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SEAMASS News Briefs, Member News  
& Event Announcements

January 2015  
QUICK LINKS
IN THIS ISSUE 
  • MEAER Delegates Meet with DPS Commissioner and Chief of Inspections on Beacon Hill
  • Please invite the young engineers you know to attend the Jan 29 SEAMASS YMG Casual Meet-up
  • Did you Know?  Soil Boring Logs Available
  • Event Recap: New England Decking Conference / Hilti Hands-on Decking Seminar
  • Event Recap: Structural Engineers & Risk
  • Upcoming Events - Save These Dates
  • Member Resources Await You at NCSEA.com
 MEAER Delegates Meet with DPS Commissioner and
Chief of Inspections at DPS Headquarters on Beacon Hill
Contributed by Michael Fillion, PE, SECB| Fillion Group, Inc.
Michael Fillion, PE, SECB, David Grandpre, PE, SECB, and Jeff   Struble, PE of the Massachusetts Engineers & Architects Emergency Response (MEAER) Task Force met with Public Safety Commissioner Thomas Gatzunus and Chief of Inspections Robert Anderson at the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety headquarters on Beacon Hill in October.

KEY OUTCOMES OF THE MEETING:
MEAER confirmed that MA DPS will act as the liaison between MEMA (MA Emergency Management Agency) and the secondary responder volunteers.  The primary topics of discussion were minimum training requirements, the process for deployment & liability issues and joint training events for building officials and design professionals. 

The commissioner indicated that he would review and determine which training methodologies MEAER should follow in certifying their volunteers.  Once the minimum certification requirements are decided, MEAER proposes to hold training events locally.  Ultimately, the commissioner stated that it would be a valuable asset to DPS to have a 'go to' list of certified secondary emergency responder volunteers.  He has invited MEAER back to Beacon Hill for a second meeting to continue coordinating this effort. 

ABOUT MEAER: 
The Massachusetts Engineers & Architects Emergency Response (MEAER) committee was formed in April 2013 to establish the MEAER Task Force, whose mission is "To provide rapid mobilization of volunteer design professional disaster responders from the private sector to assist state emergency management agencies in responding to disasters of such a magnitude that the technical capacities and resources of the government organizations are overwhelmed." This is a second-responder effort with the goal of supporting the community's return to normalcy and reducing pressure on temporary housing.
 The SEAMASS Young Members Group (YMG)  
Casual Meet-up: January 29 | 6:00-9:00 p.m.
ALL SEAMASS MEMBERS:
Please pass along this invitation from the SEAMASS Young Members Group (YMG)
to any young engineers you know:

Come socialize and meet other young structural engineers while enjoying cold beverages and free appetizers. Students and non-members are welcome.

WHEN:  Thursday, January 29, 2014, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
LOCATION:  Terrace at Avenue One (Hyatt Regency Boston), located off the main lobby.  One Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, MA, 02111 View map
COST: Free (includes free appetizers) 

Learn more about the SEAMASS Young Members Group

Did You Know?  Historic Soil Boring Logs
Contributed by Michael Fillion, PE, SECB| Fillion Group, Inc.
For anyone trying to get an idea on general soil profiles in Boston and surrounding areas, The Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section/ASCE has a number of published historic soil boring logs on record for purchase. 
CLICK HERE to access the order form for soil profiles for different sections of the city.  Complete and email your order form to aellard@engineers.org. 
EVENT RECAP
New England Decking Conference | HILTI Hands-on Seminar

The New England-Boston Decking Conference/Hilti Decking Hands-on Seminar, was held on the morning of October 21, organized by the SEAMASS Young Members Group. 

Participants included structural engineers, contractors, fabricators, deck manufacturers, inspectors, architects, and students.  Jack Hulburd of Hilti shared recent developments in Steel Deck Diaphragm Design and state-of-the-art installation methods.  He identified the limitations of deck connection types and demonstrated the most consistent and reliable fastening approach using a hands-on format.
EVENT RECAP
Structural Engineers & Risk:
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Building Failure Projects
On November 13, a capacity-crowd enjoyed Structural Engineers and Risk: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Building Failure Projects. It was a day of insightful presentations by distinguished presenters, followed by panel discussion.

The first presentation, titled Unexpected Structural Performance Does Not Equal Negligent Design, was co-presented by Joseph J. Zona, PE, Senior Principal of Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Inc. and Jay S. Gregory, Esq., Shareholder at LeClair Ryan.

The next presentation, titled I Bought the Barn, was co-presented by Craig E. Barnes, PE, SECB, of CBI Consulting, Inc., and Russell F. Conn, Esq. of Conn Kavanaugh Rosenthal Peisch & Ford, LLP.

SEAMASS once again thanks our Event Sponsor, Maloney & Company, LLC.
View all Past Events
SAVE THESE DATES - Upcoming Events
January 27, 2015 (Tuesday) | 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.:
Full-day Welding Seminar 
(8 NCSEA Diamond-certified PDH credits)
PRESENTED BY:  SEAM - Structural Engineers Association of Maine
SPEAKER: Bob Shaw, SSTC
LOCATION: Seasons Event and Conference Center
155 Riverside Street, Portland, Maine                                                          
CREDITS: 8 NCSEA Diamond-Certified PDHs
COST: SEAM and SEAMASS Members: $185.00 / Non-members: $245.00
NOTE: SEAMASS members may attend at the SEAM member cost
REGISTER ONLINE BY by TODAY (Wednesday January 21, 2015)

February 26, 2015 (Thursday) | Evening/Time TBA:
The Birth of the Steel Skyscraper
Sponsored by SEAMASS during Engineers Week 2015
SPEAKER: Professor Ben Schafer, Civil Eng. Dept. Chair at Johns Hopkins
LOCATION: Northeastern University  More details are forthcoming

March 31 - April 3, 2015:
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI)
67th Annual Conference | Boston, MA
Theme:  Old Cities, New Earthquakes
The program will highlight the particular seismic hazards and vulnerability of older structures common to so much of central and eastern North America.
CLICK HERE for program details and registration instructions.
NOTE:  Registration rates will INCREASE on March 2, 2015.

Visit the SEAMASS Calendar for frequently-updated information
Member Resource: NCSEA.com
Your NCSEA/SEAMASS membership provides you with access to several resources designed to enhance your career and help you reach your professional goals.

For example, on NCSEA.com, you'll find:

Career Center for NCSEA members. In addition to Job Postings, you'll find Career Tips, Professional Resume Writing, and Career Coaching.

SECB (Certification) - New:  Revised Requirements for NCSEA members!

SE Exam Study Guide - Newly-revised in January 2015.

Education Opportunities - Choose from Webinars, Publications Seminars & more!

Events Calendar - Just click on the right-hand side of the NCSEA Home page.

Become a SEAMASS Sponsor Today
Please patronize all the firms listed in the SEAMASS Corporate Directory, Professional Directory and Business Directory. Their sponsor commitments enable SEAMASS to fund key programs and initiatives in support of members.

Not yet a directory member?  Click How to Get Listed to learn the benefits of registering for the SEAMASS Directory, as well as how to sponsor SEAMASS Events.
Thank you SEAMASS Corporate Sponsors

Thank you to these SEAMASS Members who have contributed their  
Corporate Sponsorship in support of this member-driven organization: 
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