Brief Biography of T. Y. Lin

(1912 - 2003)

T. Y. Lin is Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, and Honorary Chairman of the Board of T. Y. Lin International, a consulting engineering firm headquartered in San Francisco, California with offices in the United States and abroad. With over 50 years experience as an engineer and educator, Mr. Lin is an authority in structural engineering and a leader in the research and development of prestressed concrete.

After graduating from Jiao Tong University, China, 1931, he earned a M.S. in Civil Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley in 1933. For 13 years he worked on mountainous railroads as engineer and chief bridge engineer for various Chinese government railways.

From 1946 to 1976 he was Professor of Civil Engineering at Berkeley where he also served as Chaiman of the Division of Structural Engineering and Structural Mechanics, Director of the Structural Engineering Laboratory, and Chairman of the Board of Educational Development for the Berkeley Campus.

As a pioneering engineer, educator, and author he is well known throughout the world for his theories and design of prestressed concrete, for long-span construction of bridges and buildings, and for his visions of mega-projects, among which is the Intercontinental Peace Bridge across the Bering Strait.

In addition to contributing to more than 100 technical papers, he has co-authored three books: Design of Prestressed Concrete Structures (3rd ed. 1981), Design of Steel Structures (2nd ed. 1968), and Structural Concepts and Systems for Architects and Engineers (2nd ed. 1987).

Among his many honors are the President's National Medal of Science, U.S.A., American Consulting Engineers Council's Award of Merit, University of California Berkeley Citation, National Research Council's Quarter-Century Citation, FIP Freyssinet Medal, AIA Institute Honor, ASCE and AIA Honorary Member, and the PCI Medal of Honor. He was also awarded honorary doctorates of law from four universities in the U.S.A. and the far east, and holds four honorary professorships in China, including one from Jiao Tong University.