The end of the calendar year is a milestone for most of us — signifying closure, seasonal celebrations, and looking towards new beginnings. As the days of 2024 continue to wane, I am looking forward to each of these three milestones, especially the joy of the season. 

There is another lesser-known season that is upon us, and I want to note that we are in the thick of “Code Development Season.” What does that mean, you ask? Well let me tell you! The revision cycles for the International Code Council’s I-Codes are in full swing. This is a three-year cycle: Group A occurred this year, Group B is scheduled for next year, and the third year is reserved for final public adjudication and the publication of the 2027 editions of the I-Codes. SEI members and SEI staff — primarily those involved in standards development such as ASCE 7, ASCE 41, and ASCE 24 — work tirelessly to prepare the code change proposals to coordinate with updated ASCE/SEI Standards. This work is grueling and thankless. Most structural engineers do not know that this work is done, or if they do know, they may not understand the process. I want to thank the many SEI members who are working on this currently and will continue to do so at the ICC Code Hearings in the Spring and Fall of next year. Because of their hard work, the standards and codes are updated and coordinated. 

New beginnings are also on the way! Many SEI committees are working hard on activities and publications that will roll out in 2025. One that we are looking forward to is the new 2023 Data Analysis and Findings Report from the SEI SE 2050 Commitment Program. The committee has written an article in the December issue of Structure Magazine highlighting the conclusions and you can read the executive summary at SE2050.org. 

As I give thanks and embrace the joy of the season, I want to thank you for your membership and participation in SEI. You are what makes SEI such a vibrant and thriving organization. 
Cheers! 

Jennifer Goupil, P.E., F.SEI, F.ASCE
Managing Director of the Structural Engineering Institute
ASCE Chief Resilience Officer