Spotlight Profiles
Yoon Duk Kim: Setting the Standard
Structural designers have relied on web-tapered I-sections – sections on a structure of which web depth (or width) is varied throughout – since the 1950’s. Still widely used in metal structures today for their efficient stability, Ph.D. student Yoon Duk Kim is working with industry organizations to standardize them.
With advisor Dr. Don White in the Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Materials Graduate Program, Kim recently authored a design guide for tapered members, commissioned by the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA).
“I use commercial software programs to run tests and analyze data for the design guide,” said Kim. “The goal is to create modern guidelines for frames using tapered members, giving structural designers peace of mind that specifications are safe and consistent across the industry.”
MBMA as well as the American Institute of Steel Construction will publish the guide.
Originally from Seoul, Korea, Kim studied architectural engineering at Hanyang University in Seoul. She came to Georgia Tech as a Master’s student in 2002, and says Georgia Tech has a similar atmosphere to home.
“Atlanta and Seoul have similar climates,” she said. “Georgia Tech and Hanyang University are both excellent academically and about the same size.”
Kim has balanced her graduate research with social and cultural activities, even serving in leadership roles for the Korean Student Association.
After earning her doctoral degree, Kim hopes to find a post-doc position and eventually become a professor.