Alan Garnett Davenport
Encyclopedia
Alan Garnett Davenport was a professor at the University of Western Ontario
and founder of its Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory. He analyzed the wind's effect on a significant portion of the worlds tallest buildings including the building formerly known as the CN Tower
, Sears Tower
, Citicorp Center
, and the World Trade Center
. He was a Member of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honor.
. He studied at Cambridge University for his B.A.
and M.A.
in mechanical science. He went on to receive an M.A.Sc.
from the University of Toronto
and a Ph.D.
from the University of Bristol
. His thesis of "The Treatment of Wind Loads on Tall Towers and Long Span Bridges in the Turbulent Wind" was the focus of his professional career.
He also served as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Navy
.
He married Sheila Smith, with whom he had four children.
. They analyzed the wind flow and load over the structures using wind tunnels, detecting vulnerabilities which required compensating changes in the design.
He was a founding editor of the Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering
and was the founding research director for the Institute of Catastrophic Loss Reduction, a 1999 partnership between the University of Western Ontario and the Insurance board of Canada. Its goal is to improve construction practices and standards to better withstand extreme weather conditions.
Davenport authored more than 200 scientific papers during his career.
He was presented with the Albert Caquot Award in 2001. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada on May 1, 2002 for a lifetime of achievement.
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
and founder of its Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory. He analyzed the wind's effect on a significant portion of the worlds tallest buildings including the building formerly known as the CN Tower
CN Tower
The CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing tall, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of the Burj...
, Sears Tower
Sears Tower
Sears' optimistic growth projections were not met. Competition from its traditional rivals continued, with new competition by retailing giants such as Kmart, Kohl's, and Wal-Mart. The fortunes of Sears & Roebuck declined in the 1970s as the company lost market share; its management grew more...
, Citicorp Center
Citicorp Center
Citicorp Center can refer to several skyscrapers named after banking conglomerate Citigroup.* Citigroup Center , formerly Citicorp Center* Citigroup Center , formerly Citicorp Center...
, and the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
. He was a Member of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honor.
Early life
Davenport was born in Madras, India and grew up in South Africa, attending MichaelhouseMichaelhouse
Michaelhouse is a full boarding senior school for boys founded in 1896. It is located in the Balgowan valley in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.- History :...
. He studied at Cambridge University for his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in mechanical science. He went on to receive an M.A.Sc.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
. His thesis of "The Treatment of Wind Loads on Tall Towers and Long Span Bridges in the Turbulent Wind" was the focus of his professional career.
He also served as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
.
He married Sheila Smith, with whom he had four children.
Research
Davenport and his laboratory contributed to the engineering and design of many tall buildings and bridges, including the Willis Tower, the World Trade Center and the Tsing Ma BridgeTsing Ma Bridge
The Tsing Ma Bridge is a bridge in Hong Kong. It is the world's seventh-longest span suspension bridge, and was the second longest at time of completion. The bridge was named after two of the islands at its ends, namely Tsing Yi and Ma Wan . It has two decks and carries both road and rail...
. They analyzed the wind flow and load over the structures using wind tunnels, detecting vulnerabilities which required compensating changes in the design.
He was a founding editor of the Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering
Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering
The Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal established in 1974 and published by the NRC Research Press. It covers environmental, hydrotechnical, structure, and construction engineering, as well as engineering mechanics, engineering materials, and a...
and was the founding research director for the Institute of Catastrophic Loss Reduction, a 1999 partnership between the University of Western Ontario and the Insurance board of Canada. Its goal is to improve construction practices and standards to better withstand extreme weather conditions.
Davenport authored more than 200 scientific papers during his career.
He was presented with the Albert Caquot Award in 2001. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada on May 1, 2002 for a lifetime of achievement.