Mr. Burggraf was born in 1897 and began his profession career in 1916 with the National Bureau of Standards. He was a research engineer with the Illinois Division of Highways from 1920 to 1928. He joined the Highway Research Board in 1928 as a research engineer until 1932 when he affiliated with the Calcium Chloride Association as a research fellow but rejoined the Highway Research Board in 1940 as Assistant Director serving there until Mr. Crum's death in 1951 when he was appointed Director. In 1964 he retired from this position to become a consultant.
During his lifetime he was the recipient of ASCE Research Prize in Highway Engineering, the Roy W. Crum Award for Distinguished Service and was a member of ASCE, ASTM, the American Concrete Institute, Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists, and the AASHO Research Activities and Research Evaluation Committee. Mr. Burggraf died in 1966.