In Memoriam: Harvey Parker

Dr. Harvey Parker

Dr. Harvey Parker, a prominent engineer in the global tunneling community, passed away May 5, 2020. Parker’s engineering career spanned more than 50 years, including experience in geotechnical investigations, design, preparation of contract documents, construction consultation, instrumentation, and project management for major facilities.

According to his online memorial, Parker had battled ampullary cancer for nearly two years. He was 83.

He served as past president of the International Tunnelling Association (the first ITA president from the United States), and was awarded with the 2019 ITA Lifetime Achievement Award. He also received the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Underground Construction Association in 2018. Parker also served as chair of UTRC, USNC/TT and ACI underground shotcrete committees.

Parker made significant contributions to signature tunneling projects through leadership and expertise. He was involved with many iconic projects. He was a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduate where he earned a PhD in civil engineering with minor in geology. He also earned a master’s in civil engineering from Harvard University and bachelor’s in civil engineering from Auburn Polytech. He held adjunct or visiting teaching positions at University of Illinois and Columbia University and authored or co-authored more than 60 publications; often on planning, risk management, and geotechnical investigations.

Specific examples include the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement project in Seattle Washington, the largest bored tunnel in the world at the time, the metro system in Los Angeles, and the inception of the metro system in Washington, D.C.

His broad experience covered soil and rock mechanics, geological engineering, and civil and construction engineering. Recently, Parker had been engaged as a member of a Board of Consultants, an expert consultant, or otherwise in a consulting senior review capacity on complete geotechnical design, construction, instrumentation of major facilities for transit, railroad, highway water and waste, hydroelectric, port, defense, and development of underground schemes in over 15 countries.