It has been a busy summer for the SEAOG Board of Directors. In addition to planning for fall membership meetings and a seminar on existing buildings we have passed a budget for 2011-2012, made changes in our Board membership, and worked with CRSI and AIA to support a golf tournament to raise money for architecture and engineering scholarships.

From looking at our membership numbers, you have been busy as well. As I write this article in late August we have 106 new and renewing members. This response is ahead of past years’ tallies and hopefully points to a sustained and active membership even in these tough economic times. For those who have joined, we thank-you for your support and ask you to invite other engineers you know to join. Many have volunteered to help with specific functions of the Board. We thank-you for your interest and will be contacting you to discuss how you can help SEAOG serve our members more effectively. For those who have not yet joined, please go to our website at www.seaog.org and join so you can enjoy discounts on our dinner meetings and seminars, NCSEA products and seminars, as well as many other benefits.

By the time this article is printed, SEAOG will have had two membership meetings. In September, Dr. Roberto Leon, an award winning professor of structural engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, will have presented his first hand experiences of the February 22, 2011 Christchurch New Zealand earthquake.

October will be a busy month for us. In our membership meeting, Jeff Speck from Big River Industries will present information concerning the internal curing of concrete. Internal concrete curing can be used to reduce cracking and improve the performance of high-performance concrete mixes. PDH day will be held at Georgia Tech on October 16. As in years past, SEAOG is supporting this event sponsored and organized by the Georgia Engineering Alliance. Board members Rob Weilacher and John Hutton will be representing SEAOG at the NCSEA conference in Oklahoma City October 20 thru 22. We anticipate a lively discussion concerning separate or specialty licensing for structural engineers as a new NCSEA policy statement on the issue will come up for a vote.

Also during October, in a new effort to raise the visibility of SEAOG in the construction industry, we are joining with the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute and the American Institute of Architects to support a golf tournament to raise funds for engineering and architecture scholarships. The AEC Collegiate Cup will be held on October 13th in conjunction with the AIA Georgia State Convention.

November will be a big month for SEAOG. On November 3rd, we will sponsor a full day seminar discussing the issues facing structural engineers when they are asked to evaluation, reinforce, alter or expand an existing structure. An aging building inventory combined with the need to conserve and reuse material in existing structures has significantly increased the percentage of rehabilitation, evaluation, and expansion work in a structural engineer’s practice. So we believe this seminar will provide information that the practicing engineer can apply in their everyday practice.

At our November membership meeting, Don Allen, of the Steel Framing Alliance, will discuss the use of cold-formed steel in low rise structures as well as new information on thermal transfer and sustainable aspects of exterior wall systems using cold formed steel framing.

The board has begun planning for spring 2012 and seeks input from our members and other structural engineers in Georgia concerning topics for seminars or membership meetings as well as speakers of interest. You can send any recommendations or suggestions to us by going to the SEAOG website ( www.seaog.org ) then clicking the “Contact Us” link.

Finally, we have had some changes to the make-up of the Board of Directors. In the late spring, Vice President George Kelly notified the Board that he had accepted a position with the Tennessee Valley Authority and would be unable to complete his term on the Board. This was truly bad news for the Board and SEAOG, we had enjoyed his active participation in the SEAOG and his leadership in the SE Licensing Committee. He has been missed. In response to George’s resignation, and as specified by the SEAOG By-Laws, a special election was held in July to provide another board member and to fill the position of Vice-President. As a result of the special ballot, the Board is pleased to welcome Eric Hagberg as a new and active member of the SEAOG Board of Directors. We are also happy that Robert Weilacher has agreed to serve as Vice President during the second year of his tenure. We invite you to visit our website to learn more about Eric, Robert, and all of your Board members.

The SEAOG Board welcomes any questions or comments related to these or other issues from our members and other professional engineers in the state. You can provide comments at our "Contact Us" link.