HELLERTOWN, PA.- Tall buildings expert Lynn S. Beedle, 85, died. He was a structural engineer and professor at Lehigh University. He was also the founder of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. This organization was formed in 1969 and studies and reports on all aspects of the planning, design, and construction of tall buildings. Also of a major concern is the role and impact of tall buildings on the urban environment. Our membership -- uniquely interdisciplinary -- includes some of the world’s top authorities in their specific profession. 

Lynn S. Beedle was the director of the Structural Stability Research Council for 25 years. This group was an important voice in the development and dissemination of design standards for steel buildings. The Structural Stability Research Council (formerly known as Column Research Council) was founded in 1944 to review and resolve the conflicting opinions and practices that existed at the time with respect to solutions to stability problems, and to facilitate and promote economical and safe design.  

The Council offers guidance to specification writers and practicing engineers by developing both simplified and refined calculation procedures for the solution of stability problems and assessing the limitations of these procedures.  

The Membership of the Council is made up of representatives from Government Agencies, International Organizations and Private Corporations concerned with specifications and design procedures for metal structures, representatives of consulting firms engaged in engineering practice, members-at-large selected from universities and design offices, and corresponding members from various countries who are in touch with stability research for their region.