Tor Brekke 1934-2009
Tor L. Brekke, renowned tunneling expert and U.C. Berkeley professor emeritus, passed away on March 6, 2009, at his home in Berkeley, California. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2009, at 12:00 noon, at the Sunset View Cemetery, 400 Colusa Avenue, El Cerrito, California 94530.
Born March 3, 1934, this Norwegian immigrant exemplified the American dream. A Bohemian Club member, he enjoyed life to the fullest and showered those around him with love and respect.
As a professional engineer, Dr. Brekke influenced projects in many countries of the world and most major tunneling projects in the USA, impacting on hydropower plants, dams, highways, railroads, and mining projects. As an educator, he considered his greatest achievement to be the accomplishments of his students.
A past chairman of the US National Committee of Tunneling Technology, Tor was a member of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. He authored or co-authored more than 85 publications and in 2008 was recipient of the Outstanding Educator of the Year Award presented by the US Underground Construction Association.
His professional success was only surpassed by his kindness as a husband, father and grandfather. He is survived by his wife Joyce; sons Tor and Gunnar; daughter-in-law Carolina; and grandchildren Naomi and Monica, who all adored him.
Personal tribute by former student Gregg Korbin
Nearly forty years ago I walked into Tor’s smoke filled office at UC Berkeley to inquire about a class he offered in Engineering Geology. That chance meeting changed my life. I soon acquired his love of tunneling and came to realize that he was a very special person. He not only loved his work and his wonderful family, but had a love of life. Traveling with Tor on many adventures was always first class. He did not mind paying for the extras that made life special, and I should add his generosity always extended to all in his company.
Tor was not only recognized in the academic world - nominated to full professor in Civil Engineering at UC Berkeley in 1976 and elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences in 1977 and the Norwegian Academy of Technical Sciences in 1982 - but also by tunnel designers and contractors for his practical approach. More than one contractor has told me they were happy he was their consultant or part of the design team for this very reason. (How many professors can make that claim?) While the academic side was important, it was the teaching part that was most rewarding to Tor and gave him lasting pleasure, for which he was widely recognized and received many awards. Tor was very proud of the number of former students who subsequently advanced to top positions of leadership in the field and have made a significant mark in the industry.
Owners, especially those managing complicated projects, loved to have Tor as their consultant, especially as a part of the design review board, as he kept them honest and focused on the big picture. For me, and for many others, Tor has always served as a reality check; if Tor approved, you knew it was okay. However, when something did not make sense or was simply wrong he set the record straight. There have been a number of instances where it would have been convenient to blame “the geology”, but he would not accept the falsehood. You always got an honest opinion, and equally important, if he did not know, he would say so. Tor did have his limits; I have seen him get up from meetings and leave when he could no longer take the nonsense.
Many recent comments from former students and those associated with Tor focus, on his generosity, not only of his time to explain technical concepts, but as a friend. To his students he was known as Uncle Tor, an honor that demonstrated that the relationship with his students went well beyond the normal student-professor. Others have said his classes were the only ones with lasting influence. Tor always made a special effort to take his students into the field to show them real tunnel work: how shotcrete was applied or how a roadheader works. He knew what was missing from the educational system and filled the gap.
The tunneling industry, and many others, have greatly benefited from his remarkable gifts.
Thank you, Tor.
Gregg Korbin
EarthTech, California
gekorbin@earthlink.net
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I remember Tor as a brilliant mind, well known international underground engineering expert, very good friend, humorous individual, down to earth man, did not take crap from anybody, was always outspoken and straight forward no matter what. I was invited several times to his home in Berkeley with his lovely wife Joyce and we had many dinners together at Trader Vic’s in Emeryville. We had always great conversations about his native country, Norway and tunneling philosophies in US vs. Europe in general. I remember him saying: “We have a lot of tunnels in Norway, most of them are not lined, some are lined with shotcrete, hardly any with a final concrete lining and they are all without lighting.
Heiner Sander
I first met Tor at a PB party on Nob Hill back around 1986. So many of those attending had all been students of Tor’s at one time or another and of course when the word got out that Tor would be attending everyone made a special effort to be there. Tor was the life of the party.
Since starting work on the Devil’s Slide Project back in 2002, I was fortunate to have participated in all of the TAP meetings for which Tor was a panel member. Tor always emphasized common sense with wit and gusto.
I too enjoyed many meals shared with Tor and Joyce – Chinese on Solano in Albany and the lunch buffet at the Emeryville Holiday Inn were two of Tor’s favorites.
Dan Zerga
What so appealed to me as a young student were not only Tor's easy wit and charm, but his ability to combine theory with practical insights into tunnel construction and the great underground projects of the day that he worked on as a consultant. The lessons he taught that were not contained in any textbook included the life of the working man in construction, owner-contractor relations, and the political high stakes along the Norway/Sweden border.
Tor was very proud of his Norwegian heritage and we always enjoyed stories of the Old World and contributions of the Scandinavian people to civil engineering, mining, and tunneling.
A favorite story about Tor comes from my days at the Helms underground hydro project in the remote Sierra Nevada. After one of Tor's visits to Helms as a member of the consulting board, the Project Superintendent Bob Farley commented to me, "Professor Brekke is the smartest guy I know. The minute he come on the site he immediately makes contact with the two most important people on this mountain - my secretary and the camp cook!"
Tor could be serious at times as well. I remember once on a field trip we passed by the military cemetery in the Presidio. He interupted the usual banter among the students to say "This is a very meaningful place. The people here fought for our freedom." At another time on a construction site he heard the rattling noise of bulldozer tracks going by and said, "I can never forget that sound. It's the sound the German tanks made when they came into Norway."
Finally, we can't remember Tor without mentioning his kindness and generosity. He always had time to spend with students to talk about studies, career choices, and later, our most difficult technical problems. Above all he was our friend, and he will be sorely missed.
Bob McManus
The family requests that any donations be made in the name of Joyce Brekke to the Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org or 800-272-3900). Thank you.
Tor was a true mentor to me – during my years at Cal and beyond – his open door approach to academics and life in general made it so easy to connect and appreciate all that Tor had to offer. How is it that so many of us developed a passion for this business? For me, it was Tor. Upon graduation, he said “Go to a town called Rockville (really? “Rock’ville?) and go to work for Art Chase. It won’t be easy but you’ll learn a lot.” We all have him to thank for giving us direction, whether as an advisor, a review board member, or a friend.
Memories? Too many to recall. Our many talks in Davis Hall – in his office and on the Veranda so he could smoke…On one occasion, we were in his office and the phone rang. Was it El Teniente? Chuquicamata? I forget which. Something about a blow-in that washed men and materials right out of the tunnel, and could he come down right away? I think it was a Wednesday, because he said “right after my Thursday afternoon lecture tomorrow I’ll be on the next flight out.” That really impressed me. Other memories…his field trips; his remarkable insights about swelling minerals; sage advice on Reverse Curve and Hanging Lake Tunnels, Goodwin Water Tunnel, Cowles Mountain,.WMATA, Irvington Tunnel, Devil’s Slide Bypass Feas Studies, Richmond Transport, the Inland Feeder Project, and on and on. After a few projects, you thought you knew what Tor would have to say, but he had this uncanny ability of putting his finger on a few technical or labor-related issues that made everything fit together a little bit better.
More memories? Tor’s fierce pride in his Norwegian heritage – always willing to take it out on the poor Swedes with a timely joke. Joyce and I shared a passion for tennis, Tor knew it, and kept up on the Grand Slams. What was it he liked to call those shotcrete additives? I think it was “salt and pepper”. Gregg, remember Tor’s retirement party at the top of the Kaiser Center? Photos of that dashing Norwegian skier – oh yea, that was his twin brother.
Perhaps his most memorable phrase – one that I use to this day – as closure following a good discussion: “Good stuff.”
We will miss you, Uncle Tor.
Randy Essex
Moe Amini
Senior Bridge Engineer
Office of Structure
Bridge Design Branch North
Wolfgang Roth
Luciano Meiorin
1. He explained one day that Norway has 11 months of winter, then a 12th month when the skiing is poor!
2. A group of us were once reviewing a draft GBR. Tor had made some suggestions for rewording. One of the reviewers commented that the author should be entitled a certain amount of “poetic license” in his wording. Tor replied “yes, but he is not entitled to be wrong”.
He was a unique individual, and will be missed.
Ron Heuer
I am presently in South Africa on a mission and thus unfortunately cannot attend, however, my thoughts will be there, with you. God bless.
Palmi Johannesson