In early December, I received notice that my abstract had been accepted for an engineering conference in Seoul, Korea.  The conference is titled "Innovative Structures - Toward Human Urbanism", and it's being sponsored by the international Association of Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE).  Previously, I presented another IABSE paper at a 1995 conference in San Francisco.

My abstract title is "Modern Yurts/Gers Are Viable Options for Societal Facility Needs". The conference emphasis is Social Infrastructure, defined as a system of social services, networks, and facilities that support people and communities.  Social Infrastructure encompasses many aspects, but affordable, functional, and sustainable facilities are a primary concern in any community.  In my short 300-word abstract, I proposed that modern yurts are viable options to fulfill many of these needs.  My final paper is due February 28, 2012, and the conference is September 19-21, 2012.

I'm pleased that the review committee found my abstract worth consideration.  Previously, I've been fairly successful when submitting abstracts to conferences.  I suspect my submissions help broaden conference topics, because I represent small buildings, small design firms, and unique structures.

Plus, either before or after the conference, Joanne and I will take some time to visit our daughter, Katherine, currently teaching English in Gwangju, about 4 hours south of Seoul.