SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, USA, March 15, 2024 –
The ACI Northern California/ Western Nevada Chapter hosted its annual SJSU Night at Dave & Buster’s in Milpitas on March 15, 2024. Dr. Akthem Al-Manaseer, a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at SJSU and author of one of the best-selling textbooks on structural concrete, invited PASE to present at the Student Night along with TYLin. The presenters from PASE were Dave Lo and Drew Kimball. Dave Lo is the Multi-Family Studio Chief and a Principal with over twenty years of design experience in multi-story projects, and Drew Kimball is a Project Manager with over sixteen years of design experience in concrete structures.
Drew Kimball Presenting on Multi-Family Projects
Dave Lo and Drew Kimball took the opportunity to talk to students about concrete use in Multi-Family Projects. Dave Lo opened the discussion with an overview of PASE and multifamily product types that require concrete in the foundations or elevated concrete slabs. He presented examples like concrete podium structures supporting wood superstructures and multi-story parking structures. Drew Kimball then took a deeper dive into a project that he is currently working on in Santa Cruz, CA. He focused on the concrete design aspects and how the current ACI 318-19 has affected the design of the structure.
Dave Lo Presenting on Concrete Design
Dave Lo was asked more about the event and concrete design:
What advancements do you see in the design of concrete in the next couple of years?
I think there will be more focus on sustainable and alternative use of concrete materials. Some of our clients have been looking into carbon-neutral concrete construction and we have been active in implementing them in our projects.
What is your experience like in construction vs design of concrete?
We put great emphasis on delivering contractor-friendly design with the hope of reducing labor costs and field conflicts. During the design phase, we spend numerous hours analyzing the potential RFI’s in our details and how we can avoid them.
For most of the attendees, this event presented a first glance at what the industry is like. What advice did you have for these students who are just getting their feet wet in structural engineering?
Structural engineering, and civil engineering in general, is all about our community. From the apartments and homes we live in, to the roads we drive on – it impacts our daily life. There’s nothing more fulfilling than helping address society’s basic needs-such as providing shelter and efficient transportation-while simultaneously saving lives through sound building and bridge designs. One aspect of Structural engineering that particularly appeals to me is its tangible nature; you can see your design frequently, sometimes on a daily basis. There is currently a shortage of talent in both design and construction aspect of structural engineering and I want to encourage our young engineers to seize this great opportunity to bridge those gaps. It is an amazing field to pursue for those who want to make a direct positive impact in society.
Dinesha Kuruppuarachchi, Dr. Akthem Al-Manaseer, and Bishal Nayak
Bishal Nayak and Dinesha Kuruppuarachchi, both assistant engineers at PASE, were also attendees at the event. Bishal Nayak, a master’s student at SJSU, describes his experience:
It was very well organized, and I learned more about both companies. It was also my first time meeting Dr. Al! It was amazing because I studied his concrete book but he is retired from teaching and I did not have a chance to take his class.
The event was a wonderful opportunity to talk about the work PASE is doing, meet with industry representatives, and encourage students to consider structural engineering.