SEAOSC committees continue to stay active across technical, legislative, and industry efforts. This mid-year update highlights the work underway to advance codes, strengthen resilience, support policy, and share practical knowledge with the engineering community. From research and white papers to training, advocacy, and collaboration with partner organizations, each committee is contributing to efforts that shape practice and improve outcomes across the region.

Codes & Standards

• Tracking and advancing Accelerated Building Reoccupancy (ABR) efforts, including potential expansion to other jurisdictions, in collaborations with ATC.
• Been monitoring the 2027 IBC development cycle and coordinating state-level engagement.
• Developing a new “Building Code Primer” targeted for Spring release.
• Engaging with ICC and CALBO chapters for outreach and collaboration.

Legislative Action Committee

• Tracking and analyzing state housing and inspection-related legislation.
• Supporting federal FEMA funding and opposing legislation that would weaken federal disaster programs.
• Drafting seismic risk outreach letters to local jurisdictions encouraging retrofit ordinances.
• Evaluating self-certification and alternative materials policy issues.

Disaster Emergency Services (DES)

• Documenting and learning from LA fire reconnaissance efforts.
• Conducted SAP Evaluator Training strengthening emergency response readiness.
• Reviewing and refining the SEAOC DES response plan with SEAOC and local jurisdictions.

Existing Buildings Committee (EBC)

• Influencing local policy, including successful revisions to LADBS bulletins and non-ductile concrete ordinance updates.
• Supporting publication and implementation of West Hollywood FRP retrofit guidelines.
• Monitoring and evaluating post-installed anchor code changes (ACI/ICC).
• Advancing proposals related to alteration “10%-rule” and change-of-occupancy triggers.
• Developing improvements to ASCE 41 Tier 1 and performance objectives.

Steel

• Preparing multiple white papers focused on:
• • Seismic soil load amplification and regional seismicity
  • Soil-structure interaction
  • Ductile moment frame column base connections
  • Column-to-grade beam detailing
• Studying building pounding and FEMA 2423 soil period evaluation.
• Growing membership and transitioning leadership of subgroups to emerging engineers.
• Exploring better public communication of SEAOSC’s technical expertise.

Seismology

• Developing a comprehensive seismic isolation and dissipation design guide and SEAOC Structural/Seismic Design Manual (SSDM).
• Reviewing and influencing ACI 318 updates and NEHRP 2026 proposals.
• Studying diaphragm analysis methodologies (concrete and metal deck).

Sustainability

• Prepared this year’s SEAOSC Sustainability Summit with topics on embodied carbon reduction methodologies, LCA best practices and tools, green building codes and policy, circularity design discussion, and a tour of Caltech’s Resnick Sustainability Center.
• Collaborating with SEAOC’s sustainability committee to drive forward statewide initiatives

Wood

• Developing a wood design curriculum with strong interest from young professionals.
• Reviewing fire separation detailing and diaphragm continuity interpretation.
• Following current industry research and its implications on wood design.
• Tracking emerging construction technologies and practices.
• Monitoring city-level code changes (e.g., Marin FRT removal).
• Coordinating with Fire-Rebuild ad-hoc committee.
• Actively working to involve more young members in the committee.

Concrete

• with strong new participation.
• Planning a white paper for 2026.
• Focusing on:
• • Nondestructive testing (NDT)
  • Concrete condition assessment
  • Blended cement nomenclature changes (linked with SE 2050 goals)

Fire Rebuild

• Working on technical updates for practical applications of SEAOC’s Recommended Investigation and Design Guidelines for Foundations Exposed to Fire.
• Collecting committee member’s data on concrete break tests on foundations that were exposed to wildfire.
• Presented to SEAONC on lessons learned from 2025 LA wildfire recovery efforts.
• Invited to attend City of Malibu residents’ meeting on rebuilding in the Big Rock community and geotechnical challenges (March 10^th)
• Invited to attend County of Los Angeles presentation on Archistar – AI plan check tool (March 13^th).