SEAOC Advocacy
Statements & Positions
The following documents represent internal, professional, and public positions developed and/or supported by SEAOC.
Positions are developed by various means, are ultimately approved by the SEAOC Board of Directors, and stand as the
official position of the organization.
Recent Statements
SEAOC Recommendations: Evaluation & Re-Use of Foundations after Wildfire
February 2025
In response to the LA wildfires, an ad-hoc SEAOC work group compiled updated recommendations for the evaluation of
foundations following wildfires.
Wildfire
Existing Buildings
Public Safety
Open PDF
SEAOC Statement: Governor’s Executive Order N-4-25 / Rebuilding from Southern California Fires
January 2025
SEAOC appreciates the call for timely rebuilding in Southern California’s devastated fire regions through the waiver
and streamlining of certain permitting and other administrative processes. SEAOC urged state and local jurisdictions
to not compromise existing seismic safety standards in the rebuilding process, and to look for ways to improve the
resilience of rebuilt communities.
Wildfire
Resilience
Codes & Standards
Open PDF
Position Statements
SEAOC Position on Adaptive Reuse
June 2024
The Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC) recognizes the vital role that adaptive reuse can play
in sustaining communities and the built environment, particularly through the conversion of office spaces to
residential units. The California Existing Building Code currently accommodates such changes of use or alterations.
To the extent that local jurisdictions consider amending local ordinances to encourage adaptive reuse, the changes
must maintain:
- The integrity and quality of project review.
- Existing mandatory and voluntary seismic retrofit programs.
Additionally, SEAOC believes that adaptive reuse efforts could improve community resilience by applying standards
that would help residential structures remain functional — or return to function quickly — following a major earthquake.
Adaptive Reuse
Existing Buildings
Seismic Safety
SEAOC Statement on Carbon Reduction
January 2024
SEAOC recognizes the need for coordinated action across all communities to achieve globally stated decarbonization goals.
As such, we support public policy and industry efforts to reduce embodied carbon in the built environment. This includes
promoting requirements and incentives for the adaptive reuse or retrofit of existing buildings, use of low-carbon construction
materials, design for resilient buildings, exploration of more efficient design and construction methods, and reduction of
construction waste.
Decarbonization
Resilience
Built Environment
SEAOC & EERI Joint Policy Agenda
February 2023
Joint policy agenda supporting California’s soft-story retrofit program, compliance with hospital seismic retrofit/rebuild
deadlines, and development of a Functional Recovery performance standard.
Functional Recovery
Hospitals
Retrofit
Open PDF
Recommendations & Guidance
SEAOC Statement & Recommendations on Mandatory Building Assessments
2021
Following the collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, FL, SEAOC convened an advisory committee of members statewide
to compile insights and perspectives related to proactive structural condition assessments and proposed mandatory inspection programs.
Existing Buildings
Risk
Policy Guidance
Open Recommendations (PDF)
SEAOC List of Vulnerable Buildings
February 2019
Guidance developed by SEAOC’s Existing Buildings Committee outlining building types with elevated vulnerability.
Vulnerable Buildings
Seismic Risk
Public Safety
Open PDF