John Carey (engineer)

John Carey (engineer) is an American structural engineer renowned for his pioneering research in the seismic design and analysis of buildings and infrastructure. His career, spanning several decades, has been dedicated to advancing the field of earthquake engineering through both academic work and practical application, significantly influencing modern building codes. Carey's contributions have been instrumental in developing more resilient structures in seismically active regions like California and internationally.

Early life and education

John Carey was born and raised in San Francisco, an experience that profoundly shaped his interest in the forces that affect the built environment. He pursued his undergraduate studies in civil engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, graduating with high honors. He then earned both his Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in structural engineering from Stanford University, where his doctoral dissertation focused on the nonlinear dynamic analysis of reinforced concrete frames under seismic loads.

Career

Following the completion of his doctorate, Carey began his professional career as a research engineer at the URS Corporation, working on major projects for the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Highway Administration. He later joined the faculty of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, where he taught advanced courses in structural dynamics and reinforced concrete design. In the late 1980s, he moved to the private sector, holding senior engineering positions at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in San Francisco and later at Arup, where he led the seismic design for numerous high-profile structures, including the Transbay Transit Center and several towers in Los Angeles.

Contributions to engineering

Carey's primary contributions lie in the development and validation of performance-based seismic design methodologies. His research, particularly on the behavior of shear wall buildings and base isolation systems, has been widely published in journals like the Journal of Structural Engineering and Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics. He played a key role in the NEES project that informed updates to the ASCE 7 standard and contributed to the FEMA P-58 guidelines. Furthermore, his work on the seismic retrofit of historic structures, such as San Francisco City Hall, set important precedents for preserving architectural heritage while ensuring safety.

Awards and honors

In recognition of his impactful work, John Carey has received numerous prestigious awards from leading engineering societies. He is a recipient of the Norman Medal from the American Society of Civil Engineers and the George W. Housner Medal from the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. He was elected a Fellow of both ASCE and the Structural Engineering Institute, and his seminal paper on damping systems earned the Moissieff Award. In 2015, he was inducted as a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Personal life

John Carey resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with his family. An avid outdoorsman, he is a dedicated member of the Sierra Club and frequently hikes in Yosemite National Park. He has also served on the board of directors for several non-profit organizations focused on STEM education and disaster preparedness in communities across California.

Category:American engineers Category:Structural engineers Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni Category:Stanford University alumni