Andrew W. Taylor, Ph.D., P.E., S.E.
KPFF Consulting Engineers
Andrew W. Taylor, Ph.D., P.E., S.E., KPFF Consulting Engineers, has been selected as the recipient of the 2020 Professional Engineer of the Year Award in recognition of his exceptional career as a structural engineer focused on earthquake engineering, structural engineering of reinforced concrete buildings, structural vibrations, and building code development.
As a research structural engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, he conducted research to advance the state of engineering practice. His research activities included performance-based seismic design of bridges, seismic isolation of structures, numerical modeling of earthquake damage to concrete structures, and testing standards for earthquake protection systems.
He served as an advisor to the State of Washington in evaluating the remaining strength and durability of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. He synthesized study information and concluded that it was not economical or advisable to attempt to repair and strengthen the viaduct. He served as a technical expert on the potential damage to structures due to ground settlement created by excavation of the new SR 99 tunnel beneath Seattle. He evaluated the potential settlement profile at dozens of buildings above the tunnel route and performed analysis to determine if the expected levels of ground settlement would cause damage to the structures.
He has served for eleven years on the American Concrete Institute committee that writes and maintains the U.S. national building code for concrete structures, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary, and is the national chair of the committee formed to develop the 2025 edition of this code.