Structural engineer to discuss World Trade Center collapse

World-renowned structural engineer Charles H. Thornton will give a talk on the World Trade Center collapse, at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 9, in Mitchell Hall. The talk is part of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Distinguished Lecture Series.

Thornton is chairman and managing principal of the Thornton-Tomasetti Group Inc., headquartered in New York City. The company was hired by the city's Department of Design and Construction on Tuesday, Sept. 11, to aid in its disaster response effort. In November, Thornton was invited to participate in a one-day forum at Columbia University on the technical implications of the World Trade Center collapses.

An expert in the area of building collapse and structural failure analysis, Thornton has participated in engineering team investigations of the causes of the collapse of not only the World Trade Centers in New York City but also the Hartford Coliseum roof; the scaffold collapse at Pleasants Power Station, W. Va.; and the New York State Thruway Schoharie Bridge. He also participated in the federal government's assessment of the bombing of the Alfred B. Murrah building in Oklahoma City.

A graduate of Manhattan College with a bachelor's of science degree in civil engineering, Thornton received master's and Ph.D. degrees in civil engineering from New York University. He is a registered professional engineer in 26 states.

During his nearly 40 years with Thornton-Tomasetti, he has been involved in the design and construction of projects all over the world, including the world's tallest buildings, the Petronas Twin Towers of Kuala Lumpur City Center in Malaysia, as well as the New York Hospital, Chicago Stadium, Comiskey Park, the 50-story Americas Tower in New York, the 65-story One Liberty Place in Philadelphia, and the 50-story Chifley Tower in Sidney, Australia. Many of these projects have set industry standards for innovative thinking and creativity.

In 1997 Thornton was elected to the National Academy of Engineering on the basis of his "significant contributions to the design of major structures worldwide." He is also a past recipient of the National Institute of Building Sciences' Honor Award, which he received for his efforts in developing a nationwide program to attract high school students to the building industry.

In addition to his presentation on the twin tower disaster, which is geared toward a general audience, Thornton will deliver a special seminar, "The Design and Construction of the Petronas Twin Towers," to the engineering community at 11 a.m., Wednesday, April 10, in 127 Memorial Hall.

For additional information, contact Diane Kukich at 831-1721.