California Structural Engineer Licensure: Past to the Future; SEs Lead or Follow

摘要

On August 8, 1907, one year after the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, Charlie Bellamy of Laramie, Wyoming became the first engineer to be licensed in the United States. Twenty two years later (1929), and following the catastrophic failure of St. Francis dam in San Francisquito Canyon the previous year (1928), the first Civil Engineer was licensed in the State of California. Schools were restricted to be designed by California licensed structural engineers by a Field Act in 1933 following Long Beach earthquake of the same year. It will take the Alquist Hospital Seismic Act of 1973 restricting design of hospitals to California licensed structural engineers from the lessons learned following the Sylmar (San Fernando) earthquake of 1971. In California, licensure actions followed disasters. The "Three Es" - Education, Examinations and Experience, process of licensing of engineers in California is reported in this paper. In education, comparisons are made between the past and future graduates of ABET accredited civil/structural engineering programs in California. An in-depth analysis of engineering curriculum is addressed in regard to preparation of future structural engineers for the twenty first century. Past civil and structural engineer licensing examination data spanning the last sixteen years is analyzed. A comparison is performed between the California specific examinations developed and administered by Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists (BPELSG) and the national examinations developed and administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). Experience plays a key component on licensure especially as pertains to comity and reciprocity of structural engineers around the country. The pending legislation by Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC) requiring and expanded list of "significant structures" design restricted to structural engineers in an effort to act before the next disaster is addressed.