Bungale S. Taranath, S.E., P.E., Ph.D., a structural engineer known for his expertise on tall buildings, passed away peacefully on December 31, 2013 at his residence in Chino Hills, Calif. His engineering career spanned over five decades and three continents. In addition to being a structural engineer on numerous projects throughout the U.S., his contributions as an engineering textbook author are enormous.
Born and raised in India, he received his early engineering education at the National Institute of Engineering Mysore. Following work in the construction industry in India and England, he attended the University of Southampton in the UK and obtained his doctorate degree in structural engineering. He then moved to the U.S. and worked for more than 40 years designing buildings and teaching young engineers the art of structural engineering. His five books on the design of tall buildings are a testament to his ability to simplify design and analysis, both of which have too often been made overly complicated and cumbersome in today’s design offices.
He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Saroja; son, Abhiman and his wife, Kristin; daughter, Anupama and her husband, Rajesh; and four grandchildren.