Senior Geotechnical Engineer Hamilton Puangnak was recently named to several influential seismic committees—all of which play a critical role in updating and informing standard building codes across the United States and worldwide.
Hamilton was accepted as a corresponding member of the ASCE 7-28 Seismic Subcommittee for Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures and recently became a voting member of the Structural Engineers Association of Washington (SEAW) Earthquake Engineering Committee (EEC). In various capacities, these organizations are responsible for evaluating current seismic building codes and recommending changes that eventually inform the standard guidance in ASCE 7-28 and the International Building Code (IBC).
The ASCE 7-28 Seismic Subcommittee reports directly to the Standards Committee of the ASCE and Structural Engineering Institute (SEI), which is responsible for developing and updating this critical guidance every six years. Hamilton was accepted as associate committee members for the current cycle, which ends in 2028.
“The ASCE 7 committees are diverse, consisting of academics, practicing engineers, agency representatives, etc.,” Hamilton explains. “Participating in this committee offers us the opportunity to help advance the technical practice among the engineering community while also representing our, our clients’, and our project partners’ perspectives as end-users.”
Hamilton is doing his part to share knowledge and expertise locally as a voting member of the Structural Engineers Association of Washington (SEAW) Earthquake Engineering Committee (EEC), an influential group of engineers that guides building code standards and policy across Washington State. Committee meetings primarily include structural engineers and representatives from a variety of local jurisdictions and government agencies—and a handful of geotechnical engineers.
“The evolution of modern seismic design criteria encourages collaboration between geotechnical and structural engineers,” Hamilton explains. “Successful partnerships require a mutual understanding of project objectives, constraints, and acceptance criteria. The committee is a nice way to facilitate dialogue between these disciplines.”
The EEC evaluates new building codes from across the country, listens to the most recent scientific findings from engineers at the University of Washington and other research programs, and considers the overall impact of building code changes or new methodology. Hamilton has been involved since 2018 and jumped at the opportunity for more responsibility as a voting member.
