Academy of Distinguished Alumni

  • Alumni Image #1:
  • Image Caption Title #1: DART Light Rail - Dallas, Texas
  • Image Caption #1: One of Grubbs’ proudest achievements was his role as Co-Chair of a committee that reworked DART’s light rail plan. The Dallas area rail system comprises 93 miles among its four lines and is the longest light rail system in the United States.
  • Alumni Image #2:
  • Image Caption Title #2: Texas Motor Speedway - Fort Worth, TX
  • Image Caption #2: Founder of Terra-Mar Consulting Engineers, Grubbs’ firm provided geotechnical, construction testing and environmental services for notable Texas mega projects such as the Texas Motor Speedway, which has a 1.5 mile oval racing surface.

Texas CAEE alumnus Berry Grubbs

Berry R. Grubbs

B.S., Arlington College (UT-Arlington), 1963
M.S., The University of Texas at Austin, 1965

Inducted, 2008

Sponsored by five major oil companies, Berry Grubbs's field tests as a master's student were used to develop criteria for offshore platform foundation design, which are still in use today. A leader in offshore geotechnical engineering, he has also provided geotechnical, environmental and construction testing for major public infrastructure projects in Texas. 

Upon graduation from UT in 1965 with an M.S. in civil engineering, Berry Grubbs stayed in Austin to work for Dr. Lymon Reese (Reese & Cox Engrs), conducting research on laterally loaded piles in sand and stiff clay.

Grubbs later joined Mechanics Research’s Houston office as project manager for instrumentation and monitoring of structural response to wind and wave forces on Conoco Oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. He also performed Department of Defense work, developing the structural design of launch buildings subjected to short-range missile explosions.

In 1970, he joined National Soil Services, Houston, to establish the firm’s offshore geotechnical engineering practice and to conduct marine investigations in the Gulf of Mexico, South and Central America. In 1974, Grubbs joined the Houston startup of Fugro Gulf as vice president and became president in 1978.

He led the Houston office’s national and international practice in offshore geotechnical engineering. Shortly thereafter, he established Terra-Mar Consulting Engineers, which eventually grew to six offices in Texas. The firm worked on notable projects, including the $2.6 billion expansion of D/FW Airport, the Ranger’s Ballpark at Arlington, Dallas Rapid Transit’s light rail line, Texas Motor Speedway and numerous highway and building projects.

Grubbs has served on the Dallas Rapid Authority Board and the Metrocrest Hospital Authority Board. He was also chairman of the Farmers Branch Chamber and was elected mayor pro-term of the Farmers Branch.

One of his proudest achievements was his role as co-chair of a committee that reworked DART’s light rail plan. He has also participated in fund-raising for endowments for Hudson Matlock, Lymon Reese and the Centennial Fund and has served on the Engineering Advisory Board.