Structural Engineering: Concrete Structures Research, Design, Use and Failure Investigations:
Technical Consultant #1268
Expertise
- Professional Engineer in Texas.
- Forensic study of concrete components and structures: Design, use, wear and concrete failure mechanisms.
- Registered Engineer in Ghana
- Construction materials expertise with primary focus on all types of concrete technology and concrete structures.
- Concrete repair and restoration and associated research and development.
- Oil well cementing materials and systems.
- Expert witness for litigation involving architecturally structures, particularity those made from concrete.
Experience
- Independent Consultant, Houston, Texas 1991 - 2000
- Limestone Products (Ghana) Ltd., Takoradi, Ghana, 1994 - 1996
- Southwestern Laboratories, Inc., Houston, Texas, 1989 - 1991
- Law Engineering, Houston, Texas, 1986 - 1988
- Dowell Schlumberger, Inc., Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1982 – 1986
Repair and Rehabilitation of Concrete Structures
- Conducted condition surveys, non-destructive tests and laboratory tests after explosion in the kitchen of a hotel in Galveston, Texas. Recommended rehabilitation materials and methods based on test results.
- The dome on the 90-year old Civil Court Building in Houston was to be repaired. Inspection of the structure, non-destructive tests and laboratory tests were performed and recommendations for repair work made.
- Evaluation of concrete structural elements of Coker plants at refineries in Houston and New Orleans. Recommended materials for repairing the structures and wrote specifications to perform the work.
Material Evaluation
- Evaluated limestone deposits in Ghana for Portland cement production.
- Evaluation of concrete samples at a refinery in Argentina.
- Evaluation concrete pedestals for structural integrity at the construction of power generation plant in Cuiaba, Brazil
Quality Control of Products
- Ascertained quality of fly ash from two power plants in Arkansas and Texas.
- Evaluated quality of clinker at a cement plant and recommended means to improve on quality of product.
Research and Development
- Fly Ash, Tulsa, Oklahoma - Directed research on Class “C†fly ash for use in cementing oil wells under varying temperature and pressure conditions. Developed products based on research findings. Co-author of patent on product developed.
- Developed a foamed inorganic binding materials for use as underground support and removal of hazardous ions in the underground waters of a superfund project. Co-author of patent on the product developed.
- Formulated a 16,000 psi grout as a substitute for marble blocks used by client to evaluate drill bits at a manufacturing plant.
Forensic Work
- Investigation of causes of cracks in concrete foundation.
- Consulting service in litigation case involving pre-mature deterioration of asphalt concrete pavement.
Expert Witness
- Provided expert testimony in court in the case of cracks in concrete foundation.
- Laboratory evaluation of defective materials. Attorney: Bill Joseph
- Provided expert testimony at a deposition in the case of cracked structural elements of a condominium.
- Evaluated testimony and helped attorney prepare for deposition involving burns sustained by a worker as a result of contact with fresh concrete.
Environmental Assessment & Remediation
- Site evaluation and removal of asbestos from a high rise office complex in Dallas, Texas (Mockingbird Towers).
- Building survey for asbestos containing materials in a high rise office complex in Houston, Texas (Dresser Tower).
- Analysis of lead-bearing deposit on a masonry wall near waste deposit site.
Honors & Publications
- D.Sc. Awarded by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, 2005
- Professional affiliations: American Institute for Chemists (Fellow); American Concrete Institute; American Society for Testing and Materials; American Academy of Forensic Sciences; Ghana Institution of Engineers (Fellow)
- Studies of Low Porosity Concrete Designed for Bridge Deck Applications
- Investigating the Causes of Deterioration of a Concrete Structure on the Texas Gulf Coast - A Case Study
- Determination of Silica Fume in Unhydrated, Blended, Dry-Packed Mixture and Hydrated Mortar
- Patents: CO2 - Enhanced Hydrocarbon Recovery with Corrosion-Resistant Cement; Method for Underground Support and Removal of Hazardous Ions in Ground Waters
Education
- MBA, University of Houston
- Ph.D., Purdue University
- M.S., Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague
- B.S., University of Science and Technology, Kumasi