President's Message

 

Dues Increase?

In the last issue of the SEAOSC NEWSletter it was reported that the SEAOC Board of Directors voted at their Jan. 24, 1998 meeting to raise the SEAOC portion of membership dues of full members $10 in fiscal year 1998-99 (beginning July 1, 1998) in support of the State office and its activities. The dues increase was approved to avoid an impending financial crisis in fiscal year 2000-2001 when Association revenues drastically decline because the special SAC Project will terminate. Following the distribution of the newsletter, there have been discussions on the SEAOC List Service concerning the justification for this action.

The SEAOC List Service is an open engineering discussion forum sponsored by SEAOC on the Internet and currently has over 7,000 participants worldwide. I encourage everyone to subscribe and participate in the list service where the open exchange of ideas is welcomed. (See the side bar for how to subscribe to the free list service.)

Particular discussion on the list service indicates that members are not aware what SEAOC is doing on members’ behalf. SEAOC will endeavor to more clearly articulate what the benefits of membership are.

The Boards of Directors of both the state and local associations continually strive to identify and act upon the many issues facing SEAOC that affect our profession. Perhaps one of the foremost issues facing SEAOC is defining what will be SEAOC's role in the code development process as we move toward a unified international code, the IBC. State committees have been working dilegently behind the scene in continuing SEAOC's leadership role in the profession. Much of this effort is still "work in progress" and as such, there are no completed documents to refer to yet. The same goes for joining with the National Council of Structural Engineering Associations (NCSEA) which is working to have a two-tiered strucutral engineering licensing system recognized in the United States.

Concern has also been expressed that no thought was given to reducing expenses as opposed to just the "easy way out" of increasing dues revenues. I can assure you that this is just not the case as the review of expenses is an on-going activity at both the State and local levels.

Access to the Internet now allows virtual meetings to occur in Cyberspace rather than face-to-face meetings. The SEAOC and SEAOSC Computer Applications Committee is busy working towards making this a reality and we'll have this capability soon on a wider basis.

Let me reiterate that your Board of Directors appreciates each member's thoughts, concerns and ideas to aid them in their decision making. The SEAOSC delegates on the SEAOC Board who represent your membership are committed to the fiscal responsibility and the long-term welfare of the state association. The delegates are also committed to attaining a balanced SEAOC budget to preclude future dues increases.

Please refer to the flyer in the newsletter which lists some of the tangible benefits of membership in SEAOSC and SEAOC. Remember that furthering the profession of structural engineering is also an important benefit – one where everybody wins –the public, the engineer and the client.

 

Third in Seismic Design Seminar Series: Masonry, April 1

The SEAOSC Masonry Subcommittee of the Seismology Committee is hosting a two-hour seminar on masonry as it pertains to seismic design provisions from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 4 prior to the regular dinner meeting. Mark Lowe, S.E., of Barry Levin & Associates, Irvine, will be the speaker of this, the third seminar in the Seismic Design Series. Cost pre-registered is $20 for members, $25 for non-members and $10 for students. Add $5 if paying at the door. Save $7 by prepaying via fax or phone. $35 for both the seminar and the dinner meeting/speaker. This seminar was postponed from its original date of Mar. 4.

 

L.A. Dinner Meeting

Wednesday, April 1

Subject: Seismic Risk Assessment Probable Maximum Loss Analysis

Speaker: Jeff Coronado

Menu: Broiled mahi-mahi

Time: Social hour: 5:30 p.m., Dinner: 6:30 p.m., Program: 8 p.m.

Location: Luminarias Restaurant, 3500 Ramona Blvd., Monterey Park

Cost: $22; $10 for students

 

Tri-Counties Dinner Meeting

Wednesday, April 8

Program: Special Inspection

Speaker: Sandy Pringle, Structural Inspection Consultants

Time: Social hour: 5:30 p.m., Dinner: 6:30 p.m., Program: 7:30 p.m.

Location: Fess Parker's Doubletree Resort, 633 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara

Menu: Grilled chicken with fettucini alfredo

Cost: $22; $10 for students

 

SEAOSC April Calendar

Date Time Meeting Location

April 1 2 p.m. SEAOSC Board Meeting Luminarias Restaurant, Monterey Park

3:30 p.m. Seismic Design Seminar Luminarias Restaurant, Monterey Park

5:30 p.m. L.A. Dinner Meeting Luminarias Restaurant, Monterey Park

April 3 8 a.m. Seminar by SEAOSC EBC Radisson Hotel, San Diego

April 7 4 p.m. EQ Damage Assmt. Com. SEAOSC office, Whittier

April 8 5:30 p.m. Tri-Counties Dinner Meeting Doubletree Hotel, Santa Barbara

April14 3 p.m. Quality Assurance Committee SEAOSC office, Whittier

 

April 15 Noon Construction Quality Assurance SEAOSC office, Whittier

 

April 16 3 p.m. Testing Standards Committee SEAOSC office, Whittier

 

April 25 9 a.m. SEAOC Board Meeting Sacramento

 

ASCE To Hold Forensic Engineering Seminar

The Forensic Engineering Technical Group of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Los Angeles Section, will hold its third annual seminar/workshop, "The Future of Forensic Engineering" from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 15 at the University of California, Irvine.

The cost is $125 if mailed by April 8, $140 after April 8. Space is limited to 140 attendees, so register early by calling Richard Foley at 714-549-9595.

 

FRC Subcommittee Formed

There has been significant amount of retrofit work performedrecently using fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) materials to strengthen existing concrete and masonry elements. A new subcommittee of the SEAOSC Existing Buildings Committee is being formed to focus on developing recommendations and guidelines for the retrofit design of concrete and masonry structural members using FRC materials.

SEAOSC members interested in joining the new subcommittee should contact Rami Elhassan, chair of the new subcommittee, at 310-998-9154.

 

SEAOSC Auxiliary Awards Student Memberships at Student Night

The purpose of the SEAOSC Auxiliary is to support and enhance various activities of SEAOSC, according to Auxiliary Awards Committee Co-Chair Nancy Cochran. To recognize and encourage new engineers entering the field, the Auxiliary sponsors an annual awards program. She explained that each of the engineering colleges of Southern California was asked to nominate an engineering student who shows excellence in leadership and engineering studies. Each student received, from the Auxiliary, a one-year SEAOSC membership and a framed certificate.

Kirsten Zeydel, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Ms. Zeydel expects to receive her B.S. in civil engineering this June. Last summer she worked as a summer engineering intern for the City of Santa Maria. She is the 1998 Construction Chair for the Cal Poly Rose Float, a student club that designs, builds and funds a float for the Tournament of Roses Parade. Last year she served the committee as their hydraulics and assistant construction chair. She is a member of the Society of Women Engineers and the Society of Civil Engineers. She has been on the Dean’s List for eight quarters and the President’s List for two years. She is a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society. And in her spare time she participates in a myriad of intramural sports.

James A. Spicer II, Loyola Marymount.

Mr. Spicer has studied civil engineering at both U.C. Irvine and Loyola Marymount. He is currently a volunteer engineering aid at the L.A. Bureau of Engineering. He is also secretary of the National Society of Black Engineers. He is a recipient of the William A Morris Scholarship, the UC Irvine Excellence Scholarship Award and the Rev. Alfred J. Kilp Scholarship. He has volunteered at Loyola in the Special Olympics and has also tutored math. He enjoys golf, football, basketball, baseball and track.

Thang H. Le, Cal State Northridge

Mr. Le expects to receive his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in December. He has been on the Dean’s List for five semesters; received a National Simpson Merit Scholarship the last two years, along with three other scholarships. His special projects were the geotechnical design and dynamic analysis of the West Dam for the Eastside Reservoir Project and the design and construction of a concrete canoe and popsicle stick bridge for the ASCE’s conference. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi, the Golden Key National Honor Society; a tutor in the Minority Engineering Program, and Vice President of the student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Mr. Robert G. Wagner , Cal State Long Beach

Mr. Wagner received his bachelor of arts degree from San Diego State where he was a member of the crew and cycling clubs. After his wife graduated from the U.C.Hasting Law School he returned to school to study engineering at Orange Coast and Saddleback Junior Colleges before enrolling at Cal State Long Beach. This year, in his final semester, he is juggling school course work with working on the ASCE steel bridge team. He plans to pursue a master’s degree and would like to work for a civil engineering design firm.

Keri Ryan, California Institute of Technology

Ms. Ryan is a senior in the engineering and applied science program and is interested in a career in structural engineering. She recently completed a research project in which she studied the seismic response of base-isolated buildings to near-source ground motions. Her paper will be presented at the Structural Engineering World Congress in San Francisco in July. She also placed third in the Dorris S. Perpall Speaking Competition for the presentation of her research. She is considering pursing a graduate degree at either Berkeley or San Diego next year.

Reza Rezaian , Cal Poly Pomona

Mr. Rezaian will graduate in June with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He currently volunteers as a reader/tutor to the Disabled Student Services at Cal Poly. He has worked for the N&K Corp. in Beverly Hills, and has been an assistant engineer at Pyramid Engineering and Construction. He is a member of ASCE and made the Dean’s Honor List from the Fall of 1996 through the Spring of last year. In his spare time, he enjoys basketball, golf and swimming.

Ryan Thomas Romo, USC

Mr. Romo is a senior in civil engineering with an emphasis in building science. He has interned with City of Upland, working with plan check and computer projects. He also works at Disneyland and is an assistant engineer for Cal Trans. He has been on the Dean’s List seven times, is an Associate member of ASCE and a member of Tau Beta Pi, Golden Key and Chi Epsilon. He is interested in gaining some hands-on experience in design and construction.

Farhan Karimi, UCLA

Mr. Farhan will receive his bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering with a specialization in structural engineering in June. He works at UCLA as a calculus and analytic geometry tutor, is a member of Tau Beta Pi and ASCE. He has his E.I.T. license, is a two-time Dean’s Honors List recipient and is a candidate for Summa Cum Laude honors at graduation.

Mohammed Rahman, Cal State Los Angeles

Mr. Rahman received his bachelor’s degree in Bangladesh. He expects to receive his master’s degree in structural engineering from Cal State L.A. at the end of this year. His special interest is in the design of structures. He looks forward to living and pursuing his career here in the United States.

David Larsen, UCI

In conclusion, Nancy conveyed this message: "We know you have taken time from your demanding schedules - and in some cases driven long distances - to be here, to show your support and interest in the profession of structural engineering. We value your presence with us and wish you all a rewarding association with SEAOSC. You are the future of this organization."

 

(Photograph) From left, front row: Mohammed Rahman, Cal State L.A.; Keri Ryan, Cal Tech; and Thang Le, Cal State Northridge. Back row: Farhan Karimi, UCLA; Ryan Romo, USC; Kirsten Zydel, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

 

New Members

SEAOSC welcomes its newest members.

Chin, Edward, Corresponding, Inquest Engineering, P.O. Box 1102, Woodinville, WA 98072; 425-806-5669.

Cook, James B., Affiliate, Koury Inspection & Testing Service, 17800 S. Main St., Ste. 303, Gardena, CA 90204; 310-851-8685.

Dye, Bill T., Member, Enviro-Crete Products, Inc., 2999 N. 44th St., Ste. 300, Phoenix, AZ 85018; 602-955-9615.

Howard, Jack, Member SE, Frame Design Group, 3186-L Airway Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626; 714-424-5340.

Li, Sai Wan, Member, James Truss Co., 1055 E. Third St., Corona, CA 91719; 909-936-3962.

Pan, James Chen-Cheng, Associate, Grossman & Speer Associates Inc., 502 Hahn Ave., Ste. 200, Glendale, CA 91201; 818-507-1020.

Ramadev, Rangaswamy, Member SE, RR Consultants, 2 Blackburn, Dove Canyon, CA 92679; 714-3934499.

Turner, Christopher A., Associate, Johnson & Nielsen Assoc., 18009 Sky Park Cir., Ste. L., Irvine, CA 92614; 714-261-1495.

Vuletic, Ryan W., Associate, Leo A. Daly Co., 911 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 2200, Los Angeles, CA 90017; 213-629-0100.

 

Advertisements

Degenkolb Engineers seeks structural design engineers. Requirements: M.S.S.E., four-10 years experience in structural/seismic analysis, design of buildings, and C.E. license. Must have excellent verbal and writing skills and an interest in working in a technically challenging environment. Resume with references, letter to 12100 Wilshire, Ste. 480, Los Angeles, CA 90025.

Black & Veatch L.A. office seeks structural engineers for building and environmental structure design. Must be proficient in concrete and steel design. SE preferred. Range of positions available depending on qualifications. Send resume to 800 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 600, Los Angeles, CA 90017, attention M. Anderson. Fax: 213-312-3399; email: andersonmr@bv.com.

William Simpson & Associates seeks engineer for structural work. California registration and minimum of five years experience required. Orange County office. Please fax resume to 714-675-0248, attention Personnel.

KNA Engineering of Agoura Hills seeks full-time structural engineer. Two-four years residential (custom homes),Type V. ACAD 14 helpful. Call 818-865-2026. Fax resume: 818-865-1889.

Structural engineering firm seeks licensed engineers with five to seven years new building/ n seismic retrofit experience with proven communication and computer skills. Motivated self-starters preferred. M.S./S.E. preferred. Fax resume and salary history to: Nabih Youssef & Associates, attention: Brent Nuttall: 213-688-3099.

ESI/FME Inc. has two full-time positions available: one for a design engineer with one to five years experience in Type V construction and one junior level design engineer with one year in Type V construction preferred. Send resume to 1921 E. Carnegie Ave., Ste. 3J, Santa Ana, CA 92705, attention: Sondra.

B & B Associates needs structural engineer with minimum of five years experience in design of wood, concrete, steel and masonry buildings. Excellent communication and computer skills required.Fax resume to 213-353-1458, attention: Armen Baroonian.

RAM International (formerly RAM Analysis), a structural engineering software company, has two engineering positions open in its Carlsbad, CA headquarters: 1) quality assurance/customer service manager and (2) engineering programmer. Visit our website at 222.ramint.com for more information on all job openings or fax resume to 760-431-5124.

 

¼-page advertisement:

Established structural engineering firm has several openings in both its Irvine and Las Vegas offices.

· Project Engineer: requires five or more years Type V residential, computer software proficiency, excellent design skills, above average written and verbal communications skills, ability to coordinate projects with clients. P.E. license preferred.

· Field operations engineer: requires five or more years Type V residential, one year field experience, above average written and verbal communication skills, P.E. license required.

· Structural autocad/drafting: architectural/structural drafter with two years experience. Release 12 or 14.

We are looking for career oriented individuals who are interested in joining a growing company whose emphasis lies in cumstomer service.

If you are interested in a position with premium growth opportunity professionally as well as personally please send your resume and cover letter to

Borm Associates Inc.,

19100 Von Karman Ave., Ste. 220,

Irvine, CA 92612, attention: Recruiting,

or fax to 714-724-1399.