Nathan M. Newmark

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nathan Mortimore Newmark (born September 22, 1910 in Plainfield , † January 25, 1981 in Urbana ) was an American civil engineer .

biography

Newmark studied civil engineering at Rutgers University , where he graduated with top marks in 1930. He then studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , where Hardy Cross , Harold Malcolm Westergaard and Frank E. Richart were among his teachers. In 1932 he received his master’s degree and in 1934 he received his doctorate. In 1943 he became a professor there. In 1976 he retired. From 1947 to 1957 he was in charge of the university's computer laboratory. 1956 to 1973 was the dean of the faculty for structural engineering .

The Newmark beta method is named after him, a method to solve differential equations via numerical integration . He is considered a pioneer in using software to solve engineering problems. The building of the ILLIAC (Illinois Automatic Computer) series of an early supercomputer generation was influenced by him (and the development of Illiac II happened under his direction). At that time he was also involved in the development of the Minuteman and MX missile systems. As a senior civil engineer, he was responsible for the calculation of the Torre Latinoamericana and advised there on earthquake safety (the high-rise survived the strong earthquake of 1957 in Mexico City without damage).

In the 1930s and 1940s he investigated the influence of shocks, earthquakes and explosions on structural structures (structural dynamics).

It is particularly well known in foundation engineering. In 1965 he gave the Rankine Lecture (Effects of earthquakes on dams and embankments) on one of his main areas of work, the design of earthquake-proof structures (such as dams and, for example, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline). He is also known for the Newmark Influence Chart (1942), a graphical-numerical method for calculating the ground pressure according to the theory of elasticity under foundations of any shape.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) awards the Nathan M. Newmark Medal in honor of Newmark . He was a founding member of the National Academy of Engineering (1964), a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1962). He received the Gold Medal of the Institution of Structural Engineers in 1979 . In 1968 he received the National Medal of Science .

Fonts

  • with JA Blume, LH Corning: Design of Multi-Story Reinforced Concrete Buildings for Earthquake Motion, Chicago: Portland Cement Association 1961
  • with E. Rosenblueth: Fundamentals of Earthquake Engineering, Prentice-Hall 1971

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Mario Paz, William Leigh: Structural Dynamics: Theory and Computation , Springer Verlag, 2003, ISBN 978-1402076671 , pp. 187-188.
  2. ^ Newmark Influence charts for computation of stress in elastic foundations , University of Illinois Bulletin, Vol. 40, No. 12, 1942