Ron Klemencic

College of Fellows Co-Chair

MKA, Chairman & CEO | Seattle, United States

About

Ron Klemencic is Chairman and CEO of Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA), an award-winning, 185-person, structural and civil engineering firm founded in 1920 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with a branch office in Chicago, Illinois.

Klemencic has worked on projects in 29 states and 25 countries, including multi-block developments as large as 11.5 million square feet (106,838 square meters) and buildings as tall as 112 stories. His noteworthy project portfolio includes iconic high-rise designs such as Salesforce Tower (San Francisco, CA); 150 North Riverside, Aqua, and St. Regis (Chicago, IL); and Rainier Square (Seattle, WA).

A former CTBUH Chairman, Klemencic is one of the preeminent high-rise structural engineers practicing today. He is consistently sought out by developers, architects, and contractors for his creativity, “big picture” approach, and unique ability to…

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Ron Klemencic

CTBUH Designated Expert

CTBUH Roles

Expert Peer Review Committee, Member (2015 – Present)

Working Group: Performance Based Seismic Design, Co-Chair (2015 – Present)

CTBUH Chairman (2001 – 2006)

Annual Conference, Presenter (New York 2005; Chicago 2009; China 2016; Chicago 2019)

Videos

03 November 2016

Finding Tailored Solutions to Common Problems

As Chairman and CEO of Magnusson Klemencic Associates, Ron Klemencic has played an active role in shaping the direction of the structural engineering community. His...

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Research

16 September 2014

Life Cycle Analysis: Are We There Yet?

Donald Davies & Ron Klemencic, Magnusson Klemencic Associates

To help advance Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) for building systems, this paper reviews the history and state of LCA practice in the U.S. from a...

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Research

19 September 2012

Tall Buildings in Future Development of Metropolitan Universities

Christopher Groesbeck, VOA Associates; Jon DeVries & John McDonald, Roosevelt University; Ron Klemencic, MKA

In the future, the University will need to consider vertical models to co-exist within their urban cores and create a living and working balance. With...

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25 June 2019

Ninth Annual Italian & International Tall Buildings Conference

Join CTBUH for the 9th Italian/International Tall Buildings Conference, hosted by Politecnico di Milano and Università Iuav di Venezia.

21 February 2019

CTBUH Malaysia Hosts Seminar: The Public Realm of Tall Buildings

CTBUH Malaysia hosted a seminar exploring the relationship between the design and planning of high-rise structures with the life and energy of the city that surrounds them.

21 February 2019

CTBUH Malaysia: The Public Realm of Tall Buildings

Join CTBUH Malaysia to explore the relationship between the design and planning of high-rise structures and the urban fabric that surrounds them.

20 October 2018

Seismic Design Working Group Meets at 2018 Conference

The CTBUH Performance-Based Seismic Design Working Group reconvened at the CTBUH 2018 Middle East Conference in Dubai to outline an approach for updating their 2017 technical guide.

20 October 2018

Record Numbers Convene at 2018 Leaders Meeting

CTBUH Leaders convened on Day 1 of the 2018 Middle East Conference for updates on the year's developments and to plan for 2019.

6 April 2018

Ron Klemencic Wins ENR Award of Excellence

Former CTBUH Chairman Ron Klemencic has been awarded the ENR 2018 Award of Excellence for his relentless pursuit of a better built environment.

03 November 2016

Finding Tailored Solutions to Common Problems

As Chairman and CEO of Magnusson Klemencic Associates, Ron Klemencic has played an active role in shaping the direction of the structural engineering community. His...

03 November 2016

Interview: Ron Klemencic

Ron Klemencic, Chairman & CEO, Magnusson Klemencic Associates, discusses some of his personal favorite projects with Chris Bentley, during the 2016 CTBUH Awards Symposium at...

03 November 2016

2016 Awards - Session 2 Q&A

Ron Klemencic, Chairman & CEO, Magnusson Klemencic Associates; Joseph Chou, Chairman, Taipei Financial Center Corporation; Mark Sarkisian, Partner of Structural Engineering, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill;...

18 October 2016

CTBUH 2016 China Conference - Panel,"Tall Buildings and Context: How High Can We Go and Why Should We?"

Tuesday, October 18, 2016. Shenzhen, China. Ron Klemencic, Magnusson Klemencic Associates; Karl Almstead, Turner Construction Company; Andrew Nicholson, CBRE; Jon Pickard, Pickard Chilton; Ian Smith,...

16 September 2014

2014 Shanghai International Conference - Technical Workshop 04 - Q & A

2014 Shanghai International Conference Technical Workshop 04 Questions & Answers session with speakers Don Davies, MKA; Mark Sarkisian, SOM; Dario Trabucco, CTBUH / Iuav University...

20 December 2012

Future Vision: Where is the tall building heading in the future and what will the next generation of supertall

Industry leaders answering this question include: Alex Whitbread, FCB Studios; K.J. Kim, Samsung C & T; William Pedersen, KPF; Richard Cook, Cook + Fox Architects;...

20 December 2012

The Past: What have been the most striking tall building developments in the past 10 years?

Industry leaders answering this question include: Ron Klemencic, Magnusson Klemencic Engineers; Peng Beng Khoo & Belinda Huang, ARC Studio Architecture + Urbanism; Lawrence Pak, Singapore...

21 September 2012

Tall Buildings in Future Development of Metropolitan Universities

In the future, the University will need to consider vertical models to co-exist within their urban cores and create a living and working balance. With...

16 September 2014

Life Cycle Analysis: Are We There Yet?

Donald Davies & Ron Klemencic, Magnusson Klemencic Associates

To help advance Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) for building systems, this paper reviews the history and state of LCA practice in the U.S. from a...

19 September 2012

Tall Buildings in Future Development of Metropolitan Universities

Christopher Groesbeck, VOA Associates; Jon DeVries & John McDonald, Roosevelt University; Ron Klemencic, MKA

In the future, the University will need to consider vertical models to co-exist within their urban cores and create a living and working balance. With...

19 September 2012

Embodied Carbon and the Case for Longevity

Ron Klemencic, Donald Davies, Derek Beaman & Ola Jonhansson, MKA

This paper explores the sustainability and longevity of today’s residential building construction. It makes the case for 100-year design criteria for building frames and enclosure...

19 September 2012

Performance-Based Seismic Design – State of Practice 2012

Ron Klemencic & J. Andrew Fry, MKA; Guo-Qiang Li, Tongji University

A summary and synthesis of the Performance-Based Seismic Design (PBSD) procedures and standards around the world is presented. The summary information draws from the papers...

01 September 2012

Performance Based Seismic Design – State of Practice 2012 in the United States of America

Ron Klemencic, J. Andrew Fry, John Hooper, et al., Magnusson Klemencic Associates

This paper presents a summary of the state of the practice for Performance Based Seismic Design (PBSD) in the United States. While it is not...

19 January 2011

PEER’s Guidelines for Performance-Based Seismic Design

The turn of the last century saw a surge in the construction of high-rise buildings. The surge created a demand for performance-based approaches to enable...

03 March 2008

A Tale of Two Cities: Collaborative Innovations for Sustainable Towers

John Lahey & Martin Wolf, Solomon Cordwell Buenz; Ron Klemencic & Ola Johansson, MKA

Policies in a number of American cities encourage increased residential density and height, as well as new standards for sustainability. However, creative and sensitive responses...

01 December 2006

Performance of Post-Tensioned Slab-Core Wall Connections

Ron Klemencic & J. Andrew Fry, MKA; Gabriel Hurtado & Jack P. Moehle, University of California Berkeley

The use of post-tensioned floor slabs and reinforced concrete core walls has become increasingly popular in highrise construction. Questions have arisen concerning the performance of...