Structural Engineers Association of Texas

The SEAoT Austin Chapter hosted a pickleball tournament, and our SEAoT UT Austin Student Chapter proudly took part. Our members played exceptionally well—special shoutout to Tianna, Jenna, Damian, and Vikram for representing us with great energy and enthusiasm. Beyond the games, we enjoyed delicious food and drinks and, most importantly, had an invaluable opportunity to meet and connect with professionals from the SEAoT Austin Chapter. It was an incredible experience and a wonderful day of learning, networking, and community.

SEAoT UT Austin Student Chapter recently hosted UT alum Bailey Bond from Pivot Engineers, who delivered a technical talk titled “When Two Waves Speak Louder than One.” The presentation introduced stress-wave based nondestructive testing (NDT) methods for evaluating concrete structures, with a focus on Impact-Echo and Pulse-Echo techniques. Using real-world case studies, Bailey demonstrated how these methods are applied to detect voids, honeycombing, delaminations, and other construction defects. The talk also covered the fundamentals of each technique, signal interpretation, and practical guidance on selecting the most suitable method for different inspection scenarios.

SEAoT UT Austin Student Chapter hosted Stephen Foster, PE, SE, on January 22, for a guest lecture on careers in forensic engineering and their role in solving complex, real-world problems. The talk featured case studies on underpinning and stabilizing a historic courthouse, rehabilitating and strengthening a wharf terminal, and evaluating cathodic protection systems for bridge structures. Each example highlighted practical engineering solutions, lessons learned from forensic investigations, and the application of core engineering fundamentals in the built environment.