Home Innovation’s Seale Attends ASCE Seismic Subcommittee Meetings February 6-8, 2020

As a voting member of the Seismic Subcommittee of the ASCE/SEI 7 - Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures Standards Committee for the 2022 standards development cycle, Deanna Seale, P.E., Assistant Lab Director at Home Innovation Research Labs, is attending this week’s subcommittee meetings in Burlingame, Calif. 

ASCE Standards provide technical guidelines for promoting safety, reliability, productivity, and efficiency in civil engineering. Many ASCE standards are referenced by model building codes and adopted by state and local jurisdictions, and provide guidance for design projects around the world. Membership of the ASCE 7 Seismic Subcommittee consists of a representative group of technical experts from the full range of stakeholders affected by the development and promulgation of seismic provisions, including producers, consumers, and general interest/regulatory representatives. The ongoing goals of the Subcommittee include:

• Simplify and clarify the requirements to the extent possible
• Review and ballot proposed changes to ASCE 7-16 prepared by external users
• Review changes being developed for 2020 NEHRP Provisions and, based upon them, create ballot change proposals to ASCE 7-16 for potential incorporation
• Review the proposed changes to other standards (e.g., ACI 318, AISC 341) and create ballot change proposals for incorporation into ASCE 7-22
• Review other source documents (e.g., 2018 IBC) and create ballot change proposals to ASCE 7-16
• Create other new proposals as appropriate to correct errors or improve the seismic provisions of ASCE 7-16, including other areas of the standard that are directly part of seismic design (e.g., load combinations)
• Edit the ASCE 7 Seismic Provisions to incorporate corrections and format issues as required
• Successfully ballot the proposed changes through the Seismic Subcommittee, Main Committee, and Public, fully responding to all comments while meeting all schedule deadlines

Accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), ASCE has a rigorous and formal process overseen by the Codes and Standards Committee (CSC). Standards are created or updated by a balanced, volunteer standards committee, followed by a public review period. All standards are updated or reaffirmed at least every 5 years. ASCE's standards program is regularly audited to ensure compliance with the ASCE Rules for Standards Committees and that it is consistent with ANSI requirements.

For more information on Home Innovation’s laboratory testing and certification services, or to find out how our experts can help guide your product through the myriad industry codes and standards, contact us.

ABOUT: Home Innovation Research Labs, located in Upper Marlboro, Md., is a full-service research, testing, and consulting firm determined to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of single- and multifamily homes and home building products – in short, we aim to perfect the home. Founded in 1964 as a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), our team has been integral in solving many of our client’s most difficult product and technology issues, and helping to introduce some of the most groundbreaking innovations in construction. Through an interdisciplinary research approach – including market research, building science analysis, laboratory testing, and standards development – we help to find a home for innovation in the construction industry.

NOTE TO EDITORS ON STYLE USAGE: To identify this company and its work correctly, first reference should be "Home Innovation Research Labs." In subsequent mentions, “Home Innovation” should be used; we are not identified by an acronym. Prior to February 12, 2013, the company was known as the NAHB Research Center.