Georgia Southern University to Host Project Engineer for the Tallest Building in the World

April 19, 2011

Georgia Southern University will host the project engineer for the world’s tallest building during a special presentation on Wednesday, April 27 at 6 p.m. in the Nessmith-Lane Continuing Education Building. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Larry Novak is the Director of Engineered Buildings for the Portland Cement Association and played a crucial role in the construction of the Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai. He will discuss his responsibilities as the senior project engineer for the structural design of the Tower. Novak’s presentation comes just a few months afterGeorgia Southern University received approval by the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents to offer baccalaureate degrees in civil, electrical and mechanical engineering beginning in the fall.

Located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, construction of the Tower took almost six years to complete and stands at more than 160 stories tall. The structure houses the Dubai Mall on the ground floor with private residences, corporate offices, and restaurants on upper levels, and an observation deck on the 124^thfloor.

“Larry Novak is an outstanding civil (structural) engineer who has made significant contributions to the profession through his involvement in the structural design of some of world’s most remarkable landmarks,” said Nirmal Das, associate professor in the Department of Construction Management and Civil Engineering. “His extensive volunteering endeavors to encourage young minds to study math, science and engineering also deserve special mention.”

Novak has more than 25 years of experience as a structural engineer on sustainable high-rise, mid-rise and special-use structures throughout the world, and some of his other design projects include the 92-story Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, Illinois, and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.