Lawson Presents Paper at ASCE 7th Forensic Engineering Congress
Nov 17, 2015
Associate Professor John Lawson traveled to Miami to present his research on rain-induced roof collapses for the 7th Forensic Engineering Congress. The Congress occurs only once every three years under the Forensic Engineering Division of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Lawson’s paper “Issues Facing Design Professionals through the Lens of Two Rain-Induced Roof Collapses” illustrates the complex interdisciplinary roles in the gravity design associated with a proper roof drainage system. Co-author Michael Parolini, a Cal Poly Lecturer and local Structural Engineer, provided important engineering data from a recent Santa Maria roof collapse case study; while Lawson provided data from a collapse in Irvine, California. Lawson has incorporated several of the lessons learned from these collapses into his undergraduate coursework at Cal Poly. In addition to his presentation, Lawson was also the moderator at the Congress for a technical session on forensic roofing issues.