We did it!  Bill S.795 was passed by both the House and the Senate on Beacon Hill on July 31st and signed by Governor Patrick on August 5th. It is now a law of the Commonwealth.  

Apparently our legislators heard our voices and saw fit to enact the bill in its end-of-the session flurry of legislation with little dissent or argument.  Structural engineers and other professionals can now volunteer their services to help assess damage after a catastrophe without fear of being held liable for their good-faith efforts.  We can now organize ourselves into groups that stand ready to deploy to disaster scenes in Massachusetts if called upon by emergency management agencies to maximize our effectiveness.  Many thanks to all the SEAMASS members who contacted their legislators in support of the bill!  

And we will be called upon.  The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is initiating discussions to take advantage of this new law and to organize a system of second responders that can be called up by the State on short notice to aid in the assessment of property and infrastructure damage.  It is hoped that the Massachusetts Engineers and Architects Emergency Response group (MEAER) that SEAMASS and the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) have formed will be asked to join in this organization and become a ready resource of trained professionals who can answer that call effectively.  Details of the DPS initiative are evolving, so watch this space in future newsletters for specifics about just how we structural engineers can get involved and volunteer.

On September 11, SEAMASS presented a professional development seminar featuring two topics, A Vision for the Future of Structural Engineering: A Case for Change and International Building Code Essentials for Wood Construction.  

The event was held at the Kostas Research Institute at Northeastern University's Burlington campus.  More than 50 attendees participated, earning 6 CEUs in their choice of NCSEA Diamond-Certified or SEAMASS-issued credits.

Mr. Donald Dusenberry, PE, SECB, F.SEI, F.ASCE

Mr. Sam Francis

In his presentation, A Vision for the Future of Structural Engineering: A Case for Change, speaker Donald Dusenberry, PE, SECB, F.SEI, F.ASCE covered topics including: SEI strategic planning, influences on the structural engineering profession (technology, globalization, codes, licensure, education); a vision for the future; and initiatives authorized by the SEI Board of Governors.  Mr. Dusenberry is also the president of SEI and is a Senior Principal at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger.

In his presentation, International Building Code Essentials for Wood Construction, speaker Sam Francis comprehensively reviewed several key elements of the Code Conforming Wood Design (CCWD) document, intended as a resource for wood design in accordance with the IBC. He also covered codes regarding occupancies for several types of groups (Assembly through Storage), as well as building size considerations, types of construction, wood use in buildings, firewalls and fire resistance, requirements of the IFC, AWC standard referenced in the IBC, and what to expect in the 2015 IBC. Mr. Francis is the Northeast Regional Manager of Codes and Standards for the American Wood Council.  View Past Events Archive