Geotechnical Engineering

30 Forensic Engineering, Canada’s leading and fully-independent multidisciplinary forensics firm continues its in-demand weekly webinar series with the 5th instalment in the popular curriculum. Join industry leading experts on Thursday, June 11th as they lead a discussion on: Soil-Structure Interaction – Losses Requiring Geotechnical & Structural Expertise.  This dynamic webinar will be of importance to industry professionals such as: insurance company personnel, risk managers, independent adjusters, legal community + more.

Click HERE to Register

With increasing pressure to expedite projects or reduce cost, insufficient expertise or field data has become a more prevalent issue leading to failure or damage of structures and foundations. As forensic engineers, we have attested how buildings, bridges, or other structures have failed due to a lack of subsurface investigation or soil-structure interaction analysis.

The purpose of this webinar is to present the typical requirements applicable to losses where structural and geotechnical expertise is necessary to perform forensic engineering investigations. Geo-structural forensic investigations may require determining the origin and cause of a loss and assessing the condition of properties comprising structures and foundations. Experts may also need to specify and implement emergency response and remediation actions. Evaluating risk at different stages of a project is essential in identifying the necessary measures to eliminate or reduce risk and ensure safety.

This webinar will facilitate the following learning outcomes to insurance adjusters and lawyers that provide services involving property losses comprising structures and foundations (e.g., building and non-building structures, bridges, infrastructure, industrial plants and commercial facilities, retaining structures, and others):

• Understand the types of properties and losses that will require structural and geotechnical expertise to perform forensic engineering investigations.
• Find out the latest methods to investigate the condition of soils, foundations, or structures where soil-structure interaction is relevant.
• Understand the importance and benefits of assessing risk at different stages of a loss from initial investigation to remediation.
• Find out suitable methods to monitor the condition of structures and foundations.

WEBINAR

Soil-Structure Interaction – Losses Requiring
Geotechnical & Structural Expertise

Date:

Thursday, June 11th, 2020

Time:

11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST

Click HERE to Register

30 Forensic Seminar Series at a Glance

Please click on the webinar titles to register

Thursday, May 14^th – 11:00am EST

Joint Examinations and Site Assessments During COVID-19

Thursday, May 21^st – 11:00am EST

Water Loss Investigations in Condo and Office Towers – Systems Overview and Failure Case Studies

Thursday, May 28^th – 11:00am EST

Collision Reconstruction Assessments of Suspected Fraudulent Claims

Thursday, June 4^th – 11:00am EST

Fire Losses from Start to Finish

Thursday, June 11^th – 11:00am

Soil-Structure Interaction – Losses Requiring Geotechnical and Structural Expertise

Thursday, June 18^th – 11:00am EST

Multidisciplinary Assessments of Personal Injury Claims – Biomechanics, Building Code and Human Factors

Thursday, June 25^th – 11:00am EST

How to Stop Building Envelope and Environmental Issues from Turning Small Losses into Big Losses

Thursday, July 9^th —  11:00am EST

Human Factors & Collision Reconstruction – Cover Your Bases in Liability Assessments

If you have any questions, please email Colleen Heffernan: cheffernan@30fe.com

About 30 Forensic Engineering

30 Forensic Engineering is one of Canada’s largest and most respected multi-disciplinary forensic firms. Our core team of 70 professional engineers, experts, investigators, engineering technicians and support staff is enhanced through relationships with some of the top scientists, standard-makers and specialized consultants in North America serving a wide variety of industries including: Insurance, Manufacturing, Legal, Construction, Health Care, Commercial and Residential Property, Financial, Government, Hospitality, Mining, Renewable Energy and Transportation.

We provide world-class engineering and consulting expertise in:

Civil/Structural Failure
Building and Fire Code
Geotechnical and Mining
Biomechanics & Personal Injury
Human Factors
Collision Reconstruction
Transportation Safety
Renewable Energy
Environmental Health & Safety
Multi-disciplinary Remediation
Materials & Product Failure / Piping & HVAC
Fire / Electrical & Explosion investigations
Trucking

The Canadian Lawyer Magazine readership acknowledged 30 Forensic Engineering as their top choice in both forensic engineering categories:

For further information and media inquiries, please contact:

Paul Aquino, Director, Marketing
paquino@30fe.com

For confidential inquiries on becoming a member of the 30 Forensic Engineering team, please contact:

Stephanie d’Obrenan, Director, Human Resources
sdobrenan@30fe.com

VANCOUVER

TORONTO

OTTAWA

30 Forensic Engineering, Canada’s leading and fully-independent multi-disciplinary forensics firm, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Vito Schifano PhD, PE, CEng as Practice Lead of the Geotechnical, Mining and Geo-Environmental Group.

Dr. Schifano possess 25 years of combined experience in research, teaching, consulting, design, construction management and forensic geotechnical engineering. He has extensive experience in national and international projects in the manufacturing, oil & gas, mining, power and infrastructure sectors. His technical area of practice is in the geotechnical engineering of soft soils and ground technologies to the remediation, stabilization, closure, restoration and redevelopment of waste sites (mine tailings, acid tars, refinery sludge, coal ash, sediments), contaminated land, brownfields and waterfront sites, roads and railways, dams and embankments. He has led Technical, Business and Client Development initiatives through knowledge-based services for multi-national engineering firms in the area of integrated remediation and revitalization of marginal and contaminated sites, participates to professional committees (DFI-Soil Mixing and ASCE Geoenvironmental) and networks (Sednet, S/S Technology Network) and applied research initiatives with academic institutions

SPECIALIZED PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES

• Geotechnical/Mining
• Redevelopment of Contaminated Sites
• Heavy Civil Infrastructure
• Soil Mechanics and Soil Structures
• Technical & Project Finance Investigations
• Risk Management
• Multi Site and Multi-scope Project Management

Dr. Schifano holds a Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a M.Sc. in Soil Mechanics and Environmental Geotechnics, from Imperial College, University of London (UK) and a Laurea in Civil Engineering from the University of Palermo (Italy).

Robert Sparling B.Eng.Mgt., P.Eng., Senior Vice President & Practice Lead, Materials & Product Failure / Piping & HVAC states:  “Vito’s professionalism and wealth of knowledge leave those he has worked with a sense of great trust in his abilities.  In talking to Vito, you just get the sense that regardless of the issue, he will get the work done in a timely, efficient, and competent manner.   Additionally, Vito’s innate charisma makes him a delight to work with.  I am very proud to have an internationally renowned Geotechnical expert, Vito, join 30 Forensic Engineering.”

About 30 Forensic Engineering

30 Forensic Engineering is one of Canada’s largest and most respected multi-disciplinary forensic firms. Our core team of 70 Professional Investigators, Engineering Technicians and support staff is enhanced through relationships with some of the top scientists, standard-makers and specialized consultants in North America serving a wide variety of industries including: Insurance, Manufacturing, Legal, Construction, Health Care, Commercial and Residential Property, Financial, Government, Hospitality, Mining, Renewable Energy and Transportation.

We provide world-class engineering and consulting expertise in:

Civil/Structural Failure
Building and Fire Code
Geotechnical and Mining
Biomechanics & Personal Injury
Human Factors
Collision Reconstruction
Transportation Safety
Renewable Energy
Environmental Health & Safety
Multi-disciplinary Remediation
Materials & Product Failure / Piping & HVAC
Fire / Electrical & Explosion investigations
Trucking

The Canadian Lawyer Magazine readership acknowledged 30 Forensic Engineering as their top choice in both forensic engineering categories:

For further information and media inquiries, please contact:

Paul Aquino, Director, Marketing
paquino@30fe.com

For confidential inquiries on becoming a member of the 30 Forensic Engineering team, please contact:

Stephanie d’Obrenan, Senior Manager, People and Culture
sdobrenan@30fe.com

30 Forensic Engineering, Canada’s leading and fully-independent multi-disciplinary forensics firm, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Ahmed Fahmy Ph.D., M.E.Sc., P.Eng as Intermediate Associate within the Geotechnical Group.

Dr. Fahmy brings over 10 years of vast practical experience working in Canada, internationally and within academia. He has provided engineering support services on a variety of geotechnical engineering and construction inspection projects and was involved in the design of a wide variety of large scale projects. His design experience comprises the implementation of shallow and deep foundation systems, ground settlement calculations, design of earth retaining structures and shoring systems, slope stabilization analysis, design of soil filters, preparation of ground improvement plans and site investigations. In addition to his practical experience, Dr. Fahmy served as assistant professor and research associate at the University of Western Ontario where he taught graduate and undergraduate level geotechnical engineering design courses.

Dr. Fahmy is also an active member of the executive education committee of the Canadian Geotechnical Society. He has received several awards, authored numerous publications and served as a reviewer for many geotechnical journals and conferences.

“30 Forensic Engineering is delighted to have Ahmed join the Geotechnical Group. With a background combining academic excellence, advanced research expertise, design consulting and construction inspection, Ahmed is well set to assist our clients with assessing a broad range of geotechnical and foundation engineering issues” stated Mrinmoy Kanungo, Practice Lead, Geotechnical group.

30 Forensic Engineering, Canada’s leading and fully-independent multi-disciplinary forensics firm, is pleased to announce the appointment of Xiangyu Li M.Sc. as Associate within the Geotechnical Engineering Group.

Xiangyu obtained her Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Dalian University of Technology (China), specializing in structural design and analysis. After graduation, she came to Canada to pursue a Master of Science at the University of Alberta (UofA) focusing on geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering. At UofA, Xiangyu joined the Reservoir Geomechanical Research Group (RG2) as a Graduate Research Assistant where she participated in the Foundation CMG (FCMG) Industrial Chair research program. Her Master of Science thesis focused on geomechanical investigation on thermal well integrity assurance modeling and the research findings were presented at the Annual FCMG Research Consortia in Alberta.

30 Forensic Engineering is excited to have Xiangyu join the geotechnical and mining team. In addition to her wonderful academic and technical training in geotechnical engineering, reservoir geomechanics, and structural engineering, she brings a high level of energy and inquisitiveness, which will help “unearth” the root cause for geotechnical and mining related losses.”

Giffin Koerth is proud to annouce Geoff Lay has been awarded his P.Eng Designation by the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO).

Geoff Lay joined Giffin Koerth in October 2013 as a member of the Geotechnical Group, and since that time has been involved on a number of assignments involving slope and retaining wall instability, shallow and deep excavations/foundations, and construction vibration issues. These assignments have ranged in both scope and complexity and have included residential, commercial, and industrial establishments. Geoff has also gained expertise in reviewing, evaluating, and preparing cost estimates associated with rectification of losses involving excavation, shoring, backfill and compaction for shallow and deep foundations/excavations. Geoff has also successfully testified as an expert witness in both Small Claims Court and the Superior Court of Justice, and is a published author in Claims Canada.

Congratulations, Geoff!

On Thursday, December 3rd, Giffin Koerth’s Geotechnical and Mining Principal, Richard Stahl, presented at the Toronto Committee Meeting of the Mining Insurance Group (MIG).

Richard presented on the unique considerations for stewardship of tailing dams, and how they differ from the well-established practices of conventional dams. The key differences between tailing dams and conventional water retention dams, and the significance of these differences, speaks to the risk management requirements and to the possible associated damages incurred as a result of failure.

Richard has been practicing geotechnical engineering in the mining/natural resource, energy, and heavy civil infrastructure areas throughout the Americas and Asia since graduating from UBC in 1987. Relevant to this white paper, Richard commenced his career in the mining group of an international consultancy, and was involved in investigating, designing, and constructing some of the largest tailings dams in BC and Alberta. Richard’s graduate studies at University of Alberta focused on tailings and tailings reclamation with respect to cost‑effectively stabilizing and reclaiming tailings to achieve dry‑landscape scenarios.