American Engineer Chosen as Keynote Speaker at 7th International Masonry Conference

Troy, NY – October 14, 2006 – David T. Biggs, P.E., Principal of Ryan-Biggs Associates, P.C., in Troy, NY, has been invited to be a keynote speaker at the 7th International Masonry Conference in London, England, on November 1. He will also present a paper at the conference.

Mr. Biggs will give his keynote presentation titled “Masonry Aspects of the World Trade Center.” Following the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Washington, DC, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) deployed a team of structural, civil, and fire protection engineers to study the disasters. David Biggs was one of 18 engineers from the U.S. and Canada assigned to the World Trade Center. The team made an assessment of the tower collapses and the consequent damage to the surrounding buildings. A report, which forms the framework for subsequent government studies of the disaster, was released to Congress in May 2002.

He will also present a paper titled “Prefabricated Masonry Wall Panels,” which highlights various techniques used in the United States to prefabricate masonry wall panels and erect them onto buildings. The paper also illustrates an innovative system of multi-story panels that was developed for NYLO Hotels, a new hotel chain whose first opening will be near Dallas, Texas, in 2007.

The International Masonry Conference was established as part of the international calendar of masonry conferences and attracts papers and participants from around the world. The event is hosted by the British Masonry Society.

David Biggs is a masonry expert with over thirty years of experience and is a member of the British Masonry Society. He was elected an Honorary Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2005 based upon his engineering expertise with historical restoration and forensic evaluation of structures. Ryan-Biggs Associates has been involved with the restoration of over 300 historical buildings and structures in the United States. Over 80 of these buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service, which is part of the US Department of the Interior, and 10 have been designated “Save America’s Treasures,” a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Park Service. Some of Mr. Biggs current restoration projects include the Jean Hasbrouck House (c1680) in New Paltz, NY, Fort Ticonderoga (1754) in Ticonderoga, NY, Hacienda Santa Elena (c 1790) in Puerto Rico, and the Bennington Battle Monument (1889) in Bennington, VT. He is also one of a team of six architects and engineers from the US, Portugal, Germany, Italy, and Canada that will develop restoration guidelines for heritage and monument structures in Egypt.

About Ryan-Biggs Associates, P.C.
Ryan-Biggs Associates, P.C., is a consulting engineering firm specializing in structural engineering. Since 1973, they have been providing design services from their main office in Troy, New York, and branch offices in Skaneateles, New York, and West Chester, Pennsylvania.

About The British Masonry Society
Founded in 1986, the British Masonry Society provides a forum for learned discussion and disseminates research information relating to all aspects of masonry in construction. The Society has members from countries throughout the world and from all professions and activities associated with masonry construction.