CaSE Seminar: David A. Friedman

Description

David A. Friedman, emeritus CEO and board chair of Forell/Elsesser Engineers Inc., will give a talk titled "The Practice of Structural and Earthquake Engineering Today and Three Unique Structural Engineering Projects" for the Department of Civil and Systems Engineering.

Abstract:

The practicing structural engineer today must not only have a broad understanding of not just structural engineering, but must be knowledgeable about architecture, M/E/P systems, construction delivery methodologies, and the construction process. All projects come with their own litany of challenges and constraints, and the structural engineer is one of the key players in achieving the optimal solution. The project's budget, the selected performance and design criteria, the architectural form, and the operating systems all affect the selection of the appropriate structural materials and lateral force resisting system. Then the analysis must get translated into a design, and the design must clearly and carefully be delineated into construction documents including plans, details, sections and technical specifications, with appropriate attention to sequencing, phasing and constructability. This all gives rise to the notion of today's structural engineer as a "Master Builder," one who can articulate their way through a complex labyrinth of form finding, criteria setting, risk evaluation, design and documentation, and construction (and hopefully not litigation). Some current projects that highlight these issues include: San Francisco City Hall, UCSF Parnassus Ray & Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building, and UC Berkeley California Memorial Stadium.