Structural Engineers Association of Illinois

The Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI) is a professional group of structural engineers in the US state of Illinois founded in 1965. SEAOI is part of the world wide Structural Engineers Association. Its purpose is to advance and advocate excellence in structural engineering and to aid in safeguarding the public. SEAOI provides continuing education for practicing engineers through seminars and workshops. The annual "Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards" recognize creative achievement in the field of structural engineering.

History

SEAOI was founded in 1965 by a group of structural engineers: Frank Cooper, George Ellis, Nissim Eskenazi, Henry Miller, Ken Naslund, John Parmer, and Frank Wells, who was the organization's first president. The SEAOI was founded with the purpose of exchanging information on structural engineering in Illinois and helping to achieve excellence either in practice or structural exams. The members of SEAOI set up an annual competition between structural engineering firms. Each firm was to submit a project, which was then judged by the SEAOI Board members. The winners were announced in the SEAOI Awards Banquet.

A Structural Engineer Refresher Course was also instituted in order to aid the younger engineers prepare for the Structural Engineer examination. Both the course and the competition are still held. The SEAOI members also sought to improve and reinforce their rights in the Structural Engineering Act. Their first actions consisted of voicing their opinions building authorities that they should be able to design and work on in any construction project as long as it was within their professional training.^[1]

Aims

The aims of SEAOI are:

• To uphold and preserve the Illinois Structural Engineering Act and carry out its prime purpose of safeguarding the lives and property of the public.
• To promote legislation conducive to the good practice of engineering.
• To encourage engineering education and advance the art and science of structural engineering.
• To maintain the honor and dignity of the profession.
• To familiarize the public with the role and abilities of the membership and inspire confidence in the profession as a whole.
• To cooperate with other professions when the goals and aspiration coincide with SEAOI and are in the interests of public safety.

Events

Dinner meetings

The dinner meetings are held in Cliff Dwellers Club in Chicago, every first Tuesday of the month. The purpose for the event is to exchange information through presentations of firms' projects. This event is not held during June, July, or August. Two pf the meetings during the year are replaced with lectures of the Structural Engineers Foundation Lectures.

Annual Awards Banquet

The Annual Awards Banquet is held annually in June, when the winners of the Excellence in Structural Engineers competition are announced. Firms enter construction projects, which are judged by the board members in May.

Seminars and Workshops

The seminars and workshops are held throughout the year in the Chicago area. The purpose for these events are to aid practicing engineers achieve the educational standards. The en event can last from four to eight hours.

Annual Trade Show

The Annual Trade Show is an event for the public, where companies give information and short presentations on their works. Held annually in January, the event lasts from eight in the morning until noon.

Refresher Course

The Refresher Course are courses held during the winter months with the purpose of preparing candidates for the IL SE Exam.

Committees

Building codes

The committee reviews and recommends new codes in structural engineering. The new recommendations consist of developments in the design specifications of structures.

Government relations

The committee oversees the conditions of the Structural Engineers Act. Recommendations are made to ensure the integrity of the practices within this law.

Membership

The committee directs the membership list and publishes membership directory. It aims to recruit more members from the structural engineer profession.

Public relations

The committee is the link between the public and the society. It communicates with the media to ensure the public's satisfaction with profession practices.

Young Engineers

The committee has the purpose to recruit young structural engineers in SEAOI. It also seeks to aid younger engineers to prepareing for the state license exam.

Disaster Response

The disaster response committee is in charge of training structural engineers in the case of a disaster due to either earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.

References