Introducing the SEI/ASCE Global Practice Guide

Did you know in some countries the workweek is Saturday – Thursday? That some countries use decimal commas where others use decimal periods when writing numbers of 4 places or more? That some countries have neither national, regional nor local building codes nor standards? When working outside the U.S., local practices, different from our own, can wreak havoc on structural engineering projects if not adequately anticipated and addressed. In consideration of such, some may ask, why work outside of the U.S.? …

It is an honor to address you as the 2020 President of the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA). This is going to be an exhilarating year as we follow through with some significant changes. We are hosting the first-ever SEA Leadership Retreat in May, bringing together the leaders of the organization. We have changed our fiscal year to run from April 1^st to March 31^st. And, the Board of Directors is looking forward to further coordination and cooperation with our counterparts at the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Council of American Structural Engineers (CASE) of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). …

We are all busy taking care of our clients, delivering structural engineering expertise, and running our businesses; we probably do not take much time to sit back and contemplate the future of engineering and, more specifically, the impacts of future changes on structural engineering. Fortunately for all of us, there are organizations and groups of highly engaged professionals considering these questions and developing some interesting material and ideas. I am one of the professionals who believe the engineering profession is heading into a period of rapid change that will ultimately have an impact on all of us and society at large. …

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” Confucius (supposedly) once said. If this is true, I have not worked in more than 40 years. Yes, I am one of those unbelievably lucky people who love what they do. Where I am today is because of a thousand little things that happened to me along the way, most of them positive, some of them negative, but all of them meaningful to me. These experiences have made me look at myself and my career from a different perspective than I think I would have had they not occurred. …

Let’s face facts. It is unlikely that the majority of practicing structural engineers are familiar with the material contained within the International Residential Code (IRC). …

Our firm is fortunate to be celebrating our 50^th anniversary this year. We have grown from a one-person firm to a dedicated staff of over 30. That growth has not been exponential, but it has been steady and consistent. Recently, while preparing a presentation for our employees about our 50-year history, I had the chance to reminisce about some of the successes and challenges since 1969. I have been around for 36 of those 50 years, so I have some knowledge of our history, but I was reminded of some of the work our firm did in those earlier years. The founder of our firm still visits with us occasionally and attends company social functions, so we still have a connection to our founding, and it is great to have that connection. …

Continuous improvement through sharing lessons from failures, near misses, and similar incidents is critical to any profession or industry. In the U.S. structural engineering community, we have long used publications, conferences, and university curricula for this purpose. However, we now have a new, robust tool for learning from failures through the recently launched system Confidential Reporting on Structural Safety in the US (CROSS-US). …

In December 2017, renowned structural engineer Leslie E. Robertson delivered a presentation at the annual Connecticut Structural Engineers Coalition holiday event entitled The Structure of Design. While many in the audience were expecting a retrospective on Mr. Robertson’s long career of technical innovation and fascinating tales about the design challenges that he has faced, instead the presentation focused on the importance of building relationships and being willing to assume leadership on one’s projects, in one’s profession, and in life. …

I have just returned from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Annual Meeting and the Council of American Structural Engineers (CASE) Executive Committee Meeting in Washington, D.C. The conference marks the start of my two-year term as Chair of CASE. Given my new role, I reflected upon the time I invest in professional activities. These activities always make me feel invigorated and energized about our profession. Energy and passion can come from several different areas; why choose professional activities? …

The Committee for the Reform of Structural Engineering Education (CROSEE) was instigated by the SEI Board of Governors to review, reimagine, and reignite Structural Engineering Education for the 21^st Century, or at least the next 20 years!  …