Thornton to host conference

NATICK, Mass.—Charles H. Thornton, Ph.D., P.E., chairman of his newly founded company Charles H. Thornton & Company LLC, will be the conference chairman for the 2006 Structural Engineers Buildings Conference & Expo, scheduled for Nov. 29-30 at the Ritz Carlton in Washington, D.C.

Thornton spent more than 40 years with Thornton-Tomasetti Group and its predecessor firms. During his tenure, he provided the leadership to allow the firm to grow from a 50-person local firm to a 500-person, global engineering firm with gross revenues of more than $60 million. He recently has been involved in the successful transition of the ownership of the company to a new generation of partners.

Meeting the demand of the current market, this year’s conference will include a building information modeling (BIM) theme. "I am pleased to be involved in this year’s Structural Engineers Buildings Conference & Expo," said Thornton. "The technological changes in the virtual building process—including the improved interoperability of 3-D modeling and the move toward the more seamless nature of design-build projects—presents structural engineers with a unique opportunity to assume a leadership role in the future of the industry. The timely focus of this year’s conference on the emerging leadership role of structural engineers will allow attendees to further equip themselves to be more competitive in the process moving forward." The Structural Engineers Buildings Conference & Expo will bring together the entire team of structural engineers responsible for the nation’s buildings and offer education for all levels. The two-day program will deliver the latest techniques, trends, and technologies from some of the industry’s most respected experts, with an emphasis on technical design and analysis, the latest codes and guidelines, risk and liability issues, market opportunity, as well as project and business management issues and topics.

For more information, including conference and hotel registration details, call 1-800-466-6275 or visit www.sebuildings.com.