Helmut Grossmann turned 70
We would like to heartily congratulate our colleague Dr.-Ing. Helmut Grossmann who turned 70 in March 2015. After studying civil engineering at the Hanover TU, Helmut Grossmann embarked on his professional career there as a scientific assistant at the Institute for Transport, Road Engineering and Urban Construction. This culminated in 1977 with a doctorate based on a dissertation relating to the “Influence of P+R Facilities on Traffic Distribution and the ideal Location of P+R Spaces“. Following a training period spent with the City of Hanover’s Urban Construction/Light Rail System department, he passed the state examination to become a Construction Assessor in 1978. He headed the construction office of the town of Rinteln from 1978 to 1982. Then he moved to the construction department of the city of Jülich, where he acted as a technical advisor prior to joining the STUVA in 1990. Since his retirement in 2010 he has continued to serve the STUVA as a freelance consultant.
Expert, Solver of Problems and Mediator
Dr. Grossmann initiated and accompanied many research projects and reports concentrating on accessibility, legal as well as economic aspects and cost considerations. Dr. Grossmann has gained a name for himself at home and abroad first and foremost in the field of accessibility. The outcome of his work frequently set new standards. These have been reflected in various codes for the German Road and Transportation Research Association (FGSV) and the DIN. Undoubtedly his involvement in construction administration enabled him to always find practical solutions.
Furthermore Dr. Grossmann was greatly appreciated by the committees he belonged to, as his ability to adopt a mediating role in such working groups enabled seemingly irreconcilable positions to be bridged so that acceptable solutions could be evolved. Of late Helmut Grossmann was for instance involved in working out recommendations for accessible transport facilities (H BVA) on behalf of the FGSV (as founding member of the working group) as well as for the DIN 18040-3 Accessible Construction – Planning Principles – Part 3: Public Transport and Free Areas. Both codes set important standards for accessible planning and building in Germany.
Recognized Author of numerous Publications
Dr. Grossmann has published his extensive knowledge as the author of numerous reports in journals and generally recognized specialized publications and teaching manuals. For example he has contributed to practically every book in the VDV Association of German Transport Companies/VDV Industrial Forum Blue Series, which the STUVA has so far edited. In recent years he has emerged there first and foremost as an acknowledged expert in the fields of law and financing. He has been able to ensure that even complex juristic contents can be prepared and presented so that they can be understood by the general public. He was asked to appear at a public hearing in the German Bundestag by the working group on “Accessible Environmental Design” of the Federal Association for Rehabilitation (BAR) on account of his extensive legal and specialized knowledge in the field of accessibility.
The STUVA considers itself fortunate to retain Dr. Grossmann’s services on a freelance basis for projects although he has exceeded the retirement age limit. Thanks to this continuing association it remains possible to transfer knowledge to forthcoming generations. Dr. Dirk Boenke, head of the STUVA department “Transport and Environment”, succeeded Dr. Grossmann as head of the sector for “Accessibility” several years ago. The STUVA board and management would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Helmut Grossmann for his long-standing involvement and trust this fruitful collaboration will continue in future.
