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David Duerr, P.E. (ret.)

David Duerr, P.E. (ret.) is president of 2DM Associates, Inc. He entered the specialized heavy rigging and transportation industry in 1974 in the employ of Hoffman International, Inc. and has since worked for VSL Corporation, Williams Crane & Rigging, Inc., and McDermott International, Inc. Mr. Duerr founded 2DM Associates in 1986. Over the years, he has provided engineering services for a wide variety of lifting and transportation projects in industries as diverse as power generation, manufacturing, petrochemicals, medicine, defense, the space program, and high-energy physics research. Mr. Duerr has been a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) BTH Standards Committee, Design of Below-the-Hook Lifting Devices since its inception and served as chair from 2006 to 2012 and as vice chair from 2012 to 2018. He is also serves as chair of the ASME B30.1 Subcommittee (Jacks, Industrial Rollers, Air Casters, and Hydraulic Gantries), a member the B30.20 Subcommittee (Below-the-Hook Lifting Devices), a contributing member of the P30 Committee (Planning for the Use of Cranes, Derricks, Hoists, Cableways, Aerial Devices and Lifting Accessories), and as an alternate to Ronald M. Kohner, P.E. (ret.) on the ASME B30 Main Committee. He served on the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA) Hydraulic Jacking Systems Task Force (1994 to 1996) and on the SC&RA Telescopic Hydraulic Gantry Task Force (2004).

In the summer of 2012, Mr. Duerr was awarded the ASME Safety Codes and Standards Medal in recognition of his work as chair of the BTH Committee and for publishing works that further promote safety codes and standards. 2012 marked the 25th anniversary of this award, which is given annually to recognize individuals who have contributed to the enhancement of public safety through the development and promotion of ASME codes and standards or the ASME safety accreditation activity.

Mr. Duerr holds a bachelor of engineering degree in architectural engineering from Pratt Institute (1975) and a master of science degree in civil engineering from the University of Houston (1985). During his career, Mr. Duerr held professional engineer licenses in twenty-one states. He was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and the American Council of Engineering Companies, and 2DM Associates was a long-time member of the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association. He is listed in a number of biographical references, including Who's Who in America and Who's Who in Science and Engineering. Mr. Duerr has authored numerous publications on heavy lift engineering and transportation engineering, including two books, papers published in peer-reviewed professional journals and articles for industry magazines, has given talks at construction industry conferences around the United States and abroad, and has presented lectures at the University of Houston and the University of Wisconsin.

Credit must be given where credit is due, and for David Duerr, much of that credit goes to Stanley W. Nowinski, P.E., his first boss in the rigging industry at Hoffman International, Inc. The photo at left is a picture of Stan and Dave taken in 1976 at a barge slip near the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station. In the background behind Dave is one of the 660-ton Combustion Engineering steam generators for the (never built) Forked River Nuclear Power Plant.

For those curious about what David Duerr is doing outside of the rigging world, check out The Post-Engineering Life page.

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As of October 1, 2019, 2DM Associates, Inc. is no longer providing professional engineering services.