William J. “Bill” Schmitz, an active ASCE member well into retirement who shared advice from his structural engineering experiences, primarily in the New York City area for Berger Lehman Associates PC, has died. He passed a day before his 88th birthday.
Most recently, Schmitz, P.E., M.ASCE, participated in the ASCE investigation of the Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapse. He wrote or co-authored several papers and articles that appeared in ASCE publications, including Civil Engineering magazine.
“Even the most experienced designer should continually ask one question during the design phase – is the project constructable?” Schmitz posed in a 1994 article for the magazine, “The Key Is Constructability,” drawing on the experience of reviving a dormant rail project. A 1990 article explored work conducting a “Facelift for an Interchange.”
Schmitz earned a civil engineering degree from Cooper Union in 1958. Following graduation, he joined the U.S. Army and was sent to apply his engineering skills in Alaska. After discharge he began his career in California before returning to New York, where he was described as “living and breathing engineering,” building bridges and roads for Blauvelt Engineering Company in several states from 1962 to 1977. Joining Berger Lehman in 1978, he directed design operations and rose to executive vice president and chief engineer before retiring in 2006. Thereafter he worked as a consultant on all facets of bridge design and construction.
He expounded on his rail project work for a 1997 paper, “Design of the Oak Point Link Rail Connection,” published in the Proceedings of the 14th Annual International Bridge Conference.
After retirement Schmitz remained active in ASCE, including leading fundraising and other logistics to build a house for a disabled person in Maine. He was also active in ASCE’s Forensic Engineering Division, serving on the Committee on Practices to Reduce Failures.
Schmitz extended his engineering and construction talents to leading projects for his church, and was known as a devoted husband to Joan, a supportive father, and doting grandfather.
