November

VOL. XVII, NO. 11 575 MARKET STREET SUITE 2125
415/974-5147 SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105-2870
WWW.SEAONC.ORG
[email protected]
SEAONC Fall Seminar
President’s Message
Loma Prieta 25th Anniversary Public
Policy Symposium
On October 16, 2014, approximately
200 people attended a public policy
symposium
commemorating
the
25th anniversary of the Loma Prieta
earthquake. It was an opportunity
for SEAONC to network with public
policy makers, business owners, and
other community leaders and discuss
ways of increasing regional resilience
with regard to seismic risk. In listening to various panels and talking with
individuals, I came to understand that
resilience means different things to
different individuals, depending on
their backgrounds. Resiliency is really a complex, interwoven fabric dealing with various factors in physical,
social, financial and cultural environments and a region needs to address
and coordinate all four environments
in order to increase resilience in communities. Therefore, while our profession deals specifically with buildings
and infrastructure, we need to find a
way relate with other aspects of resiliency to further our efforts in promoting seismic safety.
November 2014
FOUNDED 1930
SEAONC Fall Seminar: Design and Construction of Foundation Systems
Wednesdays, November 12 & 19, 2014
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
PG&E Auditorium, San Francisco
Register Here!
The SEAONC Fall Seminar will cover the state of the practices regarding the
design and construction of foundation systems. The presentations will address
practical considerations in the selection of foundation systems as well as the
analysis, design, detailing, and construction approaches of different systems including mat foundation, deep foundation, and excavation support systems. The
seminar will also allow the attendees to learn ways to improve collaboration
between geotechnical and structural engineers, procedures to account for soilstructure interaction in analyses, and the process of developing waterproofing
system design for foundations.
Evening 1:
Improving Collaboration between Geotechnical and Structural Engineers -Bret Lizundia, Rutherford + Chekene Consulting Engineers
Seismic Design of Mat Foundations -- Ian McFarlane, Associate, Magnusson
Klemencic Associates
Excavation Support Systems – Rob Jameson, Malcolm Drilling Company
Evening 2:
Soil-Structure Interaction -- Jonathan P. Stewart, University of California, Los
Angeles
What Structural Engineers Need to Know about Waterproofing -- Kenneth
Klein, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc.
Deep Foundation -- Stephen Harris, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc.
Abstracts:
KGO news anchor Cheryl Jennings leads a panel
at the Loma Prieta 25th Anniversary Symposium.
Seated (from left) are ABAG President Julie Pierce,
Mayor Tom Bates of Berkeley, Mayor Jean Quan of
Oakland, and Mayor Jill Techel of Napa.
Continued on Page 2
Meeting Notices
Improving Collaboration between Geotechnical and Structural Engineers Bret Lizundia
In any successful building design, geotechnical engineers and structural engineers need to work effectively together. As part of the ATC-83 project that resulted in the NIST GCR 12-917-21 report Soil-Structure Interaction for Building Structures, geotechnical and structural engineers were interviewed on soil-structure
Continued on Page 3
Meeting Notices
SEAONC
Dinner Meeting
SEAONC
Fall Seminar
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
@ 5:30pm
Wednesdays, November 12th, & 19th 2014
@ 5:30pm
City Club
155 Sansome St., San Francisco
PG&E
San Francisco
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In the November News:1
Professional Practice Committee.............. 2
SEAONC Dinner Meeting............................ 4
Job Forum.......................................................... 5
SEAOC & USRC.............................................. 8
December Mini-Seminar.............................. 9
President’s Message (Cont. from Page 1)
Legislative Updates
On September 17, 2014, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill
1467, which made it easier for the public, policymakers and
engineers to better understand the structural engineering
license requirements in California. The bill moves the structural engineering authority to design acute care hospitals
and K-12 public schools from the Health & Safety and Education codes to the Professional Engineers Act under the
Business and Professions Code. While the move is procedural and does not change the current authority of structural engineers, the bill now creates a placeholder within the
code for any future revisions to the structural engineering
scope of practice, such as high rise structures, bridges and
other significant structures.
Closer to home, on October 1, 2014, Mayor Lee of San Francisco signed into law the Community Action Plan for Seismic Safety (CAPSS) Private School Earthquake Evaluation
Ordinance. The legislation also had unanimous support
of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. The legislation
adds Section 3428 to the San Francisco Building Code and
requires the earthquake evaluation of existing private elementary and secondary schools by a licensed structural
engineer by 2017. While SEAONC was not directly involved
with the legislation process, several SEAONC members,
including David Bonowitz, Stephen Harris, Rene Vignos,
Ephraim Hirsch, and Frank Rollo, made significant contributions to the development and review of the ordinance
and associated administrative bulletin.
Seismic Ratings Systems Update
Back in the May newsletter, then President Colin Blaney
gave a report on public interest in the implementation of a
seismic rating system and the development of the SEAONC
Earthquake Performance Rating System (EPRS). In the six
months since, that interest has continued to grow. At the
Loma Prieta Symposium, state senator Bill Monning (DMonterey) announced his intent to introduce legislation
next year related to building rating systems. Even attempts
to regulate Airbnb have included preliminary notions of
having units seismically rated. It is obvious that the public
interest in understanding seismic risks has grown and our
profession has the unprecedented opportunity of delivering
results through seismic rating systems.
Numerous SEAONC members have been working tirelessly on various United States Resiliency Council (USRC)
committees over the past six months. In conjunction with
other SEAOC member organizations, structural engineering firms, and stakeholders, the USRC has made significant
progress in establishing the parameters in certification and
implementation of seismic rating systems, including the
SEAONC EPRS. While the work is not complete, we continue to push ahead and will continue to update you as warranted. With the input of the four member organizations,
SEAOC has published an article regarding the support of
the USRC. That article has been reproduced in this newsletter and can be found on page 7.
SEAONC Committees
With the recent Napa earthquake, the 25th anniversary of
Loma Prieta earthquake, and the Great Shake-out, earthquake awareness has been in the public spotlight recently.
SEAONC has committees that deal with issues regarding
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earthquake response and impact to our infrastructure.
The Disaster Emergency Services Committee assists local
communities in coping with disasters. One of its chief activities is training and managing SEAONC volunteers for
the Safety Assessment Program. This program includes
damage simulation workshops and providing assistance to
the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA)
and local building officials after local and distant damaging
earthquakes, including the recent Napa earthquake. Lauren
Biscombe chairs the Disaster Emergency Services committee for 2014-2015.
While SEAONC is an organization that focuses primarily
on buildings, following an earthquake, a more important
aspect of response and recovery is the status of the regional infrastructure. One only needs to look at the damage to
the Bay Bridge and Cypress Structure following the Loma
Prieta earthquake to understand how critical our infrastructure is. One of the policy objectives coming out of the Loma
Prieta Symposium is the creation of a regional and/or state
lifelines council, which would deal with increasing coordination and resilience of the region’s infrastructure. The
Transportation/Infrastructure Committee is involved with
issues related to the engineering of infrastructure projects
such as bridges, water facilities, dams, rail transportation,
marine structures, cranes and airports. Michael O’Sullivan
and Anna Dix co-chair the Transportation/Infrastructure
committee for 2014-2015.
If you have an interest in earthquake response and infrastructure, I encourage you to join one of these committees
by contacting the SEAONC office, or by contacting the committee chairs directly.
Respectfully,
Darrick B. Hom, SE
President
SEAONC
Practice Considerations for the San Francisco WoodFrame “Soft Story” Seismic Retrofit Ordinance
The SEAONC Professional Practice Committee felt that projects subject to the San Francisco soft story retrofit ordinance
often have characteristics that most structural engineers
do not typically encounter. In response to this concern the
Professional Practice Committee has produced “Practice
Considerations for the San Francisco Wood-Frame “Soft
Story” Seismic Retrofit Ordinance” to serve as a resource
when dealing with projects subject to the San Francisco Ordinance. This document is available to SEAONC members
as a free download on the members portion of the SEAONC
website.
“Fall Seminar” Continued from Page 1
interaction modeling in particular but also more generally
on the state of the practice of how the two disciplines interact. This presentation will draw on the lessons and recommendations from the NIST report as well as the presenter’s
experience in ways of improving geotechnical and structural collaboration, clarity in communication, and creativity
in solving foundation design and construction challenges.
Seismic Design of Mat Foundations - Ian McFarlane
Seismic design of reinforced concrete mat foundations has
advanced significantly in the last 20 years, yet fundamental questions remain about the analysis, design, and seismic performance of these foundation systems. Simplified
methods historically used for design are now obsolete due
to widespread use of finite element analysis software. With
the advent of more advanced mat analysis techniques, additional effort is needed in determination and modeling of
subgrade parameters which are affected by soil properties
and soil-structure interaction. In addition to code-minimum
loading, in certain conditions it may be appropriate to consider enhanced seismic design levels, such as use of overstrength factors or predicting demands through nonlinear
time history analysis. Analysis procedures should consider
variations in analysis options and stiffness assumptions,
with sensitivity studies to validate the analysis model and
to envelope the final design. Design for flexure is relatively
similar to a two-way slab, but design for one-way and twoway shear may require additional consideration due to size
effects in thick concrete sections. Finally, detailing needs to
consider both minimum code requirements and constructability issues inherent in a congested mat foundation with
mass concrete construction techniques.
Excavation Support Systems - Rob Jameson
Excavation support systems create underground space for
new or modified structures and facilities, with unique requirements arising for almost every project. The site geotechnical and groundwater conditions must be evaluated
with consideration for schedule, cost, environmental and
physical constraints in order to select and implement an appropriate support system for each case.
This presentation will describe the process of project evaluation, then selection, design and installation of suitable support systems. The key factors which drive system selection
will be highlighted, along with an overview of the geotechnical and structural concepts and methods employed in excavation support design.
The ongoing wave of development in San Francisco demands deeper and more complex shoring systems on highly
constrained sites. Current projects, including Cathedral Hill
Hospital and 181 Fremont, will be presented to illustrate the
shoring system lifecycle. These case histories will detail the
design approach and construction procedures employed, in
order to address site specific challenges, and discuss factors
which would favor or preclude use of the same construction
methods in other projects.
Soil-Structure Interaction - Jonathan P. Stewart
This presentation will focus on recommended procedures
for modeling soil-structure interaction for building structures as published in a report by NIST (2012). The presentation will include discussion of soil-structure system behavior, inertial interaction effects, kinematic interaction effects,
and how such effects can be accounted for in response history analyses.
What Structural Engineers Need to Know about Waterproofing - Kenneth Klein
A below grade waterproofing system design requires a
greater understanding than just selecting a waterproof
-3-
membrane. A designer needs to understand the Owners
performance expectations for the below grade waterproofing system, the site conditions through an analysis of the
geotechnical report, the structure through a review of the
structural drawings, and the proposed construction method through meetings with the general contractor. This information is vital to choose the appropriate below grade waterproofing system design for the intended purpose. This
presentation outlines the process a consultant or designer
undertakes in developing the below grade waterproofing
system design and specific issues that will impact the membrane selection
Deep Foundation - Stephen Harris
Deep foundation systems provide improved resistance to
settlement and can safely support buildings founded on
very poor soils. Deep foundations can also improve building performance by providing resistance to uplift loading.
The design of deep foundations involves both the Geotechnical Engineer and the Structural Engineer. Thus, it is
wise for the structural engineer to become more educated
regarding deep foundation design. This presentation will
provide an overview of deep foundations, including various systems in common use in California, such as driven
precast concrete and structural steel piles, augercast piles,
cast-in-drilled-hole piles, and micropiles. Mr. Harris will
discuss the behavior of each system, its range of strength
and stiffness properties, as well as its best uses and limitations. The presentation will also incorporate a review of current and proposed building code provisions for deep foundations, and will provide discussion of design and detailing
approaches for each system.
Speakers:
Bret Lizundia
Bret Lizundia is a principal at Rutherford + Chekene Consulting Engineers in San Francisco. He has over 26 years of
experience in the structural design of new buildings; seismic evaluation and rehabilitation of existing buildings; peer
review and plan checking; and applied research and guideline development. His portfolio of work includes the seismically-isolated de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park;
the Li Ka-Shing Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences
at UC Berkeley; Genentech Hall, the first research building
at UC San Francisco’s Mission Bay campus; and the seismic
rehabilitation of the Frank Lloyd Wright Hanna House at
Stanford University. He was a member of the project technical committee for the ATC-83 project on soil-structure interaction. He was also the project manager and coauthor of
FEMA 547 Techniques for Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing
Buildings, and a coauthor of FEMA 306/307 Evaluation of
Earthquake Damaged Concrete and Masonry Wall Buildings. He was part of the EERI reconnaissance team for the
1/9/2010 Northern California Earthquake, and the ATC reconnaissance teams for the 2/27/2010 Chile Earthquake and
2010/2011 Christchurch, New Zealand Earthquakes. He is
a past president of SEAONC and the Applied Technology
Council.
Ian McFarlane
Ian McFarlane, P.E. is an associate at Magnusson Klemencic Associates, a 190-person, award-winning structural and
civil engineering firm headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with offices in Chicago, Shanghai, and Riyadh. Ian
joined the firm in 2007 after graduating from University of
Washington with a Master of Science in Civil Engineering.
He is a key member of the firm’s Hospitality/ Residential
Specialist Group, bringing advanced knowledge of the integrated systems necessary for hotel and residential projContinued on Page 4
“Fall Seminar” Continued from Page 3
ects. His portfolio includes innovative high-rise residential
buildings, including the performance-based seismic design
Aspira in Seattle and 974 Market in San Francisco. Ian leads
MKA’s Foundations Technical Specialist Team and is a key
member of the firm’s Concrete Specialist Team. Ian is active
within the American Concrete Institute, serving as a Voting
Member, ACI 318 – Foundations Subcommittee, and a Member, ACI 366 - Footings, Mats, and Drilled Piers.
Rob Jameson
Rob Jameson is Vice President of Construction Engineering
for Malcolm Drilling Company. His responsibilities include
co-ordination of technical developments and engineering support within Malcolm’s organization. Mr Jameson
has over 20 years of experience in the specialty foundation
industry, working with ground improvement, structural
foundation and excavation support systems.
He has worked on projects throughout the United States,
including the Boston Central Artery/Tunnel, City Creek
Block 75 in Salt Lake City and the recent Port of Miami Tunnel in Florida. Mr Jameson’s Bay Area projects include early
implementation of micropile foundations for seismic retrofits including One Market Street and the 580/980/24 interchange in Oakland. Since joining Malcolm Drilling in 2003,
Mr Jameson has developed and managed numerous deep
foundation and excavation support projects, throughout the
region, including the recently completed 222 Second and
350 Mission downtown San Francisco sites.
Rob earned his BA at Cambridge University in England, and
worked several years for Golder Associates in Europe before
obtaining his Master’s Degree in Geotechnical Engineering
from MIT. He lives in the heart of San Francisco with his
wife and young daughter, and greatly enjoys city life, but
also escaping to the remote and scenic areas of the western
United States.
Jonathan P. Stewart
Jonathan P. Stewart is Professor and Chair of Civil & Environmental Engineering at UCLA. His technical interests are
in geotechnical earthquake engineering and engineering
seismology. He was the project technical director of ATC83,
which led to the NIST 2012 document.
Kenneth Klein
Ken is a graduate of U.C Berkeley and a registered Civil
Engineer in California and several other western states.
Ken leads the West Coast Building Technology division of
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. and has 30 years of experience in building technology design and investigation for
the waterproofing of commercial, institutional, and residential buildings. His work addresses issues related to the
waterproofing integrity of curtain walls, roofs, plaza deck,
and below-grade waterproofing systems on a wide-range of
structures. Ken has consulted with architects, contractors,
and building owners to analyze and repair water intrusion
problems and construction defects. Ken is nationally recognized as a leader in below grade waterproofing and has frequently presented to groups of attorneys, contractors, architects, trade groups, and other design professional regarding
design and remediation. Some of his notable below grade
waterproofing projects include Doe/Moffitt Library at UC
Berkeley, de Young and the Contemporary Jewish Museum
in San Francisco, Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and
numerous hospital projects throughout California.
Stephen Harris
Steve Harris has practiced structural engineering for over 30
years and is a principal at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc.
He is a graduate of the University of California at Davis and
a registered Structural Engineer. His experience includes
design of new structures, seismic strengthening of existing
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structures and design of pile foundation systems. His pile
foundation designs include the 49ers Levi’s Stadium, Facebook’s new West Campus, Samsung’s new American Headquarters in San Jose, and the new SFO Control Tower. Other
noteworthy recent projects include the seismic upgrade of
the War Memorial Veterans Building in San Francisco, the
expansion, remodel, and seismic upgrade of the J. Paul Leonard & Sutro Library at San Francisco State University, design
of the 29-story 199 Fremont office building in San Francisco
and the design of forty-two new Bachelor Enlisted Quarters
buildings at USMC Base, Camp Pendleton, CA.
Register here!
November 11th SEAONC Dinner Meeting &
Committee Outreach Night
Topic: Floating Cofferdam for Repair of the Washington
State SR-520 Floating Replacement Bridge
Speakers
Sam Yao, Vice President, Ben C Gerwick
Hamid Fatehi, Senior Project Manager, Ben C Gerwick
The 1.5 miles long Washington State SR-520 Floating Replacement Bridge will be the longest floating bridge in the
world. The first precast construction phase resulted in structural cracking at the ends of four concrete bridge pontoons.
A pontoon repair plan was implemented using a floating
cofferdam. The 600 tons steel cofferdam is 96’ wide, 44’
long and 35.5’ tall. It acts like a floating dry dock that seals
against a bridge pontoon afloat, so that the concrete repair
can be performed in a dry work environment.
The design has met the engineering and construction challenges with many technical innovations, including:
• The highly asymmetric cofferdam maintains its floating
stability and operation flexibility with 9 ballast tanks and
5 floating tanks. As a result, the cofferdam can be easily
towed, ballasted down and up, installed and removed off
pontoons.
• Structural framings of the cofferdam incorporate the ballast tanks to achieve structural efficiency and cost saving.
• The cofferdam contains a set of 28 hydraulic jacks to safely
transfer over 6000 kips hydrostatic and significant hydrodynamic wave loads from the cofferdam to the bridge pontoon.
• An effective seal system and two hydraulically activated
sliding gates ensure a watertight cofferdam at 26’ below the
lake.
• Launching the cofferdam off a barge into Lake Washington involves complex dynamic interaction of the barge and
the cofferdam. Time history analysis and 3-dimension finite
element models are used to evaluate the structural integrity
and floating stability of the barge and cofferdam during the
launching process.
Up against a tight schedule, the designer and the contractor
completed the project within 8 months. The cofferdam was
successfully installed to the pontoons. This work plays a key
role in bringing the SR-520 Replacement Bridge Project back
on schedule.
Register here!
$FRA-445_SEA_N-Calif__7.75x9.75_Nov2014.indd 1
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Job Forum
Earthquake and Structures, Inc.
Job Title: Structural Engineer
Job Description: ESI in Oakland seeks
Structural engineer, with 3-5 yrs. of
experience in new and seismic retrofit.
PE with MS in structural engineering is
preferred. Dynamic environment with
diverse new and retrofit projects in civil
and structural design. You conceive,
design and manage a job from start to
finish. You would do a whole job, not a
part of the job as you would expected to do
in a larger firm. Competitive salary with
benefit package including paid vacation,
medical, dental and retirements plans.
Our small office is growing, and has very
exciting opportunities for talented and
self-motivated engineers. We are currently
seeking candidates for the position of
Structural
Design
Engineer/Project
Manager. The candidate for this position
should have the following qualifications:
- -Possibility of being a part owner as the
present owner is contemplating retiring
soon.
Email resume to: [email protected].
Job Requirements: Knowledge of statics,
mechanics of materials, timber, retaining
walls and foundation, reinforced concrete
and steel design.
- Proficient in AutoCad, RISA & MS Office,
SAP2000.
- Good verbal, writing and computer skills.
- Able to work independently on wood
frame residential projects with limited
guidance.
- Organized and able to handle multiple
tasks at the same time.
- Detail oriented and diligent.
- IT knowledge a strong plus.
- This is a full time position.
Contact us about this job by sending email
to [email protected]
Forell/Elsesser Engineers
Job Title: Structural Designer/Project
Engineer
Job Description: Would you like to
work with a collaborative, fun group
of structural engineers in a dynamic
downtown San Francisco office on some of
the most challenging and exciting projects
in California and around the world? Do
you want to be part of a real team in a work
environment that actively encourages and
supports individual professional growth
through ongoing education, training, and
mentoring? If so, let’s talk!
You can find out more about our team and
our projects at www.forell.com.
Forell/Elsesser offers a competitive salary
and excellent benefits package including a
401 (k) plan and profit sharing. Interested
candidates should forward their resumes
and cover letter to [email protected].
Job Requirements: Master’s degree in civil/
structural engineering
EIT
Up to three years’ experience
Familiarity with prevalent seismic design
methodologies and codes
Familiarity with Revit
Applicants should be proficient in steel,
concrete, and masonry construction as well
as the production of contract documents,
experience with construction is a plus. We
are also interested in candidates with a
strong understanding of various structural
analysis and modeling software platforms.
Software currently in use: ETABS, SAP2000,
PERFORM, RISA, AutoCAD and Revit.
The ideal candidate will possess strong
communication skills and the ability to
work well with others. We are looking for
someone with excellent technical skills
and a strong desire to learn and grow in
our industry and who wants to join an
exciting and thoughtful team that actively
encourages and supports individual
professional growth through ongoing
education, training, and mentoring.
Contact us about this job by sending email
to [email protected]
Nautilus Group, Inc
Job Title: Senior Structural Engineer
Job Description: The Opportunity:
This is not a typical design engineer role
where administrative issues can get in
the way of the fun part of engineering.
Nautilus Group takes all of our projects
from conception to completion so we never
put our hearts and souls into a project only
to see it die in CDs and never get built.
We have no clients and thus we have no
billable hours. You will never have to fudge
your hours to get a project under budget
and you will never get stuck designing
something boring.
Our team is constantly exploring creative
and unconventional engineering solutions
on a daily basis. We work hand-inhand with in-house architectural and
construction teams to achieve exciting,
economical and unorthodox building
solutions. Our employees have an equity
stake in the projects that we bring to
fruition.
We are looking for a talented structural
engineer who is passionate not only about
structural engineering, but about the
art of building and design. You should
thoroughly enjoy your craft and hate it
when other obstacles found in a typical
design office get in the way. If you have a
passion for engineering and construction
but realize that the principal-level track at
a traditional design consultancy isn’t for
you, then come talk with us.
Responsibilities:
•Project
manager
for
structural
engineering design of all Nautilus Group
projects
•Leads efforts in the analysis, design,
and detailing of all projects using steel,
concrete, masonry and cold formed steel
•Responsible for all structural engineering
aspects necessary to get a project complete
from conceptual design, to permitting to
construction administration.
•Leads Nautilus Group’s R&D efforts
in design and laboratory testing of
proprietary structural systems
•Responsible for collaborating with
in-house
architectural
team
and
manufacturing/construction team
•Other duties as assigned
Job Requirements:
•4+ years of structural engineering design
experience with an emphasis on seismic
analysis and design
•California PE (SE preferred)
•Ability to work independently and carry
through most project design, with limited
supervision from senior engineers
•Familiarity with 2013 CBC and referenced
-6-
standards (AISC 360, AISC 341, ACI 318,
ASCE 7, AISI S100)
•Software skills: CSI software suite
(ETABS, SAP2000, SAFE), Revit, Excel
•Excellent communication, writing and
interpersonal skills
Preferred Skills/Experience:
•Primary
experience
with
new
construction (as opposed to retrofits)
•Cold formed steel design experience
•Design of structural components and
connections using finite element software
•Familiarity with structural composite
materials (i.e sandwich panels and fiber
reinforced plastics)
Education:
•Bachelor’s degree in civil/structural
engineering or related fields required.
Master’s degree preferred.
Benefits/Compensation:
•Competitive salary commensurate with
experience and track record.
•Benefits include medical, dental, paid
time off, pre-tax transit purchase option.
Equity sharing plan soon to be rolled out.
•No formal vacation policy. Take time off
when you need it.
•Dog friendly office
•Convenient downtown Berkeley location.
Near BART/transit. Private parking lot.
Contact us about this job by sending email
to [email protected]
Academy of Art University
Job Title: Structural Engineers Interested in
Teaching
Job Description: The NAAB-accredited
School of Architecture at the Academy of
Art University is seeking Bay Area based
Structural Engineers interested in teaching
graduate level architectural structural
design workshops and consulting for
architectural design studios. We are
looking for committed individuals with a
strong interest and passion in participating
in the education process. Instructors
will act as a consultant to students in the
exploration of structural design options
and solutions for design studio and thesis
proposals while reinforcing the students’
understanding of structural systems.
Job Requirements: Minimum qualifications
include a professional degree in structural
engineering (Master preferred), license,
2 years minimum experience in the field,
a body of professional or scholarly work,
and preferably teaching experience in
higher education. Candidates who do not
meet minimum qualifications but who are
uniquely qualified in the area in which they
are applying will be considered provided
they show evidence of exceptional ability
through a body of professional and
academic work. Online and onsite teaching
opportunities are available. Part time,
3-18 hours of teaching per week covering
approximately 15 weeks per semester. The
salary will be competitive commensurate
with qualifications and experience.
Contact us about this job by sending email
to [email protected]
Tipping Mar
Job Title: Structural Engineer
Job Description: We are currently seeking
candidates for the position of structural
engineer, with an interest in highperformance seismic and sustainable
Job Forum
design. We are an equal opportunity
employer and welcome diversity in
the workplace. Local candidates are
encouraged to apply. If you are brimming
with fresh ideas, have demonstrable
technical expertise, and enjoy working in
a creative, energetic environment, please
send us a well-written cover expressing
how you might be the best candidate for
this position, along with your resume.
Job Requirements: Our ideal candidate
has a background in engineering, a B.S.
in civil engineering (preferably a Master’s
in structural engineering), and is licensed
in California. She or he enjoys working
collaboratively, thrives on double-loop
learning, and demonstrates a knack for
“whole-project” seeing.
Contact us about this job by sending email
to [email protected]
Murphy Burr Curry, Inc.
Job Title: Intermediate Structural Engineer
Job Description: Our structural design firm
is looking to add to its team of creative &
talented engineers. If you like challenges,
can “think outside of the box” to solve
design problems; are able to hit the ground
running with both large & small scaled
design projects; possess an in-depth
knowledge & application of the building
code; understand that “getting the job
done” means being mindful of our clients’
time & budget constraints; and have the
necessary skills & experience then we’d
like to meet you.
MBC is interested in helping our engineers
build a career based on projects that they
are proud of, and we seek engineers that
value quality of work, service, growth and
knowledge.
In return, MBC will welcome you with a
supportive team environment in a laidback atmosphere. At MBC, we invest in
our team members by encouraging career
growth by offering ample opportunities
to work on challenging design projects,
working shoulder to shoulder with
industry leaders, providing educational
seminars, and of course, a generous
compensation & benefits package.
Job Requirements: We are interested in
intermediate/senior engineers with a
preferable 5 years of current & relevant
work experience. However, if you can
demonstrate a skillset and experience that
you think will add to our team, then we
will consider applicants with less than 5
years experience. All applicants must have
current & relevant experience in structural
design & detailing and preparing
construction drawings as well as excellent
communication skills. PE license required,
SE license preferred. Added pluses would
include: REVIT, ETABS, SAP, SAFE.
Contact us about this job by sending email
to [email protected]
DESIMONE CONSULTING
ENGINEERS
Job Title: Project Engineers & Managers
Want to take your career to the next level?
DESIMONE, an international structural
engineering firm with 5 domestic and 3
international offices, is looking for sharp,
capable, energetic, and highly motivated
engineers that want to design world-class
buildings. We work with the world’s best
architects creating landmark buildings
throughout the US and internationally. We
currently have openings for engineers at
all levels in our San Francisco, Las Vegas,
New York and Miami offices.
The successful candidates will develop
structural engineering designs for a
wide variety of projects, including midto-high-rise buildings.
Work requires
independent problem solving, decisionmaking and implementation of standard
engineering procedures to direct the flow
of engineering work. Qualified candidates
will coordinate their structural designs
with other team members. The candidates
will be responsible for project planning
and scheduling of project components and
milestones, and will keep clear records
of all design decisions, calculations, and
project-related documentation.
Qualifications:
•B.S.
degree
in
Civil/Structural
Engineering (M.S. preferred)
•Entry level to 6+ years’ experience in
structural analysis and design
•Knowledge of local and national building
codes and design practices
•Knowledge of standard construction
practices
•Ability to work with contractors to resolve
construction issues
•Proficiency in ETABS, RAM, RISA, and
SAFE
•Ability to work in AutoCAD and Revit a
plus
•Strong verbal and written communications
skills
•Detail-oriented with strong people and
team skills
Interested candidates may submit a cover
letter and resume to [email protected].
Innovation
Starts
Here
755 Stockton Ave. San Jose, CA 95126
Tel: 866.404.1000
www.centralconcrete.com
-7-
SEAOC and the USRC: A History of One Very Short
Year
By the SEAOC Board of Directors
The SEAOC Board of Directors, on September 10, 2014, voted unanimously to reaffirm the organization’s commitment
to participate as a founding member of the US Resiliency
Council. The Board made this decision while recognizing
that SEAOC is a diverse organization, and that some members have expressed reservations or objections about continuing that commitment. However, a substantial number
of members and nearly all organizational leaders have spoken strongly in favor of SEAOC’s continued engagement,
and that is the course SEAOC will pursue.
In January 2014, the SEAOC Board agreed to support in
concept the broad goals of the USRC, which include deployment of an appropriate building rating system to evaluate
expected building performance during and after various
man-made and natural events, including earthquakes.
The Existing Buildings Committee of SEAONC, one of SEAOC’s Member Organizations, has been developing one such
rating system – the Earthquake Performance Rating System (EPRS) – for several years. That process has been open,
thoughtful, and rigorous, and the subject of newsletter articles and convention presentations. Although the EPRS
is not specifically a SEAOC creation, it results from a great
show of vision and enterprise by one of our Member Organizations. SEAOC is pleased that the USRC is considering
the EPRS for its program.
In April, the Mayor of Los Angeles announced that the City
of Los Angeles would be adopting a building rating system
to evaluate the seismic vulnerability of the city’s building
stock. With this announcement, the USRC began recruiting founding members to provide start-up funding and help
define the USRC organizational structure and operating polices.
Opinions expressed in the SEAONC NEWS are not necessarily those of the
Structural Engineers Association of Northern California. Advertising rates
and information sent upon request. Acceptance of advertising and informational
brochures in the SEAONC NEWS does not constitute endorsement or approval
by SEAONC of the products or services advertised. SEAONC reserves the
right to refuse any advertising.
The SEAONC NEWS is published monthly by the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California, 575 Market Street, Suite 2125, San Francisco,
CA 94105-3411. It is distributed to members of SEAONC as a membership
benefit. Reproduction for noncommercial purposes is allowed if the source is
acknowledged.
In May and June 2014, the SEAOC Board of Directors and
the boards of SEAOCC, SEAONC, SEAOSC and SEAOSD
agreed to provide a total of $6,000 in financial support to
the USRC over the next two years. The Boards also agreed
to recruit members to serve as representatives to the USRC
Technical Advisory and Governance committees
In addition, at the USRC’s invitation, SEAOC convened an
ad hoc committee of SEAOC members to develop recommendations for USRC certification of building evaluators.
The USRC intends to start certifying evaluators in December 2014 in advance of making the evaluation service available to the public in February 2015. On September 10, 2014,
the SEAOC Board voted unanimously to approve the ad
hoc committee’s draft recommendations for the “Certification and Appeals Process.” It is understood that USRC will
consider, adapt, and adopt all, part, or none of these recommendations as it sees fit.
SEAOC and its Member Organizations are proud to serve as
founding members of the USRC. As five among almost 50
founding members, SEAOC can play a key role in helping
to shape the USRC’s objectives, policies, and the outcomes
of its work.
SEAOC and its MOs have each chosen several representatives to serve on the various USRC committees. These
representatives are the conduits for our organizations’ input. Any members with questions or comments about the
USRC’s work or our involvement with it should contact the
President of your Member Organization board. Your input
then will be conveyed to the appropriate representative.
-8-
December Mini Seminar
Jessie Godinho, M.S., P.E.
Jessie Godinho joined Hinman in 2007 shortly after
earning her Masters degree in
Earthquake Engineering in a
joint program at University of
Patras, Greece and University
of Pavia, Italy.
Design of Buildings to Mitigate the Risk of
Terrorist Attacks
Speakers: Shalva Marjanishvili, ScD, PE, SE
& Jessie Godinho, MS, PE
Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Registration: 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Seminar: 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Location: Arup San Francisco
560 Mission Street, Suite 700
San Francisco, CA 94105
Registration Fee: $25 Registration fee payable at the door
(cash, check or credit card).
Attendees should pre-register by contacting the SEAONC
Office by phone at 415-974-5147, by email at [email protected], or online at http://seaonc.org
Drinks and light snacks will be provided
Building owners in both the public and private sectors increasingly require that new construction as well as existing structures incorporate anti-terrorist design measures.
Mitigating risk through building design requires a complex structural analysis and series of trade-offs. Security concerns need to be balanced with many other design
constraints such as accessibility, initial and life-cycle costs,
natural hazard mitigation, fire protection, energy efficiency and aesthetics. Because the probability of attack is very
small, there is a desire for security enhancements not to interfere with daily operations of the facility and be unobtrusive. On the other hand, because the effects of attack can be
catastrophic, there is a desire to incorporate measures that
will save lives and minimize business interruption in the
unlikely event of an attack.
This presentation will touch on the fundamentals of explosion effects, determining blast loads on structures, computing structural response to blast loads, progressive collapse,
and the design and retrofit of structures to resist blast effects. The emphasis will be on terrorist threats from vehicle
bombs, but the fundamental concepts can be applied to other explosive scenarios. The presentation will also examine
a case study to illustrate the typical design process and the
interaction of blast and physical security with other design
disciplines, including how to balance security with other
project constraints, including aesthetics, seismic, cost and
constructability.
Participants will gain an understanding of how to compute
explosion effects like overpressure, reflected pressure, and
impulse; how to calculate the resulting blast loading on a
structure; how to compute structural response to blast loading; and practical methods for designing and retrofitting
structures to resist blast effects.
-9-
Influenced by her father’s experience in the construction
industry and her mother’s
love of teaching mathematics,
Jessie became fascinated with
how math and physics could
directly be translated into the built-environment surrounding us.
As an Associate Managing Engineer at Hinman, Jessie has
specialized in physical security and protective design for
new and existing buildings. She has extensive experience
in implementing non-linear dynamic analysis methods for
developing cost effective and constructible solutions and
has worked in multiple market sectors on a wide range of
projects from mission critical facilities to private commercial buildings.
Shalva Marjanishvili, D.Sc., PE, SE
Dr. Marjanishvili leads Hinman’s Advanced Technology
practice, and is an expert in
the dynamic non-linear response of structures to the
effects of seismic, impact and
explosive loadings. He uses a
broad range of computational
methods to develop models
tailored for specific projects
and analytical methods to
evaluate the detailed design
requirements for both new
and existing buildings.
Dr. Marjanishvili is responsible for Hinman Consulting
Engineer’s analytical capabilities including multi-hazard
analysis, resilience management, progressive collapse, anti-terrorist design and analysis of air-blast response of existing and new structures He is a principal author of Hinman analysis software for evaluating structural response to
threats using new and innovative analysis techniques and
cost effective design solutions to provide and improve reliability and robustness of structural systems against various
threats and hazards, natural or manmade.
His experience includes resilience design, protective antiterrorism design, progressive collapse mitigation, vulnerability and risk assessments of numerous federal office
buildings including federal and state courthouses, embassy
structures, aviation facilities, military installations, commercial building, pharmaceutical and petrochemical facilities.
Blog site answers Top 10 FAQs about LCA and
Sustainability for Structural Engineers
Frances Yang, SE, LEED AP BD+C - SEAONC Sustainable
Design Committee
This article has been republished with permission (with minor revisions) from the April 2014 issue of Civil + Structural
Engineer
The introduction of LEEDv4, now in effect, offers new opportunities for structural engineers to be recognized for
their contributions towards sustainable buildings. Scot
Horst, the senior vice president of USGBC is himself quoted
as saying, “One of the things we want to try to do is to initiate a discussion between the designer and the structural
engineer in the same way that energy modeling initiated
a discussion between the designer and the mechanical engineer.” This was in regard to the newly added credit option for whole building life-cycle assessment (LCA), which
is prompting many design teams to learn more about LCA.
The LCA Working Group of the SEI Sustainability Committee recently completed the first ever Top 10 list of questions
most commonly asked about sustainable design and LCA,
and how they pertain to structural engineering. The answers, authored by our member experts, come from focused
literature review of over 20 different case studies based on
life-cycle assessment, with current and geographically-specific applicability. Specifically, the Top 10 FAQs are:
1. Which is better - steel or concrete?
2. What are some of the most effective things I can do as a
structural engineer?
3. How do embodied impacts compare to operational?
4. How much of total embodied comes from structure?
5. Does it matter if I use LCA data from different sources?
6. How much do things seen in LEED (recycled content, local sourcing, etc.) matter?
7. What’s the difference between embodied energy and embodied carbon? Can I just scale embodied carbon results to
embodied energy?
8. What do the other LCA metrics (besides embodied carbon
and embodied energy) mean and how important are they?
9. What is the environmental impact of seismic damage?
How can comprehensive life cycle thinking impact how we
design for disasters?
10. Which is better - retrofitting an existing energy-hogging
building, or building a new super-efficient building?
The answers can be found on our committee blogsite
<http://structureandsustainability.blogspot.com/2012/03/
top-10-questions-ses-have-about.html> We sequenced the
questions roughly based on how frequently we hear them.
We realize though, that answering some of the latter questions first will help prime our readers to better digest the answers nearer the top of the list. Thus, in this month’s article
we will address Q7 and Q8, to first acquire some fluency
with the metrics and methodology of LCA.
Q7: The terms embodied energy and embodied carbon are
often confused or misunderstood as interchangeable. The
confusion likely comes from how the buildings industry
realizes how much operational energy use dominates its
resulting carbon emissions. Operational energy and carbon tend to trend the same, the singular difference between
them being the fuel source that provides the energy and
how much carbon it emits in the process of turning it into
energy. However, when it comes to materials, additional
carbon sources and sinks can throw the two out of propor- 10 -
tion. These include chemical reactions, absorption during
growth of plant-based materials, and occurrences at end-oflife. Thus, in some cases, one can be a proxy for the other,
but with structural materials, there are more factors that
distinguish them apart. More specific examples and further
detail on carbon and carbon accounting protocols appears
on the blogsite.
Q8: Besides energy and carbon, other popular LCA indicators quantify the potential for acidification, eutrophication,
ozone depletion, and smog formation. Along with global
warming potential and non-renewable energy resources,
these are the ones recognized in the LEEDv4 credit option.
However, you many also run into indicators for other impacts such as eco-toxicity, human health, fossil fuel depletion, water use, and land use. The quantification of these
impacts are based on characterization of the inputs (i.e. resources) and outputs (i.e. emissions) that occur over the lifecycles stages of the material or product (extraction, production, transportation, end of life, etc.), found in the life-cycle
inventory (LCI). A graphical representation of how this is
done can be found on the blogsite. A few key points to remember:
• This characterization is based on scientific models representing our current understanding of consequences in the
environment. As this is imperfect, the characterization carries an inherent uncertainty, so those using LCA results to
compare options should consider this inherent uncertainty
before concluding one option is better than the other. Furthermore, different indicators have variable degrees of uncertainty. For example, global warming potential is relatively better understood than eco-toxicity.
• LCA indicators are just indicators, and cannot be used for
predicting future conditions or occurrences. Whether the
fate of the inputs and outputs follows the model often depends upon the local conditions, interaction with other substances that have entered the environment, and how those
change over time.
• LCA is based on our current, best, scientific understanding of the fates of chemicals and substances in the environment. There are many characteristics of healthy communities and environments that cannot be captured be LCA very
well, such as bio-diversity, social impacts, and the younger
fields within human health and toxicology.
Still, the multiple indicators of LCA are useful for realizing relative impacts and trade-offs that may occur as consequence of our choices.
More answers to the Top 10 are provided at http://structureandsustainability.blogspot.com/2012/03/top-10-questionsses-have-about.html. In subsequent articles, we will give
you a brief summary of the lessons we learned from our
literature review about LCA and what it can tell structural
engineers about what we can contribute to sustainable design. So watch this space!
Our real hope, however, is that you will come to our website to read the full answers to the Top 10, and continue the
dialogue in the comment box of each question page. We
welcome use of our site as a platform to share your own
findings, challenges, recommended publications, and other
resources on LCA. Post questions for our authors to answer
during our next burst or chime in sooner with your own
knowledge. Then share the link with your colleagues, clients, and friends in academia. Engagement of our wider
community is essential to making our built environment
more sustainable.
Welcome New Members
Posting for Membership
Associate
Forrest Zhang, KPFF Consulting Engineers
Member SE
Devki Desai, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Chengwen, Liu, Parsons Brinckerhoff
Chad Taylor, Streeter Group
Eric Deaver, Murphy Burr Curry, Inc.
MelissaHan, Nabih Youssef Associates
Member
Drew Kimball, Peoples Associate
Greg Lowitz, BUILDERA
Stephen Hom, URS
Alexandra Jakuka-Godwin, Tuan and Robinson Structural Engineers, Inc
Eric Pon, DeSimone Consulting Engineers
Alison Ignatowski, Forell/Elsesser
Darius Dodge, Desimone
Kevin Choy, DCI Engineers
Associate
Brylle Cabacungan, KPW Structural Engineering
Member
RonaldCampos, KLC Consulting Engineers & Architects
Seri Ngernwattana, Seri Engineer
Reza Imani, Thornton Tomasetti
Hillary Cheng, Louie International
Joe Alexander, GPD Group
Member SE
Jake Bazen, KPFF
Rick Grahn, Cornerstone Structural Engineering Group
Sarah Durphy, Estructure
Christopher Maulino, Watry Design
Student
Jose Jimenez Jr.
Student
Whitney Maxfield
Miltiadis Vratimos
Daniel Burkhartsmeyer
- 11 -
- 12 -
upcoming events
NOV
1st
SAP ATC-20 Training
11th
SEAONC Dinner Meeting
City Club, San Francisco
12th
19th
SEAONC Fall Seminar
PG&E, San Francisco
- 13 -