WASHINGTON, D.C.—More than 150 attendees—an all-time record—discussed important structural engineering issues at the Council of American Structural Engineers’ (CASE) Risk Management Convocation, held Oct. 19-20 at the historic Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco.
At the third, and most successful Convocation, attendees heard several compelling presentations, including how Building Information Modeling (BIM) will dramatically improve industry efficiency and how the commercial and legal establishments will consider the new approach in regards to compensation, responsibility, and risk.
"Three-dimensional building modeling is here, and 4-D and 5-D are not far behind," San Francisco Attorney Howard Ashcraft told the audience.
CASE Member Allyn Kilsheimer gave an enlightening speech on the challenges he faced in the restoration of the Pentagon after Sept. 11. Kilsheimer was the lead structural engineer for the repair project and one of the first on the scene after the crash. His presentation included rare photos of the carnage and damage.
In addition, David Ericksen, of Severson & Werson in San Francisco, shared in a well-received session how many of the historical risk factors associated with condominium projects have been resolved.
Convocation Committee Chairman Michael Matsumoto, of SSFM International, said, "This was our most successful Convocation ever, a big thanks goes to the Structural Engineers Association of California for their co-sponsorship."
Next year’s Convocation is scheduled for Nov. 1-2 in Atlanta. For more information on the Convocation or becoming active in CASE, please contact Kerri Carpenter at 202-347-7474 or kcarpenter@acec.org.