ATC and SEAOC Announce Training Seminars on Improving the Quality of Seismic Design and Construction

NEWS RELEASE
April 15, 1999

For More Information, Contact:
650/595-1542
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"The Path to Quality Seismic Design and Construction" continuing education seminars for Building Design Professionals and Code Enforcement Personnel will be held on Thursday, June 17, 1999 at the Sheraton Hotel in Concord, California, and on Monday, June 21, 1999 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in the City of Commerce, California. The seminar curriculum was developed by the Applied Technology Council (ATC) and the Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC) on behalf of the California Seismic Safety Commission, and is funded from the Proposition 122 Earthquake Safety and Public Buildings Rehabilitation Fund of 1990.

The purpose of each 1-day seminar (the same seminar is to be presented at both locations) is to provide practical guidance for improving the quality of seismic design, inspection, and retrofit of buildings. Each seminar will consist of three concurrent sessions, one each for architects, engineers, and building department personnel. In each session, participants will be introduced to a newly created training curriculum and set of job aids designed to promote and facilitate improvements in the quality of seismic design and construction in California. Building systems and components to be addressed include: wood-frame buildings, concrete and masonry buildings, and nonstructural components. The seminar will also address the roles and responsibilities of architects, engineers, and building officials in ensuring quality seismic design and installation of nonstructural components. Handouts include:

a notebook containing an attractively formatted and easy-to-read curriculum describing how to improve the quality of seismic design, inspection, and retrofit of wood-frame buildings, masonry and concrete buildings, and nonstructural components;
job aids (checklists and other laminated materials) to facilitate inspection and design; and
a series of Briefing Papers that succinctly describe and summarize, in user-friendly language, fundamental information abut earthquake design and performance of buildings, as well as roles and responsibilities of architects, engineers, and building officials in the seismic design and construction process.

The seminars will be of interest and value to building officials, plan checkers, inspectors, architects, and practicing structural and civil engineers, particularly those who have entered their profession within the last five years.
The registration fee for the seminar, which includes handouts, lunch, and break refreshments, is $125. A late fee will be charged for registrations postmarked after June 10, 1999.

Persons interested in attending either seminar (in Concord on June 17, 1999, or in Commerce on June 21, 1999) can download the seminar registration form from ATC''s web site (www.atcouncil.org) or request a copy from ATC (555 Twin Dolphin Drive, Suite 550, Redwood City, California; phone, 650/595-1542; fax 650/593-2320; e-mail, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or from SEAOC (555 University Avenue, Suite 126, Sacramento, California; phone, 916/447-1198; fax 916/442-0812; e-mail, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). The seminar registration form is also being distributed to ATC Subscribers and to members of the American Institute of Architects, California Council; California Building Officials; and SEAOC.

Welcome to the ATC Team!

Michael Valley

As a former Principal at Magnusson Klemencic Associates in Seattle, Mike Valley comes to ATC with more than 30 years of structural engineering experience in new design, evaluation and retrofit of existing buildings, applied research, and codes and standards development. Mike’s design experience includes the landmark Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, and his research and development experience includes the FEMA 356 Prestandard and Commentary for the Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings, FEMA P-2012 Assessing Seismic Performance of Buildings with Configuration Irregularities (ATC-123 Project), and NIST GCR 10-917-9 Applicability of Nonlinear Multiple-Degree-of-Freedom Modeling for Design (ATC-76-6 Project).

Mike also has extensive experience as an ATC consultant serving as a reviewer, a technical contributor, and Project Director on multiple ATC projects. We look forward to how Mike’s unique experiences as a successful team member will contribute to ATC projects in the future.

Michael Mahoney

Retired from federal service as a Senior Geophysicist with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Mike Mahoney comes to ATC with more than 30 years of experience in hazard mitigation program management and policy development, post-disaster response and recovery, and problem-focused research and development in support of FEMA’s efforts under the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). He has led FEMA’s earthquake-related work with the International Code Council and has been involved with the development of national model codes and standards since 1984.

In his career at FEMA, Mike has led the development of countless major FEMA publications, including: FEMA 350 Recommended Seismic Design Criteria for New Steel Moment-Frame Buildings and its series of companion reports (ATC-41 Project series), FEMA P-58 Seismic Performance Assessment of Buildings, Methodology and Implementation (ATC-58 Project series), FEMA P-695 Quantification of Building Seismic Performance Factors (ATC-63 Project), FEMA P-2018 Seismic Evaluation of Older Concrete Buildings for Collapse Potential (ATC-78 Project), and FEMA P-2090/NIST SP-1254 Recommended Options for Improving the Built Environment for Post-Earthquake Reoccupancy and Functional Recovery Time (ATC-137 Project). With Mike’s extensive knowledge of federal government programs, and past collaboration with state and local agencies, hazard mitigation partners, and code development organizations, we look forward to how his unique experiences will help serve ATC’s client needs and objectives in the future.