Andrew W. Taylor - Engineer of the Year 2017, President's Award 2015, 2014, 2013

Born Seattle in 1959, Andy Taylor grew up in the Seattle area. He recalls that early influences included his father, an electrical engineer who later changed careers to become a dentist; his mother, a teacher of mathematics and writing; and numerous relatives with careers in science and engineering. His interest in structural engineering began with his fascination with the structures of the Seattle 1962 Worlds Fair, especially the Coliseum (Key Arena), US Science Pavilion (Pacific Science Center), the Monorail, and the Space Needle (as pictured below).

In high school and as a college freshman he pursued studies in music, but thereafter switched to structural engineering. He received his BSCE from the University of Washington in 1983, ranked first in his civil engineering class. In 1985 he received his MSCE from the University of Washington, and wrote his masters thesis on the behavior of steel/concrete composite beams.

For two years he worked as a Structural Research Engineer at the University of Washington, before beginning PhD studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He completed his PhD in 1990 with his dissertation on the strength of concrete hollow thin-walled box piers and pylons for bridges.

Taylor worked with the Earthquake Engineering Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Maryland 1990-97, where he conducted applied research on the seismic design of bridges, performance-based seismic design, and seismic isolation, and also participated in the development of structural design guidelines and building codes. In 1997 Dr. Taylor joined KPFF Consulting Engineers in Seattle, becoming an Associate with the structural engineering group. Since 2006, he has served on the UW Affiliate Faculty in Structural Engineering.

He has extensive research experience in experimental and theoretical investigations of the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete structures. His specialties include performance-based seismic design of concrete structures, seismic base isolation, and seismic damping systems, particularly when applied to the design of critical facilities that require enhanced levels of seismic performance.

Andy counts among his notable projects Tan Tzu Medical Center (Tai Chung, Taiwan), Safeco Data Center (Redmond), Historic Pioneer Courthouse Renovation (1869, Portland), Amgen Research and Technology Center Buildings A, B, C, and J and Central Utility Plant (Seattle), and King County Metro Communication and Control Center (Seattle).

Professional recognition includes his designation as a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute. He served on ACI Committee 318 – Structural Building Code, and as Chair of ACI Committee 374 – Performance-Based Seismic Design of Concrete Buildings. He also served as a member of technical and advisory committees of SEAW, the Building Seismic Safety Council, the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, The Portland Cement Association, and the National Research Council. Andy’s most rewarding milestones include serving on reconnaissance teams following the 1994 Northridge, 1995 Kobe, 2001 Nisqually, and the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. In March 2012, Structure Magazine published his article “What’s Happened to Seismic Isolation of Buildings in the US?”

The 2013 SEAW President's Award recognizes Andy's service on the Earthquake Engineering Committee. The 2015 Award acknowledges his service as Earthquake Engineering Chair and his support of the SEAW YMF.

In 2020, PSEC honored Andy Taylor as Professional Engineer of the Year.

Posted July 2013. Updated June 2014, June 2015, July 2017, March 2020

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