Structural Engineers
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The concept of structural engineering has existed ever since human beings began making structures, be it homes, roads or bridges, for survival. Structural engineers are professionals who work in the field of structural engineering and their work typically involves the planning, design, implementation and support of the various structures that support or resist loads. Structural engineers work closely with civil engineers and unlike civil engineers who work towards building structures on the ground and at sea, these specialists focus their energies towards building structures that are known as ‘nonbuilding structures’, which do not support human occupancy of any kind such as the Eiffel tower, water towers, satellites, monuments, radio transmission towers, parking lots etc. These professionals use the basic knowledge of engineering with the principle of simple and complex structural elements and use it to achieve their goals in this field. Amateur structural engineers are responsible for the design of several independent structural elements in a whole structure such as floors or beams in a particular structure. From this level, a number of these engineers go on to specialize in the different areas of structural engineering such as pipeline engineering, bridge engineering, industrial construction and building construction. Here is a compilation of a list of famous structural engineers. Learn more fascinating facts and details about them with their biographies that include trivia, interesting facts, timeline and life history.
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1
Fazlur Rahman Khan(Structural Engineer and Architect Known for His Innovations in High-Rise Building Construction)
Birthdate: April 3, 1929
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Died: March 27, 1982
Fazlur Rahman Khan was a Bangladeshi-American architect and structural engineer. Regarded as the father of tubular designs, Khan is credited with designing several skyscrapers, including the Willis Tower and the John Hancock Center. Thanks to his ingenious use of structural systems, Khan is often referred to as the 20th century's greatest structural engineer and the Einstein of structural engineering.
2
Joseph Strauss
(American Structural Engineer Who Revolutionized the Design of 'Bascule Bridges')
Birthdate: January 9, 1870
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Died: May 16, 1938
Best known for designing the Golden Gate Bridge, engineer Joseph Strauss specialized in movable bridges and developed the concepts of the bascule bridge and the vertical-lift bridge. Born to a pianist mother and a painter-writer father, he later also penned poems such as The Mighty Task is Done.
3
William F. Baker
(Structural engineer)
Birthdate: October 9, 1953
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Fulton, Missouri, United States
William F. Baker is an American structural engineer best known for working as an engineer in several important projects, including the famous Burj Khalifa in Dubai. In 2011, he was invited by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) to lead a project aimed at developing innovative structures for high-rise buildings. Baker has received several honors and awards throughout his career.
4
Kevin A. Lynch
(architect, university teacher)
Birthdate: January 7, 1918
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Chicago
Died: April 25, 1984
5
William Fairbairn
(Scottish Civil Engineer, Structural Engineer and Shipbuilder)
Birthdate: February 19, 1789
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Kelso, Scotland
Died: August 18, 1874
William Fairbairn is remembered for his pioneering use of wrought iron for building bridges, ship hulls, and beams. Apart from inventing the Lancashire boiler, he also served as the president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He also introduced proper and systematic investigations of the collapse of structures.
6
Eugène Freyssinet
(French Structural and Civil Engineer Who Was the Major Pioneer of 'Prestressed Concrete')
Birthdate: July 13, 1879
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Objat, Corrèze, France
Died: June 8, 1962
Remembered for designing numerous reinforced-concrete bridges across France, Eugène Freyssinet, an early twentieth century structural and civil engineer, was also one of the pioneers in the use of prestressed concrete. Among his most prestigious projects was the Plougastel Bridge over the Elorn River. With a total length of 888 meter, this was the largest reinforced-concrete bridge constructed till that time.
Birthdate: February 10, 1885
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Nansemond, Suffolk, Virginia, United States
Died: February 11, 1959
8
Eduardo Torroja
(Spanish Structural Engineer Known For His Design of Concrete Shell Structures)
Birthdate: August 27, 1899
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Madrid, Spain
Died: June 15, 1961
9
Yang Xiaobo
(Chinese Structural Engineer and Former Mayor of Huangshi (2009 - 2014))
Birthdate: 1963
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tianmen, China
Died: January 28, 2020
Yang Xiaobo had been the mayor of Huangshi and was a qualified structural engineer. He also boasted of an MBA from the U.S. The Chinese Communist Party member, who had also been the president of the Central South Architectural Design Institute, died of COVID-19-induced pneumonia in Wuhan in 2020.
10
Ralph Freeman
(Structural engineer)
Birthdate: November 27, 1880
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: London, England
Died: March 11, 1950
11
Eaton Hodgkinson
(Engineer)
Birthdate: February 26, 1789
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: England
Died: June 18, 1861
12
Carl Culmann
(Structural ngineer)
Birthdate: July 10, 1821
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Bad Bergzabern, Germany
Died: December 9, 1881
13
Kim Bailie
(Structural Engineer)
Birthdate: February 2, 1929
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Johannesburg, South Africa
Died: August 29, 2008
