2008 OPAL Winner - Design

Clyde N. Baker, Jr., P.E., Hon.M.ASCE, NAE

Clyde N. Baker, Jr., P.E., Hon.M.ASCE received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and joined the staff of STS Consultants, Ltd., (formerly Soil Testing Services) in the fall of 1954. Over the past 50 years he has served as the geotechnical engineer on the major portion of high rise construction built in Chicago. He has also served as geotechnical engineer or consultant on seven of the 16 tallest buildings in the world, including the three tallest in Chicago – Sears, Hancock, and Amoco – and the current three tallest buildings in the world – the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and 101 Financial Center in Taipei, Taiwan.

Mr. Baker already has added another 2008 honor to this year’s OPAL laurels. Engineering News-Record magazine named him the winner of its annual Award of Excellence, citing his vast skills and experience in “firming up the science of soil to support the skyscrapers of tomorrow.”

This experience has earned Mr. Baker an international reputation in the design and construction of deep foundations. He has been a leader in using in-situ testing techniques correlated with past building performance to develop more efficient foundation designs. In the Chicago soil profile this has facilitated economical use of belled caissons on hard pan for major structures in the 60- to 70-story height range, such as Water Tower Place, 900 North Michigan, and AT&T buildings, which normally would have required extending caissons to rock at significant cost premium.

Mr. Baker was elected to ASCE Honorary Membership in 1996 for his longstanding commitment and innovative accomplishments in advancing the state of the civil engineering practice and his commitment to advancing the careers of all who interact with him.

Mr. Baker has shared his knowledge and experience with his peers through numerous conference and university lectures, technical articles, papers and publications. He is the recipient of the Deep Foundation’s Institute Distinguished Service Award, the ADSC Outstanding Service Award, ASCE’s Thomas A. Middlebrooks and Martin S. Kapp awards and of three Meritorious Publication awards from the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI), including the “History of Chicago Building Foundations 1948 to 1998” and is the author of “The Drilled Shaft Inspectors’ Manual” sponsored jointly by the Deep Foundation Institute and the International Association of Foundation Drilling (ADSC).

Mr. Baker has been very active professionally both locally and nationally. He is past president of SEAOI and the Chicago Chapter of the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers (ISPE). Nationally, he has served as Chairman of the Geotechnical Engineering Division of ASCE, is a past Editor of the Geotechnical Engineering Journal and is a Past Chairman of the American Concrete Institute Committee 336 on Footings, Mats and Drilled Piers. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and was the recipient of the ASCE Ralph B. Peck Award in 2000.

Mr. Baker is a past Chairman of STS Consultants, Ltd., a 550-person consulting engineering firm, headquartered in Vernon Hills, Illinois and currently serves as Senior Principal Engineer and Senior Vice President.