November Dinner Meeting: Q&A with Engineer Thor Matteson

IMPORTANT NOTE: We will be meeting in the backyard of President Paul Barraza’s house in Berkeley, and therefore the meeting will be weather dependent. If the weather does not cooperate, we will switch to a virtual format.

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A critical part of a home inspection, is when to call for further evaluation by a structural engineer. Having a grasp on which conditions could be address prescriptively by a general contractor, and which conditions need a design professional to evaluate before repairs are made, is an invaluable skill for a home inspector. Thor Matteson, SE will have a Q&A about home inspection related topics, as well as provide his take on the DCA-6 deck standard.

5:30pm Pre-Meeting Brian Cogley, will have a slideshow and discussion about conditions that are commonly found during inspections, and how to report on them. (Attendees with earn an additional ASHI CE)

6:45pm Comment Review Brian Cogley, past president, will provide a report writing analysis using member-submitted comments to improve clarity and the principles of Identification, Implication, and Recommendation.

7:00pm Dinner Enjoy a handcrafted dinner by our personal chef, Malika Henderson.

7:00pm Chapter Meeting During dinner, chapter president Paul Barraza will lead a short business meeting to cover chapter and ASHI business, committee reports, and upcoming educational opportunities.

7:45pm Main Speaker Thor Matteson will have a Q & A covering a range of engineering topics. (Attendees with earn an additional ASHI CE)

Thor Matteson has been a civil engineer since 1993 and a structural engineer since 1997. His books “Earthquake Strengthening for Vulnerable Homes” and “Wood-Framed Shear Wall Construction–an Illustrated Guide” are invaluable resources for contractors, engineers, and inspectors alike. He has served on several teams of engineers composing guidelines for strengthening homes to resist earthquakes, contributing to US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and California Earthquake Authority (CEA) guidelines for bracing “cripple walls” and removing dangerous chimneys.

In addition to the above, Mr. Matteson co-founded the Earthquake Bracing Academy, a non-profit organization established to teach effective earthquake strengthening methods. He also presents training sessions to private home inspectors on what to look for in earthquake retrofit systems. He also invented a Soft Story retrofit solution called the SkinnyBrace.

[REGISTER HERE]