Forensic Multiple Span Slab Engineer Expert Witness

Expert Witness No.1276

Maryland

Expertise

During his eighteen-year professional career, Expert 1276 has been continually involved in the inspection, forensic evaluation, and rehabilitation of countless structures ranging from homes and residential buildings, to large commercial buildings, to bridges, tunnels, and other miscellaneous structures.  Expert 1276 provides forensic inspection services for about 150 buildings per year for various insurance companies and adjusters, law firms, banks, realtors, and governmental agencies such as the Maryland Mass Transit Administration.  This forensic work has involved numerous foundation settlement issues, lateral earth/hydrostatic pressure issues related to foundation wall failures, collision/impact damage, fire damage, snow overload cases, wind damage, flood damage, water infiltration issues, rot and insect infestation damage, and construction/erection issues.  Expert 1276 experience also includes the design of many new structures ranging from timber post-and-beam buildings, to pre-stressed concrete bridges designed for seismic activity, to cast-in-place concrete tunnel structures.

Professional Experience

(2000 - present)

Expert 1276 founded his own company in June of 2000 after gaining 14 years of experience while working for three unique and prestigious engineering firms in Maryland.  Projects completed to date include:

Provided forensic inspection services for over 250 buildings, bridges and other structures ranging from private residences to large commercial buildings to historic train station buildings and highway bridges.  Cases have included fire damage losses, flood damage from Hurricane Isabel, snow-overload collapses due to the Nor-Easter, water infiltration issues, foundation settlement issues, collision damage, and many others.

Inspected and provided remedial plans for two, four-story pre-stressed concrete parking garages and seven bridge structures.

Completed the design of this pre-stressed concrete, spread box beam bridge using the new LRFD design method.

Designed a two-story tall, 6600 square-foot timber post structure to house sand, salt and equipment for the County.  The walls of the structure had to accommodate the severe lateral pressure associated with the 20-foot tall mound of sand and/or salt that the building would house.

Rummel, Klepper and Kahl, LLP(1992 - 2000)

During his tenure with RK&K, Expert 1276 was promoted twice: from design engineer to project engineer and from project engineer to project manager.  Upon leaving RK&K, Expert 1276 was the only project manager in the Structures Department, assisting the Associates/Partners in the management of a staff of 22.  Specific achievements include:

SR7 over Churchman's Road Interchange in New Castle County, Delaware for DelDOT- Project Engineer responsible for the design of two, two-span pre-stressed concrete I-girder bridges made continuous for live load and superimposed dead load.  The bridges are supported by multi-column piers and full height abutments designed for seismic performance category B.  The wingwalls tie into long MSE walls that retain the fill throughout the interchange.  Also responsible for numerous sign, drainage and stormwater management structures.

I-695 Widening in Sparrows Point, Maryland for the Maryland Transportation Authority - Project Engineer responsible for the widening (superstructure and substructure) of an 825' long plate-girder bridge carrying Bethlehem Boulevard over a wetlands; design of a new plate-girder bridge carrying I-695 over Peninsula Expressway; design of numerous retaining structures to 40' in height; and design of numerous utility structures.

Columbia Park Road Bridge over Amtrak, WMATA, and CSXT for PG County and the MSHA - Project Engineer responsible for the replacement and widening of this bridge over the railroads.  The new bridge consisted of a three-span continuous steel girder superstructure supported by new multi-column piers and a rehabilitated full-height abutment.  The abutment was widened by installation of a tieback system that modified the original bridge wingwalls, which were parallel to the existing abutment.  The top portions of the existing wingwalls and abutment stem were removed to facilitate a new beam seat, and a tieback system was installed to relieve the increase in vertical and lateral earth pressure.

US 40A over Wills Creek in Cumberland, Maryland for MSHA - Project Engineer, Project Manager, and lead designer responsible for a $1.4M rehabilitation of this historic three-span reinforced concrete arch bridge built in the early 1900's.  This project won the 2001 MDOT award for the category entitled 'Bridge Design by a Consultant.'  The rehabilitation effort featured installation of tiebacks and creation of jet-grouted gravity walls to relieve the existing spandrel walls of excessive lateral earth pressure.  Also included replacement of the existing parapets and sidewalks, major cast-in-place concrete repairs and several other repair items.

Rating Analysis of 15 Bridges in Richmond, Virginia - Project Engineer responsible for the load factor rating analysis of a mile-long curved girder, pin and hanger highway bridge over the James River; a mile-long multiple-span, reinforced concrete arch bridge built in 1911; and several steel girder bridges.

Service Tunnel for The University of Maryland, Baltimore County - Project Engineer for the design of a 750' long post-tensioned, concrete tunnel that houses the University's utilities and is used by pedestrian maintenance staff.  The tunnel was designed using cut-and-cover techniques and featured several, severe grade changes accomplished using cast-in-place sections with built-in stairs.

Truck Tunnel for the Baltimore Convention Center - Design engineer for this cast-in-place, reinforced concrete tunnel that facilitates underground access into the Convention Center for 18-wheel cargo trucks.  The tunnel was built in the median of Conway Street and featured a curved, 90 degree turn to cross under WB Conway Street and into the basement of the Convention Center.  This required that the tunnel be designed to support vehicular live load from Conway Street traffic in addition to the earth pressure it would experience.

Miscellaneous Environmental Structures for Various Clients - Design engineer for several waste-water treatment structures; several thrust blocks and collars; hold down mechanisms for the bypass of an 84" water main; a pile supported concrete T-beam structure to protect a water main from highway surcharge; modifications to high-tension wire towers; modifications to a suspension system of support for nitrogen and oxygen lines that supply Bethlehem Steel; and numerous vault and miscellaneous structures.

Kennedy, Porter And Associates, INC. (1986 - 1989 AND 1990 - 1992)

Employed as a design engineer and promoted to project engineer.  Achievements include:

Rehabilitation and Historic Preservation of Eight Wrought Iron Truss Bridges for Baltimore County - Project Engineer for an in-depth analysis and study into increasing the load carrying capacity, while historically preserving, all of Baltimore County's wrought iron truss bridges.  The bridges were all built in the late 1800's and early 1900's and are on the National Historic Register.  The study lead to a paper co-authored and presented to the International Bridge Conference in Pittsburgh in 1991.  The paper was published in the IBC's 1991 Journal of Proceedings.

The National Freeway (I-68) for the MSHA - As a design engineer, participated in the superstructure design of an 850' long, four-span continuous haunched plate-girder bridge.  The girders were 6' deep in the positive moment regions and 12' deep over the piers.

Open-end Bridge Rating Contracts with MSHA and Baltimore City - Provided load rating analyses for a variety of structures including a 360' long three-hinged steel arch; a 326' long four-span continuous hybrid steel girder; a 1000' long flat slab bridge, a 390' long curved steel girder with a 950' radius; numerous steel truss bridges of varying lengths; a composite timber and concrete bridge; a variety of prestressed concrete box and I-beams; several reinforced concrete arch bridges; several Acrow panel bridges; several steel through-girders (both highway and railroad bridges); numerous steel beam and girder bridges; a voided slab bridge; several reinforced concrete T-beams; and numerous steel and concrete culvert structures.

Open-end Building Repair Contract for the City of Baltimore - Participated in the repair of several buildings including a library, a firehouse, a historic community center, and others.

KCI Technologies, INC. (1989 - 1990)

Employed as a Design Engineer.  Achievements included:

SR1 Relief Route in Delaware for DelDOT - Participated in the superstructure and substructure design of four steel beam bridges using the load factor design method.

Inspection of the Baltimore Metro for the MTA - Team leader for the inspection of the prestressed concrete box beam portion of the metro system.

Inspection of Historic Bridges for DelDOT - Team leader for the inspection of 15 bridges, all of which are listed on the National Historic Register.  Bridge types included a multiple-span flat slab; two rolling-leaf bascule spans; a haunched concrete I-girder; a multiple-span concrete arch; a stone masonry arch; a counter-weighted steel girder; and several others.

Educational Background

The Pennsylvania State University
Bachelor Of Science, December 1985
Major: Structural Design And Construction Engineering Technology

The University Of Baltimore
Completed numerous courses toward MBA

Awards

Project Manager for an historic bridge rehabilitation project that won the 2001 Maryland Department of Transportation Quality Initiative Award

Professional Registration

Registered Professional Engineer, State of Maryland and State of Pennsylvania