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Leslie E. Robertson Associates Announces 2011 Promotions Leslie E. Robertson Associates, RLLP (LERA) announces the appointment of six new associates, Jeffrey Chan, Sangho Han, Patrick Hopple, Antonio Rodriguez, Hiroshi Shirako, and Jae Ik Song. Jeffrey Y. Chan, P.E. joined LERA in 2005. Mr. Chan was recently involved in the design of several academic facilities, including Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, NY, and an Advanced Science Research Center, both part of the CUNY system . He is currently working on World One Tower, a mixed-use development in Mumbai, India. Mr. Chan has also participated in the design of World Trade Center-Tower 4, and an addition to the New York Hall of Science in Queens, NY. Mr. Chan earned his Masters in Civil Engineering from Cornell University, where he also completed his undergraduate studies. Sangho Han, P.E. (US & Korea), LEED AP joined LERA in 2006. Mr. Han is currently Project Manager for the design of Sky Forest Residential Towers in Mumbai, India. Other projects include work on Tower 4 at the World Trade Center site in New York, the Butler College Dormitories at Princeton University, a 555 meter Lotte Jamsil Super Tower in Seoul, Korea, and peer reviews for the Busan Lotte Tower, also in Korea, and 1 World Trade Center, Freedom Tower in New York. Mr. Han earned his Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois and holds a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. Prior to joining LERA, Mr. Han was employed as a structural engineer in Korea from 1997 to 2002. Patrick L Hopple, P.E. joined LERA in 2006. Patrick has been working on several projects, including a new facility at Columbia University Medical Center, a new school of Public health at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, NY, and a new courthouse on Staten Island. Recently completed projects include the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, PA, an edible schoolyard at P.S. 216 in Brooklyn, and a new Gateway Building at Westchester Community College in Valhalla, NY. Mr. Hopple holds a Master of Architectural Engineering from Penn State University, where he completed both graduate and undergraduate studies. Antonio Rodriguez, P.E. joined LERA in 2006. Antonio has been involved in several academic and cultural facilities, including the 70,000-sf new Gateway Center at Westchester Community College, the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, PA, and most recently the Broad Art Museum in Los Angeles. Additionally, Antonio has contributed to the design of multiple project renovations, including the Union Square North Pavilion, Hudson Park and Boulevard, and the New York Historical Society. Mr. Rodriguez earned a Postgraduate Degree in Advanced Structural Design and Analysis and a Master in Numerical Methods for Engineering Design from the Universitat Politecnica De Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain and holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Universidat Simon Bolivar in Caracas, Venezuela. Hiroshi Shirako, P.E. joined LERA in 2005. Mr. Shirako has served as project manager on several recently completed projects including a LEED Platinum maintenance facility in Battery Park City, NY, a gut renovation and addition of Ives Hall at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, as well as a new 291,000-sf school in Mott Haven, Bronx, for which he was project manager during construction. Current projects involve infrastructure upgrades on the United Nations complex and field inspection for the new World Trade Center Tower 4. Mr. Shirako earned his Master of Science in Structural Engineering from Cornell University, where he also completed his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering. Jae Ik Song, P.E. joined LERA in 2005. Mr. Song is currently Project Manager for Minerva Tower, Oberoi Prisma Office Tower and Oberoi Garden City Phase 2 Residential Towers in India. Outside of India, Mr. Song was involved in the design of the Bitexco Financial Tower in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, a 68-story office tower which recently opened this year, as well as contributing to the design of Tower 4 at the World Trade Center in New York. Academic projects include Butler College Dormitories at Princeton University and John Jay College of Criminal Justice for the City University of New York. Mr. Song earned his Master of Science in Structural Engineering from the University of California in San Diego and holds a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from Dong-A University in Busan, Korea. Leslie E. Robertson Associates Announces 2010 Promotions Leslie E. Robertson Associates, RLLP (LERA) announces the appointment of a new Partner, three new Senior Associates, and two new Associates. Nayan B. Trivedi has been named Partner, and Seokkwon Jang, Hari S. Nair, and Matthew D. Melrose, have been named Senior Associates. Hugh D. Kelly was promoted to Associate. LERA’s newest Partner, Nayan B. Trivedi, P.E. joined LERA in 2000, was advanced to Senior Associate in 2006, and Associate Partner in 2008. Mr. Trivedi has been integrally involved in the firm’s client relations in South Asia, spearheading the opening of the firm’s Mumbai office. In India, Mr. Trivedi is managing the structural design of a range of projects including the Hyderabad Office Tower and the 60-story Oberoi Skyz Residences. Other projects Mr. Trivedi has managed include the 68-story Bitexco Financial Tower in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and the 442meter Canal Point Hotel in Dubai. Mr. Trivedi has served as 2005-06 Chairperson of the ASCE Metropolitan Section Structures Group and the Society of Indo-American Engineers and Architects (SIAEA), for which he was 2008 Vice President. Mr. Trivedi was recipient of the 2009 SIAEA Achievement Award and was recognized by Building Design and Construction Magazine in their 2007 40-under-40 Competition. Mr. Trivedi holds a Master of Engineering (Structural) from Gujarat University in India and earned his Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) from North Gujarat University. Seokkwon Jang, Ph.D., P.E. joined LERA in 2004 and was named Associate in 2009. Mr. Jang is currently Project Manager for the design of prototypical building studies for super-high rise structures in his home country of Korea. He has also served as project manager for an addition to the Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University and the Hanoi Marriott Hotel in Vietnam. Recently, Mr. Jang had worked on the design of the Hyderabad Office Tower in India, the Bitexco Financial Tower in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and World Trade Center Tower 4 in New York, and had performed security enhancements for government facilities in the Northeastern United States. Mr. Jang holds a Doctoral degree in Structural engineering from Lehigh University, and earned his Master of Science from the University of Minnesota. His Bachelor level studies were completed at Hanyang University in Seoul, Korea. Matthew D. Melrose, P.E. joined LERA in 2002, and was named Associate in 2007. Mr. Melrose is currently involved in the design of the Staten Island Courthouse in New York and served as surveillance engineer for the Newseum in Washington, DC. He has contributed to the design of other structures including the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center Expansion in New York and Public Farm One, an innovative, sustainable structure on view at the MoMA/P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center in 2008. Presently, Mr. Melrose is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Architecture at Columbia University. He holds a Master of Science degree in Structural Engineering from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological and Environmental Engineering, with distinction, from Cornell University. Hari S. Nair, P.E. first joined our firm in 2001, and relocated to Dubai in 2004. In 2009, he rejoined LERA as the Manager of our Mumbai office. Currently, Mr. Nair is managing the design of several residential projects in Mumbai, including a Mixed-Use Development for the Lodha Group. While with LERA’s New York office, Mr. Nair was project manager for the Buffalo Life Sciences Complex in New York and the Bentonville Plaza in Arkansas. He has also been involved in the design of structures including the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Arkansas; a Capital Master Plan for the United Nations; the 47 East 91st Street Residences in New York City; the Baseball Hall of Fame Renovation in Cooperstown, NY; and the Las Vegas Springs Preserve Visitor Center in Nevada. A native of India, Mr. Nair holds a Master of Engineering from the University of Florida and a Master in Computer Aided Structural Analysis from Gujarat University in Ahmedabad, India. His Bachelor level studies were completed at South Gujarat University in Surat, India. Hugh D. Kelly, P.E. joined LERA in 2005. Mr. Kelly was recently involved in the design of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, in Charlotte, NC. Mr. Kelly has also participated in the design of the Butler College Dormitories at Princeton University, New York’s Cooper Square Hotel, and a peer review of the Parc1 Mixed Use Development in Seoul, Korea. Mr. Kelly earned his Master of Science in Structural Engineering from Princeton University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Bucknell University. LERA Establishes Mumbai Office - September 2009 Leslie E. Robertson Associates, a structural engineering firm known for the design of landmark projects including New York’s World Trade Center, the Shanghai World Financial Center in China, and the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, has opened a Mumbai office. Founded in 1923, LERA has provided structural engineering services to architects, engineers, owners, and contractors. Pioneers in wind and seismic engineering, the firm has extensive experience in the design of highrise buildings around the world, with active projects in the United States, Europe, Middle East, India, Vietnam, China, and Korea. Amongst the firm’s best known projects are the Puerta de Europa in Madrid; the Bank of China in Hong Kong; the Baltimore Convention Center in Maryland; and the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. The firm also has an extensive portfolio of projects in the government, academic, aviation, and transportation sectors. The firm began providing structural engineering services to clients in India in 2005. Since that time, LERA has designed more than thirty buildings in the region, including commercial and residential structures for some of the most highly regarded development groups in the country, such as: Oberoi Constructions, Reliance Energy, Jindal Steel, Ruby Mills, Naman Group, and the Lodha Group. Projects designed to date have included Oberoi Skyz, a residential development at Worli, Mumbai containing a pair of 230-meter tall towers; the Hyderabad Office Tower, a 23-story, 300-meter long corporate facility designed to achieve LEED-Gold standards; and the Oberoi Office & Hotel Tower, a 34-story mixed-use development. LERA’s Mumbai office was opened in September, 2009 to facilitate client relations and effectively manage a growing workload. Our work in India is headed up by firm Partners William J. Faschan and Nayan B. Trivedi, who have led our firm’s client relations in South Asia. Mr. Faschan joined LERA in 1978 and has served as a partner since 1987. Mr. Trivedi has been with our firm since 2000 and was appointed partner in 2010. Messrs. Faschan and Trivedi are joined by Mr. Hari Nair, Senior Associate and manager of our Mumbai office. This team’s common experience dates from 2001 when Mr. Nair first joined LERA. Together, they offer more than fifty years of experience in structural engineering design of prominent structures worldwide. SawTeen See named Fellow by NYAS SawTeen See was awarded the distinction of Fellow by the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) in September 2005. One of the highest honors bestowed by the NYAS, Fellows are nominated from within the organization’s worldwide membership by Academy peers. This year, twelve individuals were selected out of 23,000 possible candidates. Ms. See was the sole engineer among the 2005 honorees. The National Constitution Center wins 2005 Engineering Excellence Award The National Constitution Center, established to promote greater public understanding of the Constitution of the United States of America, is a museum of complex geometries articulated in limestone, granite, glass and structural steel. Henry N. Cobb, Senior Partner of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners developed an architecture requiring an elaborate frame of interconnected steel systems designed to achieve the building’s bold structural forms. The sophisticated architecture demanded an elegant and an innovative structural design. ACEC New York recognized the project with a Platinum Award for its structural engineering achievement, which centered on developing economical and buildable long span solutions and special connection details to accommodate the building’s complex geometries and vast, open spaces. Saw-Teen See was LERA’s Partner-in-Charge of the project. Clinton Presidential Center Wins Engineering Excellence Award The Clinton Presidential Center encompasses the vision of President Clinton and captures the imagination of the millions of visitors who pass through its doors or linger in its gardens. Polshek Partnership Architects developed the integrated architectural and site design which transformed a former industrial site of old warehouses and undeveloped open space to create the presidential complex. Reminiscent of the nearby train trestles, the Museum Building’s 5-story steel structure, measuring 420 ft long x 46 ft wide, is supported by a pair of 37 ft deep trusses. The trusses, which cantilever 90 ft at each end of the building, are supported at three locations with a maximum clear span of 150 ft between supports. In addition to the trusses of the Museum Building, the project features a number of exposed structures including Monumental Interior Stairs, the Perforated Metal Exterior Stair, the Executive Level Sunscreen, and the Entrance Canopy. Each required a tight integration with architectural systems and each share a common design philosophy. The structures are designed to be efficient, minimal and honest and represent an effort on the part of the design team to reduce the structure to its essential elements. In so doing, the structure contributed to the project’s LEED Silver Rating. LERA received an ACEC New York 2006 Engineering Excellence Award for the project. Leslie E. Robertson Honored by The Institution of Structural Engineers and the Council on Tall Buildings Leslie E. Robertson was awarded the Institution Gold Medal by the Institution of Structural Engineers, United Kingdom. The citation states that Mr. Robertson was selected "for his unique contributions to structural engineering. Mr. Robertson is being recognized as one of the world's leading designers of tall buildings, including the World Trade Center and the Shanghai World Financial Center." The Institution Gold Medal is the highest honor that the Institution can accord, and has been awarded only 36 times since its inception in 1922. The award ceremony took place in London on November 10, 2004. Mr. Robertson was presented with the Fazlur Rahman Khan Medal for his leadership in the structural design of tall buildings. "His close collaboration with countless architects and engineers has led to the advancement of tall building technology, creating some of the most memorable buildings in the world. In addition, his leadership in the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat helped promote the benefits of interdisciplinary interaction resulting in more efficient yet beautiful buildings". The award was presented at the Council's Third Annual Awards Dinner, on November 17 at the Illinois Institute of Technology's S. R. Crown Hall in Chicago. Espirito Santo Plaza wins ACEC New York Engineering Excellence Award Espirito Santo Plaza, the newest addition to the Miami skyline, is a sparkling 37-story tower. Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and Leslie E. Robertson Associates, R.L.L.P. were charged with creating an iconic design to meet the Owner’s goals of creating a global landmark structure that will define Miami and represent Group Espirito Santo in the United States. William J. Faschan, P.E. was LERA’s Partner-in-Charge of the project. Because the office, hotel and residential floors each required different column layouts, LERA designed a complex column transfer system to accommodate the building’s three occupancies. Concrete outriggers were designed to increase the lateral stiffness of the tower and resist Miami’s hurricane force winds. The front façade of the tower, with its sloping face and graceful parabolic arch will likely become a well-known feature of the Miami skyline. The geometry of the tower is created by the intersection of the vertical concave surface inside the arch with the inclined plan around it. The project was honored with an ACEC New York Chapter Engineering Excellence Award SawTeen See Featured in Book on Women Engineers SawTeen See was among a select group of engineers profiled in "Changing Our World: True Stories of Women Engineers". Published by the ASCE as part of the Extraordinary Women Engineers Project (EWEP), the book was launched in February as part of Engineers Week 2006. Through its real-life stories, the book will serve as a fresh perspective on engineering for young women and their parents. The project hopes to inspire young women to enter the engineering field and to develop a new generation of role models. For more information about the book, please go to: http://www.engineeringwomen.org/stories.html SawTeen See Elected Honorary Member of ASCE On October 23rd, 2004, SawTeen See, P.E., Managing Partner of Leslie E. Robertson Associates, R.L.L.P. was elected to the grade of Honorary Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the highest honor that ASCE can bestow on an individual member. Over ASCE’s entire history of 152 years, only 522 persons, less than 0.01% of the membership, have been so recognized. The citation reads: "Ms. See was selected for her innovative contributions to the field of structural engineering through the design of many of the world’s signature buildings and for her leadership as Managing Partner of one of the premier structural engineering firms in the world. Ms. See has embraced and advanced LERA’s mission to design structures that are innovative, of high craftsmanship, and which are both constructible and economical. Through publications, symposia, and conferences, on these and other projects, Ms. See has been a prolific and generous contributor to the profession of structural engineering." Leslie E. Robertson Associates, R.L.L.P. Announces Staff Promotions Promoted to Senior Associate: Wing-Pin (Winnie) Kwan, Ph.D., P.E. (CA) A native of Hong Kong, Wing-Pin (Winnie) Kwan joined LERA in 2000. Currently, she is LERA’s Project Manager for the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC, designed by Pei Cobb Freed and Partners and for Esentai Tower, Kazkommertzbank, and JW Marriott Residences of Esentai Park, part of a development in Almaty Kazakhstan, designed by Skidmore Owings & Merrill. She was Assistant Project Manager for the 1,614-feet (492-meter) Shanghai World Financial Center designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox. Winnie holds a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University. She attended Princeton University for her undergraduate studies, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, with Highest Honors. Promoted to Associate Matthew D. Melrose, P.E. (CA) Matthew D. Melrose holds an M.S.degree in Structural Engineering from Stanford University and a B.S. in Biological and Environmental Engineering (magna cum laude) from Cornell University. With LERA since 2002, Matt has worked on projects both nationally and internationally. Currently Matt is project engineer on the Jacob Javits Center expansion being designed by the Richard Rogers Partnership LTD. Matt was project engineer for I.M. Pei’s Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar; Tate Snyder Kimsey’s Satellite D Expansion at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas; and Polshek Partnership’s addition to the New York Hall of Science in Flushing, Queens, NY. Most recently, Matt was LERA’s site engineer for the Newseum, another Polshek Partnership project on the last developable site on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. Leslie E. Robertson Associates, RLLP Announces 2008 Promotions Leslie E. Robertson Associates, RLLP (LERA) announces the appointment of a new Partner and a new Associate Partner, and the promotion of two Associates. Elias S. Matar, P.E. has been named Partner and Nayan B. Trivedi has been named Associate Partner. Jason B. Stone has been named Associate. LERA’s newest Partner, Elias Matar joined the firm in 1990. Currently, he is in charge of the design of a new tower in Paris, France and a new convention center and hotel in Albany, NY. Mr. Matar is also responsible for several projects in New York City including a 23-story residential building at 315 East 46th Street, a 24-story residential building at 250 East 49th Street and a new Courthouse in Staten Island. Mr. Matar was LERA’s Project Manager for the award-winning 36-story Espirito Santo Plaza tower in Miami. An Adjunct Assistant Professor of Architecture at Columbia University, Mr. Matar holds a Bachelor of Science with Distinction, a Master of Engineering and an MBA from Cornell University. In 1993, he was awarded the World Trade Center Medal for Individual Acts of Valor in recognition of his efforts in the aftermath of the World Trade Center bombing. Nayan B. Trivedi, P.E. joined LERA in 2000. Selected by Building Design and Construction Magazine in their 2007 40-under-40 Superstar Competition, Mr. Trivedi is currently LERA’s project manager for the Oberoi Skyz project, a 60-story residential tower in Mumbai, India. He is also project manager for the Canal Point Hotel Tower, a 442 m tall tower in Dubai, a 50 story residential tower in Moscow, Russia, and the Financial Tower of Ho Chi Minh City, a 70-story office building located in Viet Nam. Prior to joining LERA, Mr. Trivedi was employed as a structural engineer in Saudi Arabia and India from 1995 to 2000. A member of the Society of Indo American Engineers and Architects, Mr. Trivedi served as its Vice President in 2006. He also served as a Chairperson in 2005-2006 for ASCE Met Section Structures Group. With LERA since 2002, Jason B. Stone, P.E. was promoted to Associate. Mr. Stone is currently managing the Cooper Square Hotel and the construction phase of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice Expansion Project, both in Manhattan. He has also been involved in some of the firm’s major projects including: the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, AK; the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar; and the Shanghai World Financial Center in China. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Mr. Stone earned an M.S. in Structural Engineering from Stanford University. Mr. Stone participated as a mentor in the New York City Chapter ACE (Architecture Construction Engineering) Mentor Program aimed at attracting high school students to the Engineering Profession. Shanghai World Financial Center named ‘Best Tall Building Overall’ by CTBUH The CTBUH have named the Shanghai World Financial Center as the 2008 Best Tall Building Overall at the 7th Annual Awards Dinner, held at Crown Hall in Chicago, on the 20th November 2008. The tallest building in China, the 101-story Shanghai World Financial Center was recognized for its innovative structural system. Designers of iconic high-rise buildings worldwide, Leslie E. Robertson Associates, RLLP (LERA), designed a structural system involving a diagonal-braced frame with outrigger trusses. The structural system accomplished the vision of architect Bill Pedersen of Kohn Pedersen Fox, establishing the Shanghai World Financial Center as a symbol of redevelopment in Shanghai. Mr. Mori, the building’s visionary, says his goal is to revolutionize the way his countrymen live by creating high-rise, inner-city communities that do away with the long commutes and free up more leisure time. This diverse and dynamic mixed-use development incorporates facilities that not only support Liujiazui’s current activities as a business district, but also create a sense of vitality and activity after working hours. Architecturally founded on a heavy stone base, the megastructure gives the impression of both strength and permanence, two attributes the Mori Building Company sought to communicate, while displaying the wonderful elegance of the building form. The innovative structural design made possible the tower’s unique shape establishing it as a major Asian landmark and a powerful new icon for the City of Shanghai. Museum of Islamic Art Wins CIB Award The Concrete Industry Board of New York selected The Museum of Islamic Art for an Award of Merit at its 46th Annual Roger H. Corbetta Awards dinner held at the Marina del Rey in the Bronx on November 13, 2007. Designed by architect I.M. Pei and structural engineer, Leslie E. Robertson Associates, R.L.L.P. (LERA), the museum is the centerpiece of Qatar’s strategy to become a tourist destination of choice and a center of learning in the Middle East. The CIB Awards jury selected the project for the exquisite beauty achieved using Architecturally Exposed Concrete (AEC). The jury stated: “The purity of the architectural concrete in the atrium belies the complexity of the design and the careful attention to detail and coordination required during both design and execution. This was truly a team effort with all participants putting their best effort forward.” The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Quatar is located at one end of Doha Bay on a man-made island. The prominent location provides a stunning environment to showcase the Museum’s extensive store of treasures from across the Islamic world. The construction of the island posed a number of challenges. The island was to be built in the corrosive salt waters of the Arabian Gulf; it had to provide safe adequate foundations for the Museum. Additionally, the stone clad walls needed to emerge vertically out of the water with very tight tolerances on the stone mounting. The solution was the use of precast pre-stressed concrete sheet piles to form the island walls. The Museum also makes extensive use of reinforced concrete. The concrete work covers the whole spectrum of concrete construction, including pre-cast pre-stressed concrete sheet piles, auger cast-piles, pile caps, two-way pressure slabs, columns, shear walls, flat slabs, beam and slab, spanning transfer walls, post-tensioned concrete, as well as feature elements such as the architecturally exposed concrete domed slabs, the atrium incline/tapered walls, and the architecturally exposed concrete grand stair. LERA’s structural design required very careful detailing and design to control and minimize cracking in the concrete. The Museum represents a new standard for construction in Qatar as evidenced in the seamless integration of structure and architecture. Certain to become the cultural center envisioned by the Qatari Ministry of Municipal Affairs, as well as a must-see destination for visitors to the Middle East, the building’s complexity required an imaginative structural design to accommodate the architect’s dramatic vision. Shanghai World Financial Center Tops Out Shanghai – A topping out ceremony for Shanghai’s tallest building was held 14 September 2007. Designed by architect Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) and structural engineer Leslie E. Robertson Associates, RLLP (LERA), the 101-story, 492-metre tower Shanghai World Financial Center is the world’s third tallest building, and the tallest in China. Developer is Mori Building Company of Japan. When complete, the Shanghai World Financial Center will house 70 floors of office space designed to accommodate 12,000 people, with a hotel, restaurants, conference centers, trading, museum and retail malls. The most distinctive design feature is the geometric shape of the tower. The observation deck on the 100th floor, 472-meters up, will be the world’s highest public observation platform. Designers of iconic high-rise buildings worldwide, LERA designed a light and efficient structural system involving a diagonal-braced frame with outrigger trusses. Originally begun in 1993, the initial design (completed by others) was for a lower (460 m) and smaller building. In 1997 LERA was retained to provide an alternative structural design for the contractor of that original design. The piling for the original building was constructed in 1995, but construction halted because of the economic crisis in Asia. When the project resumed in 2000, the Mori Building Company decided they wanted a taller and bigger tower and the design grew to 1,614-ft (492 m). LERA was brought on board in 2001 to develop a structural design that would support a taller building, still using the existing piling -- something many said could not be done. LERA’s innovative structural design made use of the existing pilings and resulted in a 7% increase in height. Despite the fact that the proposed taller building would have about 15% more floor area, the new structural system, designed by LERA, reduced the weight of the building by more than 10%. This was accomplished by reducing the weight of the structural steel and volume of concrete through an innovative, more efficient structure, yet providing enhanced robustness and redundancy in the structural system. Pioneers in wind engineering, LERA was able to present and obtain from Shanghai building authorities reductions in the code-stipulated wind speeds to more rational, realistic wind speeds. This resulted in significant reductions in the wind loads and in the cost of the project. LERA’s more robust and redundant structural system, was designed for earthquakes with a 2000-year return period and typhoon winds with a 200-year return period. KPF’s iconic design and programmatic configuration of the Shanghai World Financial Center will support the building’s role as a major Asian landmark and a symbol of redevelopment in Shanghai. The diverse and dynamic mixed-use development will incorporate facilities that not only support Liujiazui’s current activities as a business district, but also create a sense of vitality and activity after working hours. The uniqueness of the Shanghai World Financial Center will establish it as a powerful new icon for the City of Shanghai. SawTeen See Receives 2006 Asian Women In Business Leadership Award SawTeen See, LERA’s Managing Partner, was recognized for her entrepreneurial and leadership accomplishments at AWIB's Eleventh Annual Awards Dinner held Tuesday, October 17, 2006 at the Hilton New York. Over 650 supporters of Asian Women In Business attended the dinner to toast the accomplishments of Asian women as entrepreneurs and corporate leaders Ms. See was selected for the award based on her demonstrated leadership qualities and her skillful management of a growing international consulting engineering practice. She embraced and advanced her firm’s mission to design structures that are innovative, contain high craftsmanship, and are both constructible and economical. Francis Lombardi, Chief Engineer at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey provided Ms. See’s introduction at the Awards Ceremony. The emcee for the event was Vivian Lee, WNBC, News Channel 4. Leslie E. Robertson Made Fellow of Engineers Ireland Leslie E. Robertson was invited to become a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers of Ireland. Mr. Robertson traveled to Ireland where he lectured on his life, work and many of his renowned structures famous for their economic, imaginative and responsible solutions to engineering problems including the Twin Towers, New York; Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong; The Miho Museum Bridge, Shingraki, Japan; and the Shanghai World Financial Centre, China. Mr.Robertson also met with the young engineers of the future when he addressed a younger audience on February 20th as part of the Engineers Ireland Engineered! A Week of Wonder at the University of Limerick. With over 22,000 members, Engineers Ireland is the country's largest professional body. Engineers Ireland is the operating name of The Institution of Engineers of Ireland, which was founded on the 6th August 1835 and recently celebrated its 170th anniversary. Leslie E. Robertson Elected to ASCE Honorary Membership On October 20, 2006, Leslie E. Robertson was elected to the grade of Honorary Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, (ASCE), at their National Conference. Honorary Membership is the highest honor that ASCE can bestow on an individual member. Since 1853 only 555 individuals have been elected to this distinguished grade of membership. The ASCE Citation reads: “Leslie E. Robertson, P.E., S.E., NAE is recognized for his pioneering innovations in the design of skyscrapers, domes, bridges and long-span roofs that have transformed engineering theory into practical technological breakthroughs, freeing architects and engineers to construct the stuff of dreams.” Mr. Robertson joins his wife, SawTeen See who was elected to Honorary Membership in 2004. The pair is the first husband-wife team to be so honored. Mr. Robertson and Ms. See have collaborated on numerous projects and worked together on the Shanghai World Financial Center, which will extend to a height of 492 meters (1614 feet) when completed.