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). …
Author Archives : Andrew W. Herrmann, P.E., F.SEI, F.ASCE, Pres.12.ASCE
Andrew Herrmann is Partner Emeritus at Hardesty & Hanover, President ASCE 2012, and President SEI 2017. (andy@cross-us.org)
Where Do We Stand?
SEI just finished its successful 2017 Structures Congress in Denver where we celebrated collaboration, innovation, and the Vision for the Future of Structural Engineering: A Case for Change. Reflecting on the program, sessions covered areas such as communications, mentoring, ethics, codes and standards, history, performance, multi-hazards, training, professional practice, health monitoring, sustainability, resiliency, construction, loads, rehabilitation, and solutions. All areas are meant to contribute towards the future of structural engineering. …
While certain jurisdictions of the U.S. have had structural engineering (SE) licensure separate from the more generic professional engineering (PE) licensure for over a century, an industry-wide promotion of SE licensure has gained momentum in the past several years. The authors, as strong proponents of SE licensure, wish to reinforce the critical nature of this movement to our future. …