SECB Certification: the National Benchmark of Excellence in Structural Engineering

J. G. “Greg” Soules, PE, SE, SECB, F.ASCE, is Principal Engineer and Engineering Project Manager at Chicago Bridge & Iron Company. He is the current Chair of SECB.

This article is part 2 of a 3-part series that examines the relationship of structural engineers and architects and the challenges and opportunities inherent in green building projects.

Until recently, architects typically have been unaware of the crucial importance and benefits of working with structural engineers who have earned SECB certification. This is changing, as a growing number of architects have joined forces with the Structural Engineering Certification Board (SECB) to make the convincing argument to their colleagues that the letters “SECB” are one key credential that architects should seek out when working with structural engineers.

SECB certification was born in 2003, when the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) voted, at its annual meeting, to authorize NCSEA to form the Structural Engineering Certification Board (SECB). The primary reason for the creation of SECB was the fact that the discipline of structural engineering had become increasingly complex. Yet there was no national standard by which engineering firms, architects and construction companies could gauge the skills and expertise of structural engineering professionals.

The certification process and standards for certification were developed during the next two years, and the first certifications took place in 2005. As of 2011, 1,752 structural engineers, from 48 different states, have earned their SECB certifications. Applications for certification are reviewed by SECB three times per year. A complete listing of all structural engineers who have earned SECB certification can be found at www.secertboard.org.

There is some state licensing of structural engineers; but, for the most part, engineers who practice structural engineering need only have earned and maintained their Professional Engineer’s license, which is a generalist license and doesn’t necessarily recognize whether or not the engineer meets a significant standard in the specialty of structural engineering.

Currently ten states have structural engineering-specific licenses: California, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

While all states require structural engineers to be licensed as Professional Engineers, the vast majority do not require engineers to have demonstrated specific expertise in structural engineering in order to practice the discipline. In the ten states that do have a structural engineering licensing process, the means by which they evaluate the skills of the engineers vary from state to state. Clearly, there is no consistency.

Nine years after its formation, the goals of SECB remain as salient as ever, since there is still no national licensing process for evaluating the discipline-specific skills and expertise of structural engineering professionals. SECB hopes to transform its certification process into the basis for national licensure.

Jon Schmidt, Associate Structural Engineer and Director of Antiterrorism Services at Burns & McDonnell, is a very strong advocate for SECB and its mission: “I support the long-term objective of structural licensure in all U.S. jurisdictions and see SECB certification as an important step in that direction. It raises the bar for all structural engineers, which is demanded by our fundamental ethical obligation to hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public. Structural engineers who have earned SECB certification have demonstrated a commitment to higher standards and a willingness to satisfy rigorous continuing education requirements in order to maintain their technical and professional competence.”

Schmidt views the SECB certification process as more than simply a test of one’s technical skill. “One of the most important things that SECB is doing, through the certification process, is to evaluate one’s ability to perform in problem-solving situations. There is almost always more than one way to achieve an appropriate structural design solution, and the decisions that structural engineers make along the way, choosing from among multiple viable options, will determine the final outcome.”

James Malley, Vice President of Engineering at Degenkolb Engineers and Immediate Past President of NCSEA, concurs. “The level of detail and complexity of the structural analysis models is greatly increasing. There is more analysis of the loads that structures will be put through during their lifespan,” he said. “The computing power we have now enables us to be much more elaborate, detailed and complex in our models; and that gives us a much better understanding of the performance of the buildings. Better understanding of the potential performance allows us to initiate structural ideas that can help architects fulfill their vision of the buildings. It’s a great opportunity for architects and construction companies; but it also puts more responsibility on their shoulders to find the right structural engineer for the project. SECB certification has made that process easier by identifying those professionals who have met high professional standards as evaluated by their peers.”

“There is nothing static about the certification process,” said SECB board member Jon Boyd, who is Chairman/CEO at Klein and Hoffman, Inc. in Chicago, and both a structural engineer and an architect. “We will continue to evolve our standards to meet the demands placed upon us as structural engineers. Our most important commitment is to the public safety.”