Sustainable Design

The Sustainable Design committee advocates for the role of the structural engineer in the sustainable design process and the importance of incorporating sustainable design principles in practice.

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COMMITTEE CHARGES

1. Establish SEAONC’s presence in the sustainable design community. 
2. Provide input regarding sustainable design as it relates to structural engineering in the regulatory environment, including code writing and industry standards. 
3. Provide a forum to develop, disseminate and share ideas and information. 
4. Be aware of developing trends as they relate to structural engineering. 
5. Support the judicious implementation of sustainable design in the built environment. 
6. Provide liaisons to and participate with other organizations that also participate in or would be affected by sustainable design. 
7. Make presentations that support the role of structural engineering in sustainable design to adjunct organizations. 
8. Publish articles in the SEAONC newsletter to keep members informed of issues. 
9. Write position papers regarding structural engineering issues with respect to sustainable design.
10. Collaborate with other SEAONC committees (Public Outreach, CEC, etc.) to further awareness of sustainability in structure design. This could be achieved through involvement in high school classrooms, mini-seminars, etc.  
11. Provide educational opportunities to the membership by continuing to plan and host mini-seminars.
12. Continue to provide more learning during our monthly meetings with project presentations, software demonstrations and/or presentations by committee members on the latest topics in sustainable design

BUILDING MOMENTUM FOR SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

The SEAONC Sustainability Committee continues to advance meaningful conversations, resources, and action around low-carbon, resilient structural design. Over the past several years, our committee has focused on bringing together practitioners, industry leaders, researchers, and partner organizations to accelerate sustainable outcomes across the built environment.

Our efforts have included developing and refining the SDC Resource Hub, facilitating technical discussions on carbon reduction strategies, supporting advocacy initiatives related to California climate policy, and creating educational programs that help engineers integrate sustainability into everyday practice. We have also collaborated with organizations such as SEI, CARB, the Carbon Leadership Forum, CEMEX, Arup, Holmes, KPFF, and many others to share knowledge, foster innovation, and amplify our collective impact.

This year's initiatives have included technical case study presentations, leadership development opportunities, convention programming, low-carbon concrete discussions, and explorations of emerging technologies, including the role of artificial intelligence in sustainability. Looking ahead, we remain committed to fostering an inclusive and collaborative committee that welcomes new ideas, diverse perspectives, and meaningful engagement from across the structural engineering community.

Together, we are building a stronger network of structural engineers dedicated to reducing embodied carbon, advancing sustainable design practices, and creating a more resilient future for our profession and the communities we serve.

If you or a colleague are interested in presenting, collaborating, or getting involved with the committee, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us at sustainability@seaonc.org.

The hub is a wiki meant to serve engineers from those new to sustainable design through experienced practitioners. Our resources are easy to navigate, great for those who are new to embodied carbon, and provide guidance by project design phase. 

Check Out the Sustainable Design Resource Hub

2025-2026 ACTIVITIES

September

● Committee Meeting: Annual kickoff, including recap of carbon reduction strategies presented at the SEAOC Convention

● Submitted to SEAONC Newsletter

October

● Committee Meeting: SEAONC SDC Resource Hub feedback session

January

● Chair Meeting: Reboot and realignment session

● Chair Activities: Engagement with state MOs on CARB Public Comment Period, presented to CARB

● Submitted to SEAONC Newsletter

February

● Committee Meeting: Sustainable Reduction Strategy case studies

o Airport project presentation (Spencer Shrandt, Arup)

o SEI Prestandard application (Nicholas Miley, KPFF)

● Chair Activities:

o Attended SEAONC Leadership Retreat in Sacramento

o Submitted application to present at Greenbuild, expanding on prior SEAOC Convention session on sustainable design strategies

● Submitted to SEAONC Newsletter

March

● Participated in SEAOSC Sustainability Summit “Bring It Back” session (Justin Sharkey, Holmes)

● Submitted joint application with SEAOSC to host a sustainability session at the SEAOC Convention focused on the SEI Prestandard

● Submitted to SEAONC Newsletter

April

● Committee Meeting: Low Carbon Concrete (Hernan Perez, CEMEX)

o Included participation from SEAOSC SDC

● Hosted SEAONC SDC x CLF Happy Hour (San Francisco, April 9)

● Collaborated with YMF on “Paint and Plant” event (April 22)

● Chair activities: Chair accepted to SEI Task Committee on the TZC Roadmap; Presented on Sustainability strategies at the ASCE/SEI Structures Congress 2026 Boston (highlighted the work we are doing in SEAONC SDC)

● Submitted to SEAONC Newsletter

May (Upcoming)

● Committee Meeting: AI in Sustainability

● Presenting at YMF Presents x SDC (Pecha Kucha-style sustainability session)

● Submitted to SEAONC Newsletter

June (Tentative)

● Committee Meeting: Black Locust Timber

● Chair Activities: Presenting at CE Sustainability Webinar on the Resource Hub

2026-2027 COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION

MEMBERS

GET INVOLVED

Interested in joining the Sustainable Design committee or the mailing list?

Please contact sustainable@seaonc.org with additional comments or questions.

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