Date: February 1 - March 31, 2022 

Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm 

Registration Fees:  

Full Course 

Notes Only 

If you are interested, please contact Allison Tran allisont@ckcps.com

or Mark Whiteley markw@ckcps.com. 

Diversity cannot occur without first addressing inclusion and welcoming people of all backgrounds. We know there are many SEAW members who are interested in taking the first steps in our structural engineering community to make all feel welcome and excited about structural engineering. The Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) committee was formed by Lisette Terry, a Black, female structural engineer at Degenkolb Engineers. She has worked in the industry for 15 years and is often the only woman of color in the room. The D&I committee was established to help break this cycle and ensure that the next generation of structural engineers brings people together from all backgrounds; after all, countless studies have shown that more diverse teams are more creative, have better decision making skills, and are more productive.  

So, what will this committee do? 

Why join? 

Who’s running this committee?  

The first champions of D&I do some fun things outside of work: 

Okay, you all seem cool, how to do I sign up? 

Join our monthly committee meetings! Email D&I@seaw.org to sign up or to ask any and all questions! 

Please contact Kevin Freeman (kevin@iurbanteen.org) or Deena Pierot (deena@iurbanteen.org) if you are interested in this wonderful outreach opportunity. You may also contact Sarah Bergquist of the D&I committee (sbergquist@degenkolb.com).

Learn more about iUrbanTeen by visiting https://iurbanteen.org/. 

By Scott Douglas 

Washington/Oregon Special Wind Regions (SWR) Study –CPP has started the SWR Study that will quantify specific wind speeds and boundaries in Washington State. They are currently working on the Columbia River Basin SWR and will follow with the Olympic Peninsula and Washington's Pacific Coast SWRs. The results of CPP’s study are scheduled to be completed the first quarter of 2022.   

WDM Design Example 3A – A final draft of a revision to Design Example 3A of the SEAOC Wind Design Manual has been completed. Figures are being finalized, and 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. 

Next Meeting - Thursday January 20 from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm. Meeting will be virtual via the following Zoom link: 

The Structural Engineers Foundation of Washington once again hosted a successful Fall Forum event! Held November 17 at Town Hall Seattle, “Washington Sports Venues Then & Now: Evolutions in Design” featured four speakers who addressed the history, politics, design, engineering, renovations, and even humor of several statewide sports venues. More than 100 individuals attended the event in person, while another 225 viewed the virtual livestream. Attendees were from 7 states and 4 countries and represented many design firms, professional organizations, municipalities, universities, media publications, and tech companies.

First, Knute Berger talked about the history of several prominent state sports venues, focusing on the community aspect. He mentioned Sick’s Stadium (which is now a Lowe’s), Stadium High School, Rogers Field, and the Kingdome – a “giant concrete alien spaceship” which arguably drew its largest crowd at its implosion. He remarked on the “wise adaptive reuse” of the Seattle Coliseum into Climate Pledge Arena, and how it keeps with the original vision of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair of “waste not, want not.” These iconic venues create peak moments of excitement, engagement, and emotional experience, and our community is richer for it.

Following Mark, Jon Magnusson, Senior Principal at Magnusson Klemencic Associates in Seattle, presented a combined 200 years of University of Washington history, showcasing both the Hec Edmundson Pavilion and Husky Stadium. Hec Ed, home for university basketball and volleyball, opened as a multipurpose fieldhouse in 1927, with obstructed views from columns affecting about one third of the seats. The renovation in 2000 included a seismic upgrade, restoration of upper level windows (which were covered during WW2), and removal of the columns by transferring building load to a supertruss. In total, the vertical movement of the roof during construction was less than 3/8 of an inch! Today, there is not a single obstructed view in the house.

Jon also spoke of the origins and evolution of the UW football team’s Husky Stadium. The original 1920 structure was designed in just 6 months and had a construction cost of only $500,000! Several additions and renovations occurred over the years, including the first south stands in 1950, a north stands in the mid 1960s, expansion to the north stands in the late 1980s, and the most recent south stands expansion in 2013. Jon spent quite a bit of time explaining the stadium collapse during construction in February 1987, giving insight into what went wrong and how the structural team discovered what went wrong, as well as some of the miraculous stories from that day where not a single person was injured.

Lastly, Steve Hofmeister, Principal at Thornton Tomasetti in Kansas City, presented the $1.1 billion transformation of the Seattle Coliseum-turned KeyArena into the Climate Pledge Arena. Steve outlined several features from the various efforts to highlight the evolution of the facility:

The steel-reinforced roof from 1995 remains today, as does the original 1962 concrete structure and original curtain wall system on three sides.

Steve discussed the various challenges of design and construction, pointing out that traditionally the roof is the last thing to be built, but in this case the team was essentially building an all-new arena under a roof. The team joked they were building a “ship in a bottle.” The project also had to account for a new modern catwalk grid, speakers, lightshow equipment, scoreboards, and more, totaling 400,000 pounds of rigging capacity under the iconic roof.

The project drew in six Thornton Tomasetti practices from 10 worldwide offices, while the contractor Mortenson also brought in staff from all over the country. Steve remarked that the teamwork and collaboration led to zero clashes in the field, a truly monumental achievement – as if floating a 44-million-pound concrete roof in the air for over a year in a seismic zone wasn’t already impressive enough.

The four speakers joined together for a very brief Q&A with the in-person audience. The entirety of the lecture can be viewed on the SEFW Vimeo page:  www.vimeo.com/sefw  Also, be sure to check out an excellent article on Crosscut.com where Knute Berger reports his experience participating in the Fall Forum and offers additional insight on sports venues in Washington.

The event also included a few words from emcee and SEFW board member Melissa Verwest of Knife River in Spokane, who shared some of the SEFW successes for the year and took a moment to recognize Richal Smith, former SEFW board member and local structural engineer who passed away earlier in 2021. He will be missed.

Thank you to the 39 firms and 21 individuals who donated to SEFW in conjunction with this event, pledging to be Friends of the Foundation as well as Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum sponsors. Special thank you to Verco Decking, our Platinum sponsor this year. Donated funds go toward the SEFW mission to promote the profession of structural engineering through scholarships, education, research, and outreach.

Thank you for all of the support to SEFW in 2021 – and we will see you next year!

If you attended both days of class (at least 90% of the time!), didn’t receive a Certificate of Completion for 7.5 PDHs, and want the certificate, please contact Joyce Lem at jmlem@live.com. Feel free to also email with comments, questions, etc. 

If you completed the class, please consider joining the WAsafe Volunteer registry at https://waserv.org. For some tips and hints on the process, please see How to Register as a WAsafe Volunteer. 

To learn more about the SEAW Disaster Preparation and Response Committee, see our webpage at https: SEAW DPRC 

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

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

Company: Brienen Structural Engineers

Location: Kent, WA

Brienen Structural Engineers is a WBE certified structural consulting firm in Kent, WA looking for engineers to grow with our team. Our work varies from 20-story hotels to mid-rise mixed-use, large-venue entertainment to boutique retail, high-end residential and small remodels, and more. Our engineers see their work through from start-to-finish, staying with each project from initial feasibility, through all phases of design, and into construction administration and the grand openings, developing positive and effective client (and coworker) relationships in the process.

Please email cover letter and resume to info@bse-ps.com. Visit www.bse-ps.com.

Holmes is a structural and fire engineering firm, with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle. We are part of the New Zealand based Holmes Group, with offices around the Pacific Rim. Compelled by the possibilities, we are relentlessly pursuing Why – to create what is Best.

Check us out at www.holmes.us.

INTERESTED IN JOINING US? PLEASE visit Holmes - Career Page TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION.

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.

Please send your cover letter and resume for review and consideration to jacob@glrengineers.com.

We’ve been in business for 27 years and remain committed to creating a place where people want to spend their time and energy. Pay is dependent on experience and benefits are great. Check us out at www.ssfengineers.com. If you like what you see, we’d love to hear from you. Submit your resume to info@ssfengineers.com.

We are accomplishing much good work! Have a pleasant holiday and we’ll see you next year. Contact: Darrell Staaleson at dstaal@staaleng.com or 253.520.0388.