)
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Idaho State University Civil and Environmental Students attending a precast / prestress lecture (September 2019)
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Gonzaga University Students of the School of Engineering & Applied Science on a site visit for their Center for Engineering Design & Entrepreneurship (CEDE) Senior project (October 2019).
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State and Chapter Committee Reports
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Contact the committee chair if you are interested in learning more or getting involved:
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NCSEA Delegate – Chun Lau
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Earthquake Engineering Committee – Kai Ki Mow
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One of the current main focus and an important topic that the committee hopes to address in the upcoming year is the Increased Seismic Load in the newly published ASCE 7-16.
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Members interested in EEC can find additional information regarding the meeting on the
SEAW website calendar or can contact the committee chair.
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Outreach Committee - Gino Mazzotti
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To receive emails about volunteer opportunities please sign up on the
SEAW Outreach page
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Sustainability Committee – Chris Jeseritz
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Refresher Committee – Mark Whiteley
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Public Information Committee – Darrell Staaleson
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Disaster Preparation/Response Committee – Joyce Lem
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WABO Liaison Committee – Matt Snook
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The SEAW/WABO Liaison committee is now available for questions from SEAW or WABO members. These questions can be about subjects addressed in the white papers already issued or general questions in the realm of structural engineering practice as it relates to interaction with the various building departments. Comments or questions can be emailed to
matts@cplinc.com
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Technology Taskforce – Morgan Wiese
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Membership Task Group – Jill Shuttleworth
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Continuing Education Committee – Nathalie Boeholt
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Scholarship Committee – Kevin Solberg
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State Building Code Council
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The Washington State Building Code Council is looking for a Council Member representative from east of the Cascade Crest to fill a recently opened position. The position has the following commitment:
Assuming there are eight council meetings a year and that a meeting takes a full day, I would assume an average of around 10 hours per meeting per year for prep and attendance, not including travel. Calling in is okay but attendance in person is preferred.
The state pays a per diem for council meetings.
If you have interest or questions about the open position, please contact Logun Rasmussen, of the Spokane chapter of SEAW:
Logun@glrengineers.com
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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
New Members:
- Lilly Hall
- Christopher Neisius
- Hanna Saed
- Ryan Ross
- Brian West
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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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Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections
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The City of Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) is recruiting to fill its Principal Engineer position. This position is charged by the Seattle Municipal Code with advising the SDCI Director on issues related to structural strength and design in the built environment. The Principal Engineer sets the tone and balance necessary to prioritize, and to effectively and reasonably enforce the construction codes for all work requiring permits from city government for Seattle's residential, commercial, and industrial communities. The position provides:
- Technical leadership and direction for the Department regarding engineering matters of the construction codes and hazardous buildings.
- Technical leadership and direction for programs that develop, maintain, and enforce Seattle's building, mechanical, energy, and grading codes, in conjunction with the Building Official.
- Leadership and direction for SDCI's emergency response program. Directs SDCI's Emergency Response Division, when SDCI's Emergency Response Plan is activated.
Tasks include coordinating with the Building Official to resolve technical issues and set policies for administration of the Seattle construction codes, and participating in the development of Seattle, Washington State, and national codes and standards.
SDCI has a culture of promoting an equitable work environment that allows us to thrive by understanding how racial outcomes impact the individual employee and the community members we serve.
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Located across the street from T-Mobile Park, Lund Opsahl is a growing structural engineering firm that provides a wide spectrum of services, including planning, design, seismic and damage assessments, upgrades, additions, tenant improvements, and construction support for a variety of new and existing building types in the Pacific Northwest. Our reputation as creative innovators and technical experts is built on responsive service, collaborative teamwork, and lasting relationships. Our firm's size offers early opportunities to work on challenging projects and encourages exciting career growth uncommon at larger firms, especially for the ambitious.
Currently, we are looking for Structural Engineers with minimum of three (3) years experience.
BENEFITS:
- Competitive benefits and salaries
- Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance/Health Savings Account
- Performance-based bonuses
- Flexible working hours
- 401(k) with matching contribution
- Profit Sharing Plan
- PTO, and holidays
- Group activities and team events
- In-House education programs
- Free parking
- (Did we say we're next to T-Mobile Park?!)
Please visit our
website
, for additional information and job descriptions for each of these positions. Inquires and resumes may be sent to
careers@lundopsahl.com
.
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Opportunities for Mid-level Design Engineer and Senior Project Manager
Seattle Structural is looking for qualified professionals to join our talented group practicing across a number of different industries. Seattle Structural offers an excellent opportunity to work on a variety of public and private institutional, healthcare, educational, and commercial projects both domestically and internationally. We offer a competitive salary and a relaxed, collaborative work environment. Benefits include medical insurance, transit reimbursement, and retirement matching. Seattle Structural is a firm that makes it easy to become personally invested in the achievements of your company.
Seattle
Structural is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
We are filling two positions. Candidates must meet the following requirements:
- Mid-level Designer: 5+ years’ experience.
- Senior Project Manager: 10+ years’ experience.
- BS or MS in Structural, Civil/Structural, or Architectural Engineering.
- Experience in steel and concrete buildings, lateral analysis, deep foundations, and marine projects are desired.
- Working knowledge of CAD and Revit preferred.
- Strong emphasis on client service.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Strong technical skills.
Please address inquiries to:
Howard Burton, President
Seattle Structural PS Inc.
3131 Elliott Ave STE 600A
Seattle, WA 98121
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MLA Engineering
has an exciting opportunity for an experienced
Structural Engineer
to join our consulting and design firm in Seattle, WA. Our diverse projects require critical thinking and creativity that is cultivated through our problem-solving approach in a small group environment.
We design new buildings and renovate existing structures in concrete, structural steel, masonry, and wood-framed structures. Our projects vary from small to large-size buildings and facilities. In addition to our building design and governmental projects, including county and state infrastructure, MLA specializes in the structural design of national and international zoos and aquariums.
Qualifications required for this
Structural Engineer
position include:
- Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering with Structural emphasis;
- Minimum of 3 years of experience working in a consulting design office;
- PE license preferred;
- Strong technical and analytical skills;
- Intuitive and practical;
- Practical use of REVIT as a design tool;
- Proficient with structural software such as RISA, ETABS, SAP2000;
- Excellent communication skills;
· Motivated to advance your effectiveness as an engineer.
Our work environment encourages creativity, teamwork, and professional growth. To learn more about MLA, please visit our website at:
www.mlaengineering.com
Location:
Convenient Downtown Seattle location with excellent public transit options; potential opportunities in New York City.
Benefits:
Top line Medical, Dental & Vision insurance,
generous
HRA account, 401K Plan w/4% matching, PTO & Sick LV, and professional training
Work Schedule
: Flexible
Salary:
Competitive + bonuses
Projects:
Diverse and often unique
MLA Engineering is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage women and minority candidates to apply.
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- May 16: 2018 IBC Seminar by Education Comittee
- May 26: Virtual May Dinner Meeting
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May 2020
Equilibrium Publication Team:
John Gunn, Editor
Darrell Staaleson, Past Editor
Zohrah Ali
Allison Tran
Blaine Sanchez
Lisette Terry
Shivang Gupta
Chase Young
Alisha Khadka
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COVID-19 is affecting all of us. In this time of social distancing, I encourage our members to interact with one another on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages. Stay safe and we will get through this together.
ACTION ITEMS:
1.
All members are welcome to submit articles to Equilibrium. To help you with your writer's block, here are a few topics: Write “Engineer's Notes from Afield,” summarize an interesting technical design you worked on, write about how you have been successful and increased productivity with an accounting procedure or marketing technique, write about your experiences doing community service, or share some construction site photos and talk about lessons learned.
2.
“A Picture and a Paragraph.” Please use the article submittal form provided and the picture needs a caption along with the names of the people in the photo.
3.
Please submit your articles in Word format using the Article Template. [Article Template]
CORRECTIONS:
The State Leadership in the April edition was incorrect. Board positions have been updated to reflect the recent elections.
May Puzzle:
What is the name of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy?
Clue: It is named after a constellation.
Bonus: What is the name of the black hole at the center of the Andromeda galaxy?
Look on the SEAW Facebook Page for a picture clue!
The first SEAW member to respond on our SEAW Facebook Page –
with a correct and full answer - will get a prize.
April Puzzle:
When refering to a credit score, what does FICO stand for?
Clue: It’s a trade name on the New York Stock Exchange.
Bonus: What is the base FICO score range?
Picture Clue
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Answer:
FICO stands for Fair Issac Corporation. It originally stood for Fair, Issac and Company, named after its founders. The base FICO score range is 300-850. Industry-specific scores range from 250-900.
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Structural Engineers Association of Washington
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