Faculty Expert Profile

Benjamin Schafer

  • Willard and Lillian Hackerman Professor of Civil and Systems Engineering

Affiliations

  • Whiting School of Engineering

Languages spoken

  • English

Schafer is a structural engineer known for his research in structural stability and the mechanics and design of thin-walled structures. His research focuses on how to design resilient civil structures, particularly in steel, that use minimal material. He developed the Direct Strength Method of design, which is an internationally approved method for predicting the strength of cold-formed steel building components.

He also has helped develop novel solutions for steel wind turbine towers.

Schafer is the founding director of the Ralph S. O'Connor Sustainable Energy Institute, which addresses the development of sustainable energy technologies.

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