2016: A Year of Leadership and Innovation through Collaboration and Partnering

Editorial new trends, new techniques and current industry issues 2016: A Year of Leadership and Innovation through Collaboration and Partnering

By David J. Odeh, P.E., S.E., SECB, F.SEI, M.ASCE

2016 will mark many key milestones for our profession, and will have many exciting opportunities to shape our future. As we enter this important time in the history of structural engineering, let’s not forget that our greatest achievements and innovations always come when we work together in teams. Structural engineers often cite inspiration from other fields, such as physics, chemistry, or art, when they develop a novel idea or solution to an important problem. Furthermore, the increasing complexity of design and the related body of engineering knowledge together necessitate our interaction with specialists in all manner of disciplines, from soils to advanced composite materials. Even within our own discipline, there are numerous specialists and component engineers – each having their own custom tools and methods – who must interact to make a project succeed. Today, no structural engineer can practice in a silo. With this in mind, I would like to draw your attention to some important upcoming events in the new year, all of which are the result of collaboration and teamwork: • First, 2016 will be the 20th anniversary of the founding of the

Structural Engineering Institute. SEI was the first technical institute of ASCE, and today has grown to over 25,000 worldwide members in research, academia, and practice.

SEI operates with an independent board of governors and engages in all manner of activities to advance the profession of structural engineering. However, SEI also benefits from collaboration and partnership with its nine sister technical institutes in such diverse areas as: geotechnical engineering (G-I); architectural engineering (AEI); and coasts, oceans, ports, and rivers (COPRI). SEI also has developed important partnerships with peer organizations including NCSEA,

CASE, SECB, SELC, ATC, IStructE, and IABSE. • Second, 2016 will mark the release of a new edition of SEI’s flagship standard, ASCE/SEI-7 Minimum Design Loads for

Buildings and Other Structures. In addition to important updates to every section, ASCE/SEI 7-16 will for the first time include a chapter on tsunami loads, driven by a worldwide need to address this critical hazard for which no generally accepted structural design standards previously existed.

Research for this new chapter was jointly funded by SEI and our partner institute, COPRI. Only through this unique combination of resources, combined with a global team of experts, could the important work be done to develop this new standard which will enhance public safety. • In February 2016, SEI and CASE will partner for the first time with the Geo-Institute (G-I) for a unique and fascinating conference in Phoenix called the Geotechnical and Structural

Engineering Congress. This one-time event will feature all of the great things that participants have come to expect from

Structures Congress – excellent short courses (including one on ASCE/SEI 7-16 taught by leading experts who worked on the standard), networking opportunities, and tracks on such key topics as earthquake engineering, blast and impact loading, and the popular CASE Risk Management Convocation. In addition, attendees of the 2016 conference will benefit from a unique opportunity to interact with the world’s top geotechnical engineers and learn about topics crucial to structural engineers, such as the latest ground-improvement methods and soil-structure interaction for earthquake engineering. With so much new scientific knowledge and technology being introduced in both fields, never has the interface between structural and geotechnical engineers been more important. The 2016 Geotechnical and Structural

Engineering Congress promises to be a fantastic opportunity for structural engineers to expand their knowledge and build new relationships with fellow design professionals in our two related fields. • Finally, in 2016 SEI will launch a new Global Activities

Division. With an important mission to address the needs of a worldwide membership, this new division will be a tremendous opportunity to create new links between structural engineers around the world. Stay tuned this spring for more information on this exciting initiative. Our capacity to innovate hinges on our ability to draw talent and inspiration from many different fields and from each other – each one of us with a different background and perspective on the critical issues we face. 2016 promises to be a year of great opportunity for those who can leverage these partnerships effectively. We must build more links between our organizations, both inside and outside of our discipline, to ensure a vibrant future of innovation and leadership for structural engineers.▪

David J. Odeh is the President of the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE. He is a principal at Odeh Engineers, Inc. of Providence, Rhode Island.

Applied Science International, LLC....... 59 ASDIP Structural Software.................... 22 CADRE Analytic .................................. 16 Cell-Crete Corporation ......................... 46 Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute.. 8, 41 CTS Cement Manufacturing Corp........ 19 Dlubal Software, Inc. ............................ 11 Enercalc, Inc. .......................................... 3 Geopier Foundation Company.............. 15 Hayward Baker, Inc................................. 6 ICC....................................................... 49 ICC – Evaluation Service ...................... 20 Integrated Engineering Software, Inc..... 23 Integrity Software, Inc........................... 28 ITT Enidine, Inc................................... 27 JVA Incorporated .................................. 43 KPFF Consulting Engineers.................. 48 Legacy Building Solutions..................... 45 MAPEI Corp........................................... 2 NCEES................................................. 50 Pile Dynamics, Inc................................ 29 Ram Jack Systems Distribution ............. 51 RISA Technologies ................................ 60 Schnabel Foundation Company ............ 18 S-Frame Software, Inc. ............................ 4 Simpson Strong-Tie............................... 13 Structural Engineers, Inc....................... 43 StructurePoint....................................... 24 Struware, Inc......................................... 44 Subsurface Constructors, Inc................. 17 Williams Form Engineering .................. 12

ERRATUM

In the November 2015 issue, the feature article, A Systems Approach for Structural Framing, referenced Structo-Crete panels. During the months preceding publication while the article was prepared, the panels were re-branded to USG Structural Panels. The online version of this article has been updated to reflect the new product name. Also, see USG’s ad on page 33 of the November issue.

Get YOUR name on this list!

Visit our website to see what advertising opportunities are right for you! www.STRUCTUREmag.org

Introducing the voided flat plate.

A state-of-the-art floor system.

$49.95 Non-member/$34.95 Member Use code VOIDED-15 and save 15% at www.crsi-webstore.org.

24/7 distance learning.

Visit www.crsi-learning.org for a list of topics.

Get FREE technical and informational downloads at www.crsi.org!

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER

INTERACTIVE SALES ASSOCIATES sales@STRUCTUREmag.org Eastern Sales Chuck Minor 847-854-1666 Western Sales Jerry Preston 480-396-9585

EDITORIAL STAFF

Executive Editor Jeanne Vogelzang, JD, CAE execdir@ncsea.com

Editor Christine M. Sloat, P.E. publisher@STRUCTUREmag.org

Associate Editor Nikki Alger publisher@STRUCTUREmag.org

Graphic Designer Rob Fullmer graphics@STRUCTUREmag.org

Web Developer William Radig webmaster@STRUCTUREmag.org

EDITORIAL BOARD

Chair Jon A. Schmidt, P.E., SECB Burns & McDonnell, Kansas City, MO chair@structuremag.org

John A. Dal Pino, S.E. Degenkolb Engineers, San Francisco, CA

Mark W. Holmberg, P.E. Heath & Lineback Engineers, Inc., Marietta, GA

Dilip Khatri, Ph.D., S.E. Khatri International Inc., Pasadena, CA

Roger A. LaBoube, Ph.D., P.E. CCFSS, Rolla, MO

Brian J. Leshko, P.E. HDR Engineering, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA

Jessica Mandrick, P.E., LEED AP Gilsanz Murray Steficek, LLP, New York, NY

Brian W. Miller Davis, CA

Mike Mota, Ph.D., P.E. CRSI, Williamstown, NJ

Evans Mountzouris, P.E. The DiSalvo Engineering Group, Ridgefield, CT

Greg Schindler, P.E., S.E. KPFF Consulting Engineers, Seattle, WA

Stephen P. Schneider, Ph.D., P.E., S.E. BergerABAM, Vancouver, WA

John “Buddy” Showalter, P.E. American Wood Council, Leesburg, VA

C3 Ink, Publishers

A Division of Copper Creek Companies, Inc. 148 Vine St., Reedsburg WI 53959 Phone 608-524-1397 Fax 608-524-4432 publisher@structuremag.org

December 2015, Volume 22, Number 12

ISSN 1536-4283. Publications Agreement No. 40675118. Owned by the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations and published in cooperation with CASE and SEI monthly by C3 Ink. The publication is distributed free of charge to members of NCSEA, CASE and SEI; the non-member subscription rate is $75/yr domestic; $40/yr student; $90/yr Canada; $60/yr Canadian student; $135/yr foreign; $90/yr foreign student. For change of address or duplicate copies, contact your member organization(s) or email subscriptions@STRUCTUREmag.org. Note that if you do not notify your member organization, your address will revert back with their next database submittal. Any opinions expressed in STRUCTURE magazine are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NCSEA, CASE, SEI, C3 Ink, or the STRUCTURE Editorial Board.

In Appreciation…

On January 1, 2016, STRUCTURE magazine will have a new Editorial Board chair. If you are not part of the inner circle that produces the magazine, you might not see the significance in the change. The importance is not that the magazine’s quality is in jeopardy or the content will change, but that the man who made the magazine what it is today is moving on. Jon Schmidt, P.E., SECB, the Editorial Board Chair for the last ten years is stepping down. This issue is his last. In the November In-Focus column, Jon thanked everyone he has been associated with in his ten years with the magazine. That’s Jon, gracious, methodical, and thorough. Not surprisingly, what Jon did not mention is the role he has played in the success of the magazine. Over the last five years, Jon has been responsible for the selection and editing of over 2200 pages of articles and content. In 2015 alone, Jon will have managed the production of over 500 pages of content. Every month starting with the January issue of 2006, Jon has reviewed, scheduled, edited, and decided which articles to print. It did not matter what else was going on in Jon’s life, every month for ten years he held a conference call with his Editorial Board, interfaced with the publisher, and read, edited, and decided what the content of STRUCTURE magazine would be. The magazine is what it is today because Jon said yes to then NCSEA President Ron Hamburger ten years ago and took on the “volunteer” position of Chairman of the Editorial Board. STRUCTURE magazine is successful because it is written and produced by volunteers. It’s common knowledge that print publications are having a difficult time surviving because of cost increases in postage, printing, and publishing, combined with stagnation in advertising revenues and the competition from digital delivery of content. If STRUCTURE magazine did not have a volunteer editorial board and contributed content, there would be no magazine; and, despite what’s trending regarding the move to digital, structural engineers overwhelmingly want their magazine in their hands monthly, and Jon Schmidt helped make sure that was possible. Jon’s successor, past-president of NCSEA, Barry Arnold, had this response when asked about filling Jon’s shoes. “As the incoming Chair of the Editorial Board, I deeply appreciate and am thankful for the great care and thought Jon Schmidt has put into shaping STRUCTURE magazine into a well-respected, widely-read publication for structural engineers. Throughout Jon’s ten years of service as the Editorial Chair, the magazine has increased in value for the practicing structural engineer by offering a variety of articles focusing on notable projects and engineering achievements, exemplary people, increasing technical competence, and business-related topics….” Jon Schmidt gave NCSEA ten very demanding years in his role as a volunteer. Very few people in the 20-plus year history of the organization come close to matching his generosity. When he decided it was time to step down, he did so and immediately agreed to serve what is likely to be many more years on the NCSEA board. Knowing Jon, he will be very active and involved in his new role. In fact, it’s my understanding that when the draft minutes were issued after his first board meeting, Jon immediately sent in his edits. On behalf of the NCSEA Media Board, and all of the volunteers who make the magazine what it is, I would like to say thank you to Jon Schmidt. You gave us ten years and a first class publication that has flourished when others have floundered. You were a pleasure to work with, and we are all very glad to have had the opportunity. Thanks Jon, and good luck! Marc S. Barter, P.E., S.E., SECB Chairman, NCSEA Media Inc.

STRUCTURE Welcomes a New Chairman

Effective January 1, 2016, Barry K. Arnold, P.E., S.E., SECB will take over as Chair of the STRUCTURE Editorial Board. Barry has been a practicing consulting structural engineer for 27 years and is currently a co-owner and vice-president of ARW Engineers in Ogden, Utah. He is a Past President of the Structural Engineers Association of Utah (SEAU), serves as the SEAU Delegate to NCSEA, and served as NCSEA President during the 2014-2015 year (Current Past President), as well as a member of the NCSEA Licensing Committee. Mr. Arnold is licensed in 40 states and 4 Canadian provinces. On his vision for STRUCTURE magazine, Barry says, “I look forward to working with the Editorial Board and our readers to build on the foundation Jon provided and offer more in-depth articles and a wider variety of articles of interest to the readers, articles that they can use to improve their technical skills, professional acumen, and business practices. I encourage the reader to be part of the process by sending in your comments about current magazine content and suggestions on how it might be improved.” Please join STRUCTURE magazine in welcoming Barry Arnold. To contact Barry with your input on the magazine, email him at Chair@STRUCTUREmag.org.