Expert Details

Structural Engineering

ID: 735203 Pennsylvania, USA

Expert has a wide and diverse breadth of experience over 40 years, including disaster response and mitigation, failure analysis, natural hazard mitigation and response, dynamics, advanced analysis techniques, and instrumentation. Among other projects, he has been involved with demolition; construction defect; collapse investigation; building damage due to various causes; building and tunnel leak mitigation; existing facilities; and condition evaluations. Expert has specified, supervised and undertaken testing of buildings and building components for diagnostic and forensic engineering purposes. Expert has been admitted in court as an expert in structural engineering, collapse, engineering investigations, building engineering, concrete and other related issues.

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Education

Year	Degree	Subject	Institution
Year: 1978	Degree: BSc, cum laude	Subject: Civil Engineering	Institution: Cornell University
Year: 1985	Degree: MSc	Subject: Concrete Structures	Institution: Imperial College of Science and Technology

Work History

Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2018 to Present	Employer: Undisclosed	Title: Owner	Department:
Responsibilities: Developing, managing and handling building pathology, including forensic engineering (whether pre- or post- claim), engineering investigation and repair, building related insurance claim investigations, emergency response, hazard mitigation, due diligence and expert requests, domestically and overseas, including expert testimony.
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2015 to 2018	Employer: Thornton Tomasetti	Title: Senior Vice President	Department: Forensic Engineering / Property Loss Claims / Renewals
Responsibilities: Note: Weidlinger Associates Inc. and Thornton Tomasetti merged in September 2015 Responsibility for developing, managing and handling building pathology related business, including forensic engineering (whether pre- or post- claim), engineering investigation and repair, property loss insurance claim investigations, emergency response, hazard mitigation, due diligence and expert requests for all technical disciplines, domestically and overseas, including expert testimony.
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2015 to 2015	Employer: Weidlinger Associates	Title: Associate Principal	Department: Applied Science
Responsibilities: Note: Weidlinger Associates Inc. and Thornton Tomasetti merged in September 2015 Responsibility for developing, managing and handling building pathology related business, including forensic engineering, engineering investigation and repair, emergency response, hazard mitigation, due diligence and expert requests for all technical disciplines, including expert testimony.
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2008 to 2015	Employer: Arup	Title: Principal and Global Expert Witness Leader	Department:
Responsibilities: Responsibility for managing and/or performing forensic engineering, engineering investigation, and expert requests for all technical disciplines, including expert testimony.
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2011 to 2013	Employer: Manhattan College	Title: Adjunct Professor	Department: Civil Engineering
Responsibilities: Adjunct professor at Manhattan College of Civil Engineering, where he teaches a graduate level class on forensic engineering "Introduction to Engineering Investigations."
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1996 to 2008	Employer: Self Employed	Title: Director	Department:
Responsibilities: Sole practitioner concentrating on resolution of design and construction problems. Professional activities included blast, wind, flood and impact analysis, testing, monitoring, site inspection, litigation support, testimony, repair design, emergency engineering response and mitigation, natural hazard mitigation, telecommunication tower evaluation, materials analysis, more.
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1993 to 1996	Employer: Louis Berger Group	Title: Senior Structural Engineer	Department:
Responsibilities: General troubleshooting for large-scale engineering projects; seismic design; structural engineering; forensic engineering projects.
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1990 to 1993	Employer: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.	Title: Senior Structural Engineer	Department:
Responsibilities: Senior Structural Engineer with general responsibility for numerous forensic engineering and failure investigation projects.
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1985 to 1990	Employer: Arup	Title: Structural Engineer	Department: Advanced Analysis and Research / Telecommunications
Responsibilities: Analysis, impact analysis, wind engineering, flood evaluation, testing, monitoring, failure investigation, site inspection, design, other
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1980 to 1984	Employer: Flint & Neill Partnership	Title: Structural Engineer	Department:
Responsibilities: Research, analysis, test protocols, design
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1978 to 1980	Employer: Ammann & Whitney	Title: Junior Engineer	Department: Special Structures Group
Responsibilities: Advanced analysis, site inspections, failure analysis, design

Government Experience

Years	Agency	Role	Description
Years: 1997 to 1999	Agency: FEMA	Role: Fellowship	Description: The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) agree that natural hazard mitigation is essential for the enhanced safety of America’s, and the world’s, citizens. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a strong interest in fostering private public partnerships to promote mitigation. This interest is bolstered by the goals and objectives of the National Technology Transfer Act of 1995 (PL 104 113) and the National Cooperative Research Act of 1984. Subsequently, ASCE, IBHS and FEMA, with input from the American Association of Wind Engineers (AAWE), created the Partnerships in Mitigation (PIM) Fellowship Program in 1998 to provide an opportunity for private industry to participate in FEMA's activities to develop private public partnerships for promoting mitigation.

International Experience

Years	Country / Region	Summary
Years: 1980 to 1990	Country / Region: UK	Summary: Permanent resident
Years: 1980 to 1990	Country / Region: Kenya/Malawi, Africa	Summary: Various telecommunication tower projects
Years: 1980 to 1990	Country / Region: Hong Kong	Summary: Hong Kong Shanghai Bank typhoon monitoring instrumentation installation
Years: 1980 to 1990	Country / Region: Brazil	Summary: Structural collapse investigation
Years: 1980 to 1990	Country / Region: Brazil	Summary: Insurance claim - construction defect
Years: 1980 to 1990	Country / Region: Mexico	Summary: Earthquake damage assessment
Years: 1980 to 1990	Country / Region: Various	Summary: multiple forensic engineering assignments not involving travel to country

Career Accomplishments

Licenses / Certifications
Licensed Professional Engineer (Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Texas)

Professional Appointments
Professional Activities • Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) • Committee Member, American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) C01 Cement, C09 Concrete and Concrete Aggregates, C11 Gypsum and Related Building Materials and Systems, C12 Mortars and Grouts for Unit Masonry, C15 Manufactured Masonry Units, C18 Dimension Stone, C24 Building Seals and Sealants, D08 Roofing and Waterproofing, E06 Performance of Buildings, E30 Forensic Sciences, E58 Forensic Engineering • Member, International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) • Member, National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) • Member, American Concrete Institute (ACI) • Member, National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) • Member, New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS)

Professional Appointments

Professional Activities
• Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
• Committee Member, American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) C01 Cement, C09 Concrete and Concrete Aggregates, C11 Gypsum and Related Building Materials and Systems, C12 Mortars and Grouts for Unit Masonry, C15 Manufactured Masonry Units, C18 Dimension Stone, C24 Building Seals and Sealants, D08 Roofing and Waterproofing, E06 Performance of Buildings, E30 Forensic Sciences, E58 Forensic Engineering
• Member, International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI)
• Member, National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS)
• Member, American Concrete Institute (ACI)
• Member, National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA)
• Member, New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS)

Awards / Recognition
Honors and Awards • Recipient, Partner-In-Mitigation Fellowship to the Federal Emergency Management Agency • Past Chair, New York Academy of Sciences, Engineering Section • Panel Member ASCE Mohawk-Hudson Section Engineer’s Week, An Engineer’s Role in Natural Disasters • Judge for New York City Science and Technology Expo, 3 years

Additional Experience

Expert Witness Experience
Sworn Testimony Trial: 13 Deposition: 11 Alternative Dispute Resolution: 10

Other Relevant Experience
Select Project Experience Structural Engineering – Emergency/Disaster Response/Collapse World Trade Center Disaster, New York, NY. Emergency participation in search and rescue mission of the collapsed complex. World Trade Center, New York, NY. Structures Specialist on behalf of both the Pennsylvania FEMA and New Jersey OEM USAR teams. First responder providing engineering expertise to 9/11 disaster. World Trade Center, New York, NY. Assessment of explosion damage to World Trade Center following 1993 bomb attack. 51st Street Tower, Crane Collapse, New York, NY. Failure investigation into a self-climbing tower crane collapse. CAT-90 Sandy, Emergency Inspections, NYC Department of Buildings, New York, NY. Emergency inspections of buildings potentially damaged by floods arising from CAT-90 Sandy. Hurricane Sandy Emergency Inspections, Jones Beach, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, Long Island, NY. Pro bono field visit to view damage from Hurricane Sandy and prepare a report on mitigation recommendations for the boardwalk, plaza and ancillary structure mitigation efforts. Waterfront / Boardwalk Engineering Assessment and Planning, Long Branch, NJ. Following Hurricane Sandy, Long Branch sustained heavy damage from wind, ocean surge, erosion and other water related damage, particularly along the shoreline. Arup work includes detailed design and construction documentation for repairs, reconstruction and mitigation. Post Disaster Assessment, USA. American Society of Civil Engineers / Structural Engineering Institute co-team leader for Superstorm Sandy post disaster assessment of several buildings within New York City. The objective is on how the elements of ASCE / SEI 24 Flood Resistant Design and Construction Standard could be improved to reduce future damage in similar urban environments. Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, Urban Search & Rescue Task Force 1, Harrisburg, PA. Structures Specialist for Pennsylvania’s Task Force 1 Urban Search & Rescue team, providing emergency disaster response to determine access viability, means, methods and supervision of victim extrication from collapsed structures. Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Urban Search & Rescue Task Force 1, Harrisburg, PA. Structures Specialist for demolition of two barracks structures and later US&R training. New Jersey Office of Emergency Management Urban Search & Rescue Task Force, Lakehurst, NJ. Advanced Structures Specialist for New Jerseys Task Force Urban Search & Rescue team, providing emergency disaster response to determine access viability, means, methods and supervision of victim extrication from collapsed structures. Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, NJ. Consultant to New Jersey Office of Emergency Management administering and conducting GIS earthquake loss estimation study and mitigation plan. Responsibilities include development of study methodology, implementation and subcontract administration. Coastal Construction Manual, Washington DC. Structural engineering design review of new Coastal Construction Manual for the Federal Emergency Management Agency as representative of the ASCE. Far-Roc Design Competition, Far Rockaway, NY. Structural Engineer for the FAR ROC design competition resulting in 117 unique design proposals for the resilient development of Arverne East from over 20 countries around the globe in response to Hurricane Sandy. As part of the team with White Arkitekter, the Arup submission Small Means Great Ends was the winning design submission. Partners in Mitigation Fellowship, Washington, DC. American Association of Wind Engineers, Institute for Business and Home Safety Expert and the American Society of Civil Engineering fellowship to provide expert services in wind engineering and other natural hazards as part of a public-private initiative. Specific duties include the development of a National Wind Hazard Reduction Program. More information available upon request.

Other Relevant Experience

Select Project Experience
Structural Engineering – Emergency/Disaster Response/Collapse
World Trade Center Disaster, New York, NY. Emergency participation in search and rescue mission of the collapsed complex.
World Trade Center, New York, NY. Structures Specialist on behalf of both the Pennsylvania FEMA and New Jersey OEM USAR teams. First responder providing engineering expertise to 9/11 disaster.
World Trade Center, New York, NY. Assessment of explosion damage to World Trade Center following 1993 bomb attack.
51st Street Tower, Crane Collapse, New York, NY. Failure investigation into a self-climbing tower crane collapse.
CAT-90 Sandy, Emergency Inspections, NYC Department of Buildings, New York, NY. Emergency inspections of buildings potentially damaged by floods arising from CAT-90 Sandy.
Hurricane Sandy Emergency Inspections, Jones Beach, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, Long Island, NY. Pro bono field visit to view damage from Hurricane Sandy and prepare a report on mitigation recommendations for the boardwalk, plaza and ancillary structure mitigation efforts.
Waterfront / Boardwalk Engineering Assessment and Planning, Long Branch, NJ. Following Hurricane Sandy, Long Branch sustained heavy damage from wind, ocean surge, erosion and other water related damage, particularly along the shoreline. Arup work includes detailed design and construction documentation for repairs, reconstruction and mitigation.
Post Disaster Assessment, USA. American Society of Civil Engineers / Structural Engineering Institute co-team leader for Superstorm Sandy post disaster assessment of several buildings within New York City. The objective is on how the elements of ASCE / SEI 24 Flood Resistant Design and Construction Standard could be improved to reduce future damage in similar urban environments.
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, Urban Search & Rescue Task Force 1, Harrisburg, PA. Structures Specialist for Pennsylvania’s Task Force 1 Urban Search & Rescue team, providing emergency disaster response to determine access viability, means, methods and supervision of victim extrication from collapsed structures.
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Urban Search & Rescue Task Force 1, Harrisburg, PA. Structures Specialist for demolition of two barracks structures and later US&R training.
New Jersey Office of Emergency Management Urban Search & Rescue Task Force, Lakehurst, NJ. Advanced Structures Specialist for New Jerseys Task Force Urban Search & Rescue team, providing emergency disaster response to determine access viability, means, methods and supervision of victim extrication from collapsed structures.
Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, NJ. Consultant to New Jersey Office of Emergency Management administering and conducting GIS earthquake loss estimation study and mitigation plan. Responsibilities include development of study methodology, implementation and subcontract administration.
Coastal Construction Manual, Washington DC. Structural engineering design review of new Coastal Construction Manual for the Federal Emergency Management Agency as representative of the ASCE.
Far-Roc Design Competition, Far Rockaway, NY. Structural Engineer for the FAR ROC design competition resulting in 117 unique design proposals for the resilient development of Arverne East from over 20 countries around the globe in response to Hurricane Sandy. As part of the team with White Arkitekter, the Arup submission Small Means Great Ends was the winning design submission.
Partners in Mitigation Fellowship, Washington, DC. American Association of Wind Engineers, Institute for Business and Home Safety Expert and the American Society of Civil Engineering fellowship to provide expert services in wind engineering and other natural hazards as part of a public-private initiative. Specific duties include the development of a National Wind Hazard Reduction Program.

More information available upon request.

Language Skills

Language	Proficiency
English	Fluent

Fields of Expertise

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Expert Details

Structural Engineering

Education

Work History

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Government Experience

International Experience

Career Accomplishments

Additional Experience

Language Skills

Fields of Expertise