Forensic Structural Engineer Specializing in Building Collapse and Natural Disasters

Expertise

Structural Engineering

• Building, structure collapse and failure analysis: Natural hazard mitigation and response, dynamics, advanced analysis techniques, and instrumentation.
• Disaster, flood and leak mitigation and design.
• Preparation of codes and standards on wind and seismic loads; vibration and fatigue testing of major structures; cable design; blast analysis, design, analysis and inspection of existing facilities; and, dynamic and impact analysis.
• Independent certifier for major infrastructure demolition bid documents and proposals involving multiple level highway bridges connecting roads, tunnels, embankments, pedestrian walkways and railways.
• Involved with preparation of codes and standards on wind, (wind engineering) and seismic loads; vibration and fatigue testing of major structures; cable design; design, analysis and inspection of existing facilities; and, dynamic and impact analysis.
• Focused building materials: Concrete, steel, timber, brick, and block.

Expert Witness Experience

• Recognized legal expert in structural, collapse, engineering investigations, building engineering, concrete and other related issues.

Noted Projects

World Trade Center Disaster, New York, NY.

• Functioning as structure specialist, provided immediate disaster assistance in search and rescue mission of collapsed complex.
• For rescue operations and risk mitigation to general public including assessment of the "bathtub" slurry wall and site safety.

Hurricane Sandy Emergency Inspections, NYC Department of Buildings, New York, NY

• Lead Investigator for emergency inspections of buildings potentially damaged by floods arising from Hurricane Sandy.
• Work including building triage, detailed damage assessment and preparation summary recommendations for future response.
• Field visit to view damage from Hurricane Sandy and prepare a report on mitigation recommendations for the boardwalk, plaza and ancillary structure mitigation efforts.

Building Failure in Brazil

• As the Lead Investigator in rapid response engineering services for the collapse of a 7-story precast concrete structure during construction, this required structural, wind, materials and geotechnical engineering.

Experience

Undisclosed Company, Associated Principal, 1985 - 2008

• Deliver seamless sustainable building design, lead complex multidisciplinary projects or develop living and working spaces.
• Assist building owners and legal advisors, define and implement mitigation strategies for poor project performance.
• Provide technical advice and comment, review appraisals and insurance evaluations.
• Unbiased assessments of a range of technical problems to the legal and insurance industries - from detailed analysis to holistic overviews.
• Global expert and technical specialists experienced in testifying at trials, depositions, arbitrations, mediations and public hearings.

Projects

Far-Roc Design Competition, Far Rockaway, NY

• Structural Engineer for design competition resulting in 117 unique design proposals for the development of Avenue East from over 20 countries around the globe in response to Hurricane Sandy.

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Urban Search & Rescue Task Force, Harrisburg, PA

• Structures Specialist for Pennsylvania's Task Force providing emergency disaster response to determine access viability, means, methods and supervision of victim extrication from collapsed structures.

Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen, MD

• Emergency construction and design review of a long retaining wall structure supporting a new army research laboratory under construction.

Trans Caucasus Embassy Renovation, Georgia, Azerbaijan Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan

• Structural Engineering Specialist for design and build services for new and existing concrete, steel, masonry and timber structures, at four new U.S. embassies in the former Soviet republics on behalf of the U.S. State Department, Foreign Buildings Office.

General Motors Corporation, Facility Asset Management, Program for Roofing, Detroit, MI

• Inspection, design, bidding and construction for roof maintenance program comprising over 6 square miles of various roof constructions located at 38 GM facilities with locations throughout the midwest, east and south regions.

Nuclear Flask Transport Container, UK

• Design and full scale test specification for high speed impact and burn test of spent nuclear fuel transport container.

Off-Shore Platform Evaluation, (Telecommunications) North Sea, UK

• Assessment of both steel and concrete off-shore platforms for wind, wave and ice loading, including preliminary development of intrinsically safe instrumentation systems and review of current ice loading standards.

Kenya Nairobi/Mombasa Microwave Link, Kenya

• Major telecommunications network installation and upgrade for the Kenya Post and Telecommunications Corporation from Nairobi to Mombasa.

Honors & Publications

Credentials

• Certificate of Course Completion, (With Distinction), Fracture Mechanics

License

Professional Engineer in States of MA, NJ, NY, PA

Academic and Professional Affiliations

• Former professor at Manhattan College, teaching a graduate course in forensic engineering.
• Member, American Society of Civil Engineers
• Member, American Concrete Institute
• Member, American Society for Testing and Materials
• Member, International Concrete Repair Institute,(150)
• Member, National Roofing Contractors Association
• Member, American Institute of Timber Construction
• Member, New York Academy of Sciences
• Member, National Institute of Building Sciences
• Founder and Chair, Committee on Demolition Engineering, Structural
• Engineering Institute, ASCE
• Founder and Chair, Constructed Environment Preservation Engineering Committee,
• Architectural Engineering Institute, ASCE
• Member, Technical Council on Forensic Engineering, ASCE
• Member, NIBS Multi-hazard Mitigation Council
• Member, NIBS Facility Maintenance & Operations Committee
• Member, ASTM Committees-Sub CommiteesC15, C15.05, D08, D08.02, D08.22, E06, 6.13, 6.55, E30, E58

Publications

• Author of numerous publications conference and training materials.

Education

• M.S. Concrete Structures, Imperial College of Sciences Technology, London, UK
• B.S. Civil Engineering (With Distinction), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY