ICC eNews

Thorsell Makes Presentation at SEAOSC Sustainability Event


	Steven Thorsell, Director of ICC-ES Projects, speaks on the life cycle analysis (LCA), the opportunities that exist for structural engineers to contribute to the LCA process, and the common misconception that the role of structural engineers in sustainable construction is limited, during the Sustainability and the Structural Engineer seminar in Long Beach, California.

Steven Thorsell, Director of ICC-ES Projects, presented to attendees of the Sustainability and the Structural Engineer half-day event on May 9 in Long Beach, California. The event was sponsored by the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California (SEAOSC).

Thorsell spoke on the growth of sustainable construction, the impact of sustainability on structural engineers, performance-based design, some of the inherent sustainable attributes of structural products, and gave an overview of the ICC-ES Sustainable Attributes Verification and Evaluation™ (SAVE™) Program, including the nine verification guidelines. He illustrated the similarities of SAVE Verification of Attributes Reports (VARs) to ICC-ES Evaluation Service eports (ESRs) in that SAVE VARs provide independent evaluation of manufacturer claims, they are broadly accepted by building officials and they can help streamline the job of green verifiers. Manufacturers introduce products every day claiming that they are green or sustainable. The SAVE program provides trusted independent verification that products meet sustainability guidelines.

Thorsell also spoke on sustainable rating systems and regulations, including the U.S. Green Building Council—Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED v3), the Green Building Initiative—Green Globes, the ICC 700—National Green Building Standard, the 2008 California Green Building Standards Code, and the National Association of Homebuilders' Model Green Home Building Guidelines.

Thorsell holds a number of professional memberships, including with the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), ASTM International, and the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Building Enclosure Technology and Environment Council (BETEC), where he currently serves on the NIBS BETEC Board of Direction.

He is a Past President and former member of the Board of Directors of the Northern Illinois Chapter of CSI, has been a participant in the NIST/PATH Technology Roadmapping Project and has served on the NCARB A.R.E. committee. A State of Illinois Licensed Architect, Thorsell received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.