SEAA 36th Annual 2008 Convention At A Glance

CLICK HERE for a PDF version of this page

Please note: Conference agenda is subject to minor and/or subtle changes.

Click any Presentation link for more information, or scroll down this page.

WEDNESDAY - February 20, 2008
6:30 pm-8:30 pm	Registration - Hospitality Suite
THURSDAY - February 21, 2008
5:30 am–5:00 pm	Fishing Tournament – Choke Canyon Reservoir Shuttle departs Hotel Lobby at 5:30am
10:00 am–5:00 pm	Registration Desk opens
10:00 am–3:00 pm	Alamo Tour – Riverwalk Luncheon; meet in hotel lobby for downtown trip to San Antonio, shopping, lunch touring
11:00 am–6:00 pm	Golf Tournament – The Hyatt Hill Country Resort Golf Club; lunch at the Luckenbach Pavilion; 12:30pm shotgun start
1:00 pm–5:00 pm	Exhibitor Move-In
7:30 pm–11:30 pm	Welcome Reception
FRIDAY - February 22, 2008
7:30am–8:00am	Continental Breakfast in Exhibit Hall
8:00am–8:15am	Opening Comments - Guest Speaker: Steve Pianalto, JMJ Associates
8:15am–8:45am	Project of the Year -- Presentations by: Irongate, Inc & S&R Enterprises, LLC
8:45am – 9:15 am	Exhibit Hall Break
Concurrent Sessions 9:15 am-10:30 am	Presentation: Project Manager’s Toolbox – Planning & Scheduling Presenter: Greg Schoppman, FMI Corporation Presentation: How To Plan a Successful Tilt-Up Project Presenter: Ed Javanbacht, Dayton Superior Co-sponsored by: Tilt-Up Concrete Association
Concurrent Sessions 10:45 am–12:00 pm	Presentation: Lethal Legal Issues & Killer Contract Clauses Presenter: Terry Salazar, Quilling, Selander, Cummiskey & Lownds Presentation: Rigging & Hardware for Tilt-Up Construction Presenter: TBA Co-sponsored by: Tilt-Up Concrete Association
12:00pm–1:15pm	Exhibit Hall Luncheon
Concurrent Sessions 1:15 pm-2:15 pm	Presentation: Attracting & Retaining a Quality Workforce Presenter: Greg Schoppman, FMI Corporation Presentation: Are You Seismic Ready? What Erectors Must Know to Comply with AWS D1.8 Presenter: Duane Miller, Lincoln Electric
2:15 pm-2:30 pm	Break
Concurrent Sessions 2:30 pm-3:30 pm	Presentation: How to Prepare a Welding Procedure Specification (WPS) Presenter: Alan T. (Ted) Sheppard, PE Presentation: Mechanical Fastening Systems, Hilti, Inc. Presenter: Harry Haytayan
Concurrent Sessions 3:30 pm-4:30 pm	Presentation: Stack the Deck in Your Favor! Metal Decking with Mechanical Fastening Presenter: Mark McKinney, Hilti, Inc. Presentation: When an Accident Happens Presenter: Michael Lorenz, On The Hook Claims®
4:00 pm-8:00 pm	Exhibitor Move-out
8:00 pm-11:00 pm	Friday Night Social - Entertainment by San Antonio's Favorite DJ
SATURDAY - February 23, 2008
7:30 am–8:00 am	Breakfast Buffet – Inspirational Message by Bruce Wilkinson, Keynote Speaker
8:00 am–8:15 am	SEAA Business Meeting
8:15 am–9:45am	Presentation: Developing the Ideal Safety Culture (IIF) Presenter: Steve Pianalto, JMJ Associates
9:45 am-10:00 am	Break
10:00 am–11:00 am	Keynote Address 1: A Little Humor, Lots of Enthusiasm, A Wealth of Information Keynote Speaker: Bruce Wilkinson, CSP, Workplace Consultants, Inc.
11:00 am–12:00 pm	Keynote Address 2: Surviving the Storms of Change: Leadership Keynote Speaker: Bruce Wilkinson, CSP, Workplace Consultants, Inc.
12:00 pm	Meeting Adjourned
12:00 pm–4:00 pm	Take-in some of San Antonio’s Famous Attractions—Alamo/RiverWalk
5:30 pm–6:30 pm	Pre-Gala Cocktail Reception
6:30 pm–12:30 pm	Awards Presentations & Closing Ceremonies The Great Gunslinger Gala & Casino Night

PRESENTATIONS SUMMARY
Presentation:	How to Prepare a Welding Procedure Specification (WPS) back to top
Speaker:	Alan T. (Ted) Sheppard, PE
Summary:	The center of any welding operation is the Welding Procedure Specification (WPS). It is a code requirement. It has everything you would want to know in order to weld a particular joint. Can anyone prepare one? If you have been in the business and have any understanding of welding, you can do it. In this session we will go step by step in the creation of a Weld Procedure Specification (WPS. You can take home a WPS template.
Bio:	Engineer, Consultant for The DuRoss Group, Inc., AISC-Erector Certification Program and ECP Task Group, Chairman of American Welding Society’s Committee. He has been an expert witness for erectors, and is on the Roster of Neutrals of the American Arbitration Association.
Presentation:	Liability, Anchors and Your Business
Speaker:	Bernard Cruz, Hilti, Inc.
Summary:	The selection, installation and inspection of chemical and mechanical anchors in the post-”Big Dig” environment. What applications are specific to what adhesives and the proper installation procedures. What do you really need to know and why? Also, industry trends and your labor force. Training, discussion and Q&A Session.
Bio:	Engineer, Product Manager for Anchors
Presentation:	Stack the Deck in Your Favor! Metal Decking with Mechanical Fastening back to top
Speaker:	Mark McKenney, Hilti, Inc.
Summary:	How can this method improve your cash flow and make your business more profitable? Can it be a source of competitive advantage for your business in the market? What is the real cost of this system and how does it compare to traditional methods? Selection, installation and inspection. What does research and practice tell us about when and how to use mechanical fastening? Q&A.
Bio:	Engineer, Product Manager for Anchors
Presentation:	Lethal Legal Issues & Killer Contract Clauses back to top
Speaker:	Terry Salazar, Quilling Selander Cummiskey & Lownds
Summary:	This presentation will focus on the key legal issues and contract clauses that steel erectors encounter on construction projects that can have potentially lethal consequences for financial health of their companies. Important topics to be addressed will include risk of non-payment, “no damage for delay”; changes, indemnification, insurance, dispute procedures, and the new ConsensusDocs contract documents.
Bio:	Terry earned a J.D. degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1979. He is a former U.S. Army JAGC officer and procurement law attorney in the Office of General Counsel, National Security Agency; Member of the Construction Law Sections of the State Bar of Texas and the Dallas Bar Association. (1999)-Terry was the chairman of the Dallas Bar Association’s Construction Law Section; Former chairman of the City of Dallas Building Code Advisory and Appeals Board. Terry is a frequent lecturer on competitive bidding, contract provisions, disputes and claims, and other construction-related topics, and has served as an instructor for the AGC of America at seminars throughout the United States.
Presentation:	How to Plan A Successful Tilt-Up Project back to top
Speaker:	Ed Javanbakht, PE with Dayton Superior
Summary:	In this session you can expect to hear how to figure the brace lengths, if there is enough building slab to put all the tiltwalls on if you are setting from the inside, explain to how to figure the weight of the tilt-walls accurately on bid day. How to figure the braces needed on bid day. How they figure cable lengths on rigging. As with all aspects of tilt-up construction, new technology and equipment has simplified the lifting and bracing process, but the result of cutting corners can be very costly. However, simple as the process may seem, it does not occur without careful planning, hours of training and experience. Time spent planning for the lift day will minimize time wasted during the erection operation and ensure a smooth lift. Oversights and errors during lifting and bracing can add significantly to the cost of the project. Checking field dimensions, preparing sketches of each panel that show all embeds, dimensions and any special features. Review of the lifting sequence, bracing issues and connecting the panels. Planning, experience and training will make the difference between a smooth lifting operation and one that is riddled with problems adding to the lifting time.
Presentation:	When an Accident Happens back to top
Speaker:	Michelle Lorenz, On The Hook Claims®
Summary:	In this session you can expect to hear from a claims litigation specialist, with firsthand knowledge of claims and litigation management, peculiar to steel erection. Michelle brings over 20 years experience of working with steel erectors on insurance contracts, risk management. Post accident protocol and what investigative information and documents will need to be armed.
Bio:	Insurance, Litigation and Risk Management Specialist
Presentation:	Are You Seismic Ready? What Erectors Must Know to Comply with AWS D1.8 back to top
Speaker:	Duane Miller, Lincoln Electric
Summary:	The new AWS D1.8 Seismic Welding Supplement is now being specified for projects in seismically active regions. This standard requires changes in the erector’s practices, including filler metal selection, WPS parameters and welder qualification. Additionally, the erector should be prepared to see different connection designs and details. This presentation will provide practical solutions to these new challenges erectors will be facing.
Bio:	Duane K. Miller, Sc.D., P.E. is a recognized authority on the design of welded connections. Chairman of the American Welding Society’s (AWS), Presidential Task Group (1994); Awarded AISC T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award (2001); Dr. Miller earned his B.S. degree in Welding Engineering from LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas.
Presentation:	Incident and Injury-Free® (IIF) --- Making the Impossible, Possible® back to top
Speaker:	Steve Pianalto, JMJ Associates
Summary:	Most companies today say they are committed to safety; many espouse a “zero injury” focus of some kind. Yet often, these same people say they do not believe it is really possible to eliminate worker injury. Zero injury is really code for “doing the best they can.” In company after company people are hard at work on something they feel they should, but believe they cannot, accomplish. Learn how to start your company or project on the journey to being Incident and Injury Free.
Bio:	Steve Pianalto, BS in Civil & Environmental Engineering
Presentation:	Rigging & Hardware for Tilt-Up Construction back to top
Speaker:	TBA
Summary:	This seminar will focus on safety checks required with erection hardware, strongbacks or added reinforcing specified for lifting, cables, hooks, swivels, and balls. What the safety factors for lifting and bracing for inserts are for Tilt-Up. Placement and tolerances of inserts and hardware, and information about the hardware on panel surfaces. The seminar is co-sponsored by the Tilt-Up Concrete Association. Join us for a very informative talk about this growing industry.
Presentation:	Attracting and Retaining a Quality Workforce back to top
Speaker:	Gregg Schoppman, FMI Corporation
Summary:	This very informative talk was delivered at the AISC annual meeting in Las Vegas. It is an extremely enlightening look at the challenges we face in attracting, hiring and retaining a quality workforce. Why you should care about attracting and retaining a quality workforce: 1. The demographics of the industry 2. How to attract and retain quality workers 3. Generational considerations
Presentation:	Project Manager’s Toolbox - Planning and Scheduling back to top
Speaker:	Gregg Schoppman, FMI Corporation
Summary:	Project management is the most crucial function within a construction organization. The long-term success of a company is entirely dependent on the effectiveness of its project management staff. FMI has developed a process to evaluate the effectiveness of your project management personnel and practices. Following this seminar on project management you’ll be able to assess, improve, setting prioritized and specific action plans to improve deficiencies are developed and executed.
Bio:	Gregg holds a BS in Civil Engineering, a MBA, and an Engineer Intern certificate from the State of Florida and a GC licenses. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, International Facility Management Association and Leadership Tampa.