Soil Specialist Puts Supertall Buildings on Solid Ground

Noted geotech engineer lays groundwork globally

Predicting the extreme pressures that tall structures will place upon the Earth often rests upon the shoulders of Clyde N. Baker Jr., who for over 50 years has helped engineers design foundations for the world’s tallest buildings. His half-century push for more efficient supports culminated last year in the 2,000-ft-tall Chicago Spire, under construction since the summer. If finished, its bearing pressures would exceed local allowances by 50%, and may even be the highest in the world .

Tudor Van Hampton/ ENR Baker has advised engineers on world’s tallest structures.

The 40-time marathon runner calls his field “a narrow speciality,” but Baker, 77, has set the pace for the application of soil mechanics and testing since he entered the job in 1954. Baker has had a major hand in raising Chicago’s allowable bearing loads for large foundations nearly 5000%, from 6 tons per sq ft in the mid-1950s to 250 tsf for the almost-completed Trump International Hotel & Tower and yet again, to 300 tsf for the Santiago Calatrava-designed Spire.

Multimedia  View Acceptance Speech of Award of Excellence Winner Clyde N. Baker Jr. April 3, 2008 A Conversation with Award of Excellence Winner Clyde N. Baker Jr.

Baker’s reach extends abroad, too. From his early days at the challenging site of Chicago’s John Hancock Center to today’s tallest buildings, the ability to analyze soil conditions, back up predictions with proven tests and convey opinions with an expert-yet-easygoing style has elevated Baker and his firm, STS Consultants, recently acquired by AECOM, to one of the world’s most sought-after geotech consultants. They have worked on the current four tallest buildings in the world plus the up and coming Burj Dubai.

During this career, Baker has enabled designers to build super-high, but also super-confidently, as they pack in more valued space at less cost to developers.