Structural Engineers’ Buildings Conference & Expo takes the lead on building design

The Structural Engineers’ Buildings Conference & Expo—sponsored by Structural Engineer, the leading resource for design and specification—is being held Dec. 1-2, 2005, at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago. It is the first national conference for structural engineers focusing specifically on how to complete building projects successfully and improve their business expertise.

The educational and practical program delivers the latest techniques, trends, and technologies from some of the industry’s most respected experts. The conference was designed to offer learning opportunities for all levels of structural engineers, from presidents, owners, and principals, through senior engineers, project managers, and staff engineers. Featuring more than 25 sessions, the program’s emphasis is on technical design and analysis, the latest codes and guidelines, and project and business management.

Depending upon state requirements, attendees can receive as many as 11.25 Professional Development Hours or 1.125 Continuing Education Units.

Conference sessions

According to a recent report by the Brookings Institution, half of the buildings in which Americans will live, work, and shop by 2030 are not yet built. Bruce Katz—vice president at the Brookings Institution and founding director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program—will address this issue in his keynote presentation "Rebuilding America: Future challenges and opportunities." He notes that at the beginning of the century, the nation had approximately 300 billion square feet of built space. By 2030, 427 billion square feet of built space will be needed to accommodate growth projections. And 50 percent of this built space will be constructed between now and then.

Katz will look at the future opportunities for the engineering and construction markets, as well as the challenges that lie ahead to meet this increasing need for more buildings.

Once the need for building construction is addressed by Katz in his keynote, the program will dive into how the structural engineering community can best provide the building projects of the future in a safe, cost-effective, timely, and profitable way. During scheduled concurrent sessions, the conference will offer learning opportunities through three tracks, which include the following: Design & analysis—At the core of structural engineering is technical ability and knowledge. Diverse and varied sessions were selected to educate you on topics that are changing the industry, such as post-tensioned concrete, driven pile foundations, building envelope technology, and blast and progressive collapse. In addition, this track offers sessions covering all materials, including wood, structural and cold-formed steel, and concrete.

Codes & guidelines—Keeping abreast of the changing building code requirements is of utmost importance for all structural engineers. This track adds unparalleled education on most of the governing building codes and guidelines such as the American Institute of Steel Construction’s 2005 Specification, the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Guidelines for Forensic Engineering, ASCE’s Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures’ wind design provisions, the 2006 International Building Code’s structural provisions, and the International Association of Foundation Drilling’s State of Practice and Code for micropiles.

Project & business management—In addition to the technical knowledge necessary to perform your job, business and project management issues are of high interest for every successful practice. This track includes practical sessions to help with every aspect of your business, such as contract writing, limiting liability, public relations, training engineering graduates, leadership and teamwork, and fast-track design strategies.

During the closing general session, Structural Engineer columnist Richard G. Weingardt, P.E., will present "Leadership, involvement, and visibility: Reaching your highest level." Weingardt will discuss how structural engineering often is considered a commodity rather than a professional service, resulting in the use of low bidding to determine which firm or engineer to hire. He believes that this need not be the case. His session will discuss how to change this industry tendency, as well as how to alter the industry’s perception of structural engineers.

Included in his presentation will be strategies that structural engineers can employ to enhance the image and impact of the profession, while advancing their careers personally. For example, he advocates structural engineers’ involvement in public policy-making endeavors, which are highly visible roles that few in the profession undertake.

Weingardt’s dedication to the profession will be evident as he reveals why developing greater skills in specific areas will help attendees reach their highest level as a professional and community member. It will be an empowering conclusion to the two-day event.

Exposition

The exposition offers opportunities to connect one-on-one with leading industry partners and learn more about the latest structural engineering products and services.

The exhibit hall, open Dec. 1 and 2, features displays by providers of products and services that can enhance and support a variety of building projects. Extended exhibit hours on the first day of the conference also provide networking opportunities during an evening reception in the hall. As of press time, exhibitors at the inaugural Structural Engineers’ Buildings Conference & Expo include the following:

• The American Institute of Steel Construction/Modern Steel Construction
• Bentley
• Canam Steel Corporation/Hambro Structural Systems
• Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute
• International Code Council
• Leap Software
• Nucon Vulcraft
• Portland Cement Association
• RISA Technologies
• Ram International
• Simpson Strong-Tie
• Tamlyn & Sons
• VSL/Structural Group
• ZweigWhite Information Services

Summary

In addition to technical content, the Structural Engineers’ Buildings Conference & Expo will provide invaluable opportunities for attendees to network with peers, extending the opportunity for information exchange far beyond each session.During scheduled breaks, lunches, and the Thursday night reception, as well as during concurrent sessions, attendees will be able to ask questions, participate in candid exchanges, and create their own professional network.

Structural Engineers’ Buildings Conference & Expo Agenda

The track for each concurrent session is listed using the following abbreviations: PBM for Project & Business Management, DA for Design & Analysis, and CG for Codes & Guidelines. Session numbers are indicated in parentheses following each session title.

Thursday, December 1

7:00—8:00 a.m.Continental Breakfast

8:00—9:15 a.m. Keynote Presentation Rebuilding America: Future Challenges and Opportunities (100)

9:30—10:45 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
PBM: Contract Writing to Reduce Risk (101)
DA: Concrete Construction: Reinforced Concrete Construction/Performance - Based Specifications (102)
CG: The 2005 AISC Specification for Structural Steel Buildings (104)

Noon—2:00 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open

12:30—1:30 p.m. Lunch

2:15—3:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
PBM: Building Leadership and Teamwork for Firm Success (201)
DA: Design of Cost-Effective Shallow and Driven Pile Building Foundations (202)
CG: The International Building Code (204)

3:45—5:00 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
PBM: Risk Management for Structural Engineers (301)
DA: Building Envelope Technology / Chicago Façade Ordinance (302)
CG: ASCE Guidelines for Forensic Engineering: Case Study of Partial Building Collapse (304)

5:00—7:00 p.m. Exhibit Hall Reception Friday,

Friday, December 2

7:00—8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast

7:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.Exhibit Hall Open

8:00—9:15 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
PBM: Ways to Limit Liability and Exposure (401)
DA: How to Integrate Green Design into Your Practice (402)
DA: Facts for Steel Buildings: Blast and Progressive Collapse (403)
CG: Essentials of Lateral Load Design for Wood Frame Structures (404)

9:20—10:35 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
PBM: Fast-Track Design Strategies (501)
DA: Post-Tensioning Systems (502)
DA: Performance of Structural Members Under Thermal Loading: Strategies for Complying with Building Codes and Standards (503)
CG: Micropiles: State of Practice and Code (504)

10:45 a.m.—Noon Concurrent Sessions
PBM: How to Gain Recognition for Your Projects Through Public Relations (601)
DA: The Next Productivity Leap in the Structural Design Office: Electronic Integration of Engineering and CAD Departments (602)
DA: Structural Strengthening of Concrete Structures (603)
CG: Wind Speed and Wind Design Provisions (604)

12:30—1:30 p.m. Lunch

2:15—3:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
PBM: Training Engineering Graduates for Structural Engineering Projects (701)
DA: New Building Construction Design Standards and Applications for Cold- Formed Steel Structural Framing (702)
DA: Wood Frame Construction (703)
CG: Preview of the Structural Provisions of IBC 2006/ASCE 7-05 (704)

3:45—5:00 p.m. Closing Presentation Leadership, Involvement, and Visibility: Reaching Your Highest Level (800)