Organizations / American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Enegineers (ASCE) is the oldest organization of professional engineers in the United States, founded before the Civil War in 1852. The San Francisco Section of ASCE was established in 1905, one year prior to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. ASCE grows the civil engineering community by promoting the technical advancement education of the profession. This focus has directly translated to advances in structural engineering with regards to seismic design for both residential and large infrastructure construction. ASCE has published numerous seismic design standards to protect the public and maintain an elevated level of proficiency within the profession, which have been referenced by the International Building Code, the governing building code in the United States. Among these standards include ASCE 7: Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures, and ASCE 41: Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings.