Fred Pneuman - Honorary Member 1998, Life Member 1997, SEAW President 1966, SEAW Southwest President 1965

Born 9/15/31 in Gary, Indiana, Frederick C. Pneuman moved to Boulder, Colorado as a boy and graduated with his BSCE from the University of Colorado in 1953. He served as a Lieutenant in the US Army Corps of Engineers 1953-57. As a training officer, battalion operations officer, and company commander in the 116th Engineer Combat Battalion in Korea, he supervised a variety of road and bridge construction projects in the US, Korea, and Japan, working as head of the design section of the Headquarters Central Command in Tokyo and as Engineer Group training officer at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and also doing field work on the Tuttle Creek Dam Project in Manhattan, Kansas.

Following his service he completed MSCE studies at the University of Washington in 1958, then worked briefly with the firm of N. G. Jacobson, Jr. & Associates in Seattle as Engineering Designer. From 1959 to 1964 he worked with American Plywood Association's Applied Research Department in Tacoma as Research Structural Engineer and Head of Industrial Applications (in 1961, he installed an air raid shelter produced by the Association at his family home in Fircrest), then from 1964-1985 with the Weyerhaueser Company, Federal Way. As Chief Structural Engineer for Weyerhaueser Building Systems (WBS) Group, he served as a technical member of the planning team that developed the Weyerhaueser commercial building business, and developed a proprietary line of trusses, glulam beams, "I" joists, and other components of the WBS program.

With the Association (in 1962 known as the Douglas Fir Plywood Association), he did some work on the Home of Living Light (a temporary structure, shown here) at the Seattle World's Fair.

He also oversaw the design of structural wood framing systems for a number of light commercial structures including shopping centers and warehouses using the WBS system. With Weyerhaueser's Lumber Research & Development Department 1981-85, he held responsibility for the development of basic theory, determination of materials properties, testing and product development, and assistance with market research on the development of wood products.

In 1985, Fred Pneuman left Weyerhaueser and undertook part-time consulting from his home in Medina. He established Pneuman Engineering, Inc., specializing in timber engineering primarily associated with existing structures: inspection, evaluation, and consultation on performance of glued laminated timber products, roof framing systems, dimension lumber, decking and panel products in wood framed structures of all sizes. Fred also designed reinforcement for damaged, failed, or otherwise substandard structural wood members, and served as an expert witness in litigation or arbitration matters involving wood products, wood product applications or construction.

Throughout his career, Fred produced and presented extensive research findings to a range of professional audiences. He also taught as a guest lecturer at the University of Washington and Washington State University on topics related to preventing the structural misuse of wood. In 2005 he donated the majority of his reference library to the University of Washington Suzzallo Library, to provide the local engineering community with access to information on timber design.

Community engagement includes service on the Medina Planning Commission 1968-71, and two terms on the Medina City Council 1971-75 and 1977-79.

With SEAW, he provided leadership as a founding member and first President of SEAW Southwest Chapter. In other professional activities, he chaired the American Society for Testing and Materials Committee E06 on Building Construction and served on Committee D07 on Wood; ASTM honored him as a Fellow and Award of Merit recipient. He maintained membership in the American Institute of Timber Construction; with the American Society of Civil Engineers, a Life Member; with the Forest Products Society, a Life Member; and with the International Council of Building Officials.

Posted April 2012

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