[Central Ohio ASCE] Lichtenstein Distinguished Lecture - William F. Baker

[Peter Narsavage]

Lichtenstein Distinguished Lecture - William F. Baker

   Date & Time:
   Fri, 09/14/2012 - 1:50pm


   -

Location:
Robert Smith Seminar Room, Physics Research Building, 191 W. Woodruff Ave.,
Columbus OH 43210

*THEORY IS PRACTICAL: The Philosophy of Design*

The founders of modern structural engineering created structures that were
inspiring in their form and economical in their execution. While this
economy was undoubtedly driven by financial pressures, it was also a result
of the ideological purity of the design. Best exemplified by structures
such as Brunel’s Royal Albert Bridge or Paddington train shed, this
structural clarity demonstrates high design skill, as complicated
structural designs were simply beyond an engineer's ability to calculate.
However, within the past few years, the explosion of computational power
has enabled engineers to design and create structures that are extremely
complex and beyond one's ability to comprehend without the aid of a
computer (some are conceptually unfathomable even with a computer). Our
modern analytical tools can yield a more efficient structure than one
achievable through simpler means, but these same tools can also enable the
creation of overly complicated structures that are financially and
materially expensive. From designing bridges to designing buildings that
are bridges, Bill Baker will propose a design philosophy to “bridge” the
divide between design and analysis.

Speaker: William F. Baker, Partner in Charge of Structural Engineering,
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP

Throughout his distinguished career, Bill has dedicated himself to
structural innovation. His best known contribution is development of the
buttressed core structural system for the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest
man-made structure. While widely regarded for his work on super tall
buildings, his expertise also extends to long-span roof structures, such as
the Korean Air Lines Operations Hangar and the Virginia Beach Convention
Center, as well as specialty structures like Broadgate-Exchange House and
the GM Renaissance Center-North Lobby. He received the CTBUH Fazlur Rahman
Khan Medal in 2008, the Fritz Leonhardt Preis award in Germany in 2009, the
Gold Medal from the U.K. Institution of Structural Engineers in 2010, and
the ASCE Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) Lifetime Award for Design
in 2011. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2011.
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