About Us

My Story

When I was in high school, taking all of the requisite aptitude tests, my aunt told me I should go to school for engineering. When I asked her what an engineer does, she just told me, “You’ll like it.” She was right.

I enrolled in Civil Engineering at Merrimack College when I transferred in for my sophomore year. Luckily, they had a Co-op program, and I was able to try a couple of different specialties under Civil Engineering. I found I really liked structural engineering, and apparently I’m pretty good at it.

I have applied my knowledge in a number of industries. I started out working in nuclear power plants, where I got my glowing personality. It gave me a chance to travel to a number of plants throughout the rural eastern US. I went on a variety of assignments, ranging in length from one week to two years over almost eight years in power. The rigorous levels of analysis related to nuclear systems provided an in-depth knowledge of the effects of temperature and earthquake forces on structures.

My next few years included more typical structures, including underground vaults, retaining walls, foundations, bridge design, bridge inspections, bridge ratings, and construction services. My employers ranged from a small family owned MBE, to regional partnerships,  to some of the biggest international firms. Each had their own advantages and provided their own learning opportunities in administration, and management, as well as engineering. The larger firms had more diversity in their projects, which introduced me to commercial building inspection and design, as well as transit stations, and parking garages.

At one point, my personal life offered an experience few get to take. After the birth of my second daughter, their mother was offered an opportunity we realized would be good for her. So I took a year off of work to become a stay at home dad. It was the best job I ever had, and allowed me to put my career choices into perspective.

After returning to the workforce, I worked more specifically on transportation related structures as both engineer and project manager. These included pedestrian, highway, and railroad bridges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. I also compiled the specifications for two sections of Silver Line Tunnels in Boston using NATM and sunken precast tunnel sections.  Most notably, I designed the bridges and retaining walls for Route 1, and two entries to Gillette stadium, as well as the pedestrian tunnels and retaining walls around the stadium, developing a barrier with a “keeper slab” system over segmental retaining walls.

Next, I worked on expanding my own business. I developed relationships with architects, contractors, construction managers, and owners. Residential and small industrial buildings became my bread and butter. I also worked on cell phone tower design, modification, and inventory from New Hampshire to New Jersey. During this time I was the primary structural engineer on segmental retaining walls for one client, and roof assessment and modification for a local solar panel company. Around the 2008 recession most independent work dried up.

Fortunately, one former employer needed engineers for several overseas contracts with USAID, DoD, and Millennium Challenge Corporation, as well as a few others. The work varied, including design of various block and pre-engineered buildings, bridges, schools, government facilities, military bases, and embassies. One interesting project included a life safety evaluation of more than 500 block and stone masonry buildings for seismic conditions after precast concrete roofs had been installed. Another, included traveling to Liberia to evaluate the collapse of a 190 foot long ACROW panel bridge. I also found myself traveling to the Philippines to review 26 bridges for seismic upgrades to current AASHTO codes, as well as managing the local firm’s assessment and design efforts from the US. Another project involved the design of “Sound Walls,” which extended thousands of feet long along an urban highway north of Boston.

After a couple of years I returned to focusing on my own business. I restablished relationships with a variety of clients and continue to serve new clients. I regularly work with modular building companies primarily designing foundations and customized structural features, framing and foundation design for residential properties as well as schools, commercial, and retail projects varying in size from very small modifications to medium sized new structures. I work a lot with historic buildings of varying sizes and in all kinds of conditions. There have also been smaller jobs such as access ramps, elevators, and even the support system of art installations. Just ask and I have probably run into it. 

When people ask me what I do, I tell them it is like doing Sudoku all day. I have to make something work within the parameters available. I do not look at a project and say “you can’t do that.” I look at each project on its own and to find the most efficient and elegant solution I can.

When people ask when they should call a Structural Engineer, I tell them, “You don’t know you need me until you need me.” But If you are not sure, do not wait that long.