Engineer Project Manager

Gerry C. Mertsching, MSCE, PE, SE

Civil and Structural Engineering Director

Six Sigma Champion - Project Management

Florida, USA Cell Phone +1-954-***-**** email ****************@*****.***

CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS

I am a registered professional and structural engineer in numerous U.S. states, with experience in engineering and architectural projects in design and construction for over 37 years. I have had the privilege to work for various Fortune 500 companies, as well as smaller business owners and government agencies. Throughout my career I have successfully completed all project bound assignments and contracts. I have obtained a diverse background from a wide variety of projects in the U.S. and Middle East with an emphasis on heavy design and construction tasks such as industrial cities, bridges, highways, roadways, railways, commercial and public buildings, industrial, power plants (nuclear and fossil), utility distribution networks and utility structures. The construction cost of these projects has ranged from under $1 million USD upwards to $6 billion USD. I have maintained leadership roles in various industries, and am adept at management of complex projects including multi-discipline projects. I have performed as a Six Sigma Champion and professional mentor to staff, including specific knowledge transfer training for junior engineers in the U.S. and Middle East. I have also provided technical and non-technical motivational presentations to Contractors, Clients and Owner Executive Boards.

My job titles have included Designer, Project Engineer, Project Manager, Chief Engineer, Technical Quality Manager, and Director. I am experienced in all phases of design and construction, including inspections and rating, design studies, plans, specifications, code use and reconciliation, cost estimates, shop drawings, construction engineering, construction engineering inspection, forensic evaluations and quality management. I have been involved with U.S., military and International code and standard reconciliation and application on numerous projects which also included residential, schools, hospitals and religious buildings. I have worked in the office and on the job site on a variety of projects. I have provided close work coordination with multiple disciplines such as civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, geotechnical, roadway, drainage, lighting, traffic signals, urban planning and architecture for a number of transportation, power plant and commercial / public building projects, as well as coordination with contractors and owners. I have held unescorted badged access to several U.S. nuclear power plants. I have a working knowledge of computer drafting and its utilization (including AutoCAD, Microstation), as well as a variety of computer software and structural analysis programs.

CAREER EXPERTISE

Technical Director / Manager for Engineering Projects in Design and Construction. Experienced Design and Construction Engineer, Project Manager, Construction Manager, Staff Manager and Technical Quality Manager. Utilization of U.S. codes standards and regulations (such as AASHTO, AREMA (AREA), IBC, AISC, ACI, ASCE, AWS, NFPA, ASTM, ANSI, and ASME), military standards (such as UFC, USACE, and NAVFAC) and international (such as BSEN, EN, and Saudi Codes) codes and standards. Works include buildings, bridges, highways, roadways, railways, infrastructure, nuclear power plants (AP 1000 plant general certification, 10 CFR 52 Licensing), fossil power plants, forensic structural evaluation of buildings, rigging and lifting, field engineering, major construction projects in the U.S. and Middle East.

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

Northwestern University, M.S. Civil Engineering w/ Structures Option, 1985

Walter P. Murphy Scholarship

University of Illinois – Chicago, B.S. Architecture w/ Structures Option, 1983

College Honors and High-Distinction in Structures

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

Professional Engineer - Florida (53489), S. Carolina (28853), Pennsylvania (PE061341), Georgia (PE035759)

Structural Engineer - Illinois (081-004895)

NCEES Record (43394)

Saudi Council of Engineers (177114)

PADI certified scuba diver since 1976

WORK EXPERIENCE

Black & Veatch – Middle East – 2015 to 2016

Lead Architectural Engineer for the USAID International Building Code implementation project. Duties include assessment of local design practices, evaluation of local codes and guidelines, comparison of local practices to IBC requirements for design and construction, meeting with local agencies and design partners, availability of materials and code compliance, delivery of report and recommendations for code adoption, as well as training of local design partners and agencies for the purposes of IBC implementation on USAID projects.

Jacksonville Electric Authority – Florida, USA - 2015

Consulting Professional Engineer providing civil, structural and safety evaluations for Waste Water facilities and Utility Distribution Network throughout metropolitan Jacksonville.

Parsons - Yanbu Industrial City, Saudi Arabia – 2014 to 2015

Director of Infrastructure Planning for engineering on the Yanbu Project in Saudi Arabia. Duties included coordination with investors, engineering and utility providers regarding demands on utility corridors and schedule. Infrastructure included roads, structures, drainage, site work, power, potable water, process water, irrigation, sanitary waste water, industrial waste water, telecom, lighting, gas and other industry specific needs. Role included functioning as Project Manager for design and construction phases with coordination and oversight of highway and roadway projects involving design, construction and coordination between civil, structural and electrical disciplines. Coordination involved Site Development, Site Grading, interfacing with agency networks and pipelines including Saudi Aramco, Utility crossings with the Saudi Railway and R.O.W. interfaces.

Bechtel - Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia – 2013 to 2014

Technical and Quality Manager for engineering on the Jubail Project in Saudi Arabia. This project was (still is) the largest civil engineering project in the world, and was comprised of the Jubail Industrial City and Ras Al-Khair Industrial City. It included industrial and residential infrastructure with utilities, ports, bridges, roads, residences, schools, hospitals, educational buildings and campuses, commercial buildings, public buildings, army base and more. Duties included supervision of all architectural and engineering disciplines, leading the review on all discipline design and construction packages and studies, oversight for all discipline chiefs, quality management and audits of all design and construction work, and review of all technical queries and submittals from construction. The disciplines supervised included architectural, electrical, civil, mechanical, structural, instrument and controls, geotechnical, drafting and quantity surveying. Role included design oversight of residential and public building projects as well as highway and roadway projects involving drainage, geometrics, interchanges, construction staging, lighting and traffic. Direct reports of architectural engineering staff were upwards of 100, with responsibilities towards project engineering, administrative and drafting staff of around 200.

Bechtel - Prairie Island Power Plant, Minnesota, USA - 2012 to 2013

Lead Civil/Structural Resident Engineer on site for modifications to a Minnesota nuclear power plant for maintenance and improvement projects. Duties included owner review of project deliverables, site interface with plant staff, coordination with owner and corporate management stakeholders, as well review and on site interface with home office engineering design groups to insure adherence with client standards.

Westinghouse - Vogtle Power Plant, Georgia, USA – 2010 to 2012

Lead Civil/Structural Engineer in the site design engineering group responsible for Design Authority for the design and construction of the fleet of Westinghouse Electric Company AP1000 nuclear power plants. Duties included resolution of Engineering Design Change Requests and Field Change Requests with multiple discipline and organization interfaces.

Bechtel - Frederick, Maryland, USA – 2009 to 2010

Senior Engineer in the civil/structural branch of the Owners Engineer group supporting the new nuclear power plant design effort for an electric utility in Texas. My position was as a Senior Engineer in the civil/structural branch of the group. I was responsible for providing reviews of prepared specifications, procedures and construction documents for the project which included standard plant structures such as the containment and auxiliary buildings, as well as turbine buildings and other site-specific structures. These documents involved code reconciliations for ACI, AISC, ASCE, ASME and IBC for structural criteria (loads, applications, load combinations, and required design checks).

Sargent & Lundy - FPL Juno Beach Office, Florida, USA – 2006 to 2009

Civil / Structural Lead Engineer responsible for structural engineering support of nuclear plants in South East Florida for maintenance and improvement projects. Duties included prioritizing and scheduling project requests from numerous plants and facilities, coordination with plant staff, corporate management and outside contractors. Projects ranged from structural repairs and modification of plant pipe and system supports, construction of auxiliary plant buildings and structures, to multi-million dollar system upgrades and repairs. Responsible for quality management program within the civil / structural discipline to determine and reconcile performance metrics related to project deliverables.

SDII Global - Tampa, Florida, USA – 2005 to 2006

Forensic Principal Engineer responsible for subsidence reports and subsidence repair monitoring. Duties included signing and sealing reports, field assessment of residential, commercial and military base structures for subsidence, structural damage, and cause and origin of damages.

Progress Energy - Crystal River & Florida Power Plants, USA – 2002 to 2005

Lead Civil Engineer solely responsible for structural engineering support of fossil power plants in West Central Florida for maintenance and improvement projects. Duties included prioritizing and scheduling project requests from numerous plants and facilities, coordination with plant staff, corporate management and outside contractors for the fleet power plants. Initiated quality improvement metric studies to resolve deficiencies in projects across the fleet to balance and improve responses to individual plant needs. Projects range from structural repairs and modification of plant framing, platforms and structures, to condition assessment and construction of facility components, environmental code compliance and utility coordination with FDOT and Counties for the Bartow to Anclote hot oil pipeline.

L. Robert Kimball - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA – 2001 to 2002

Chief Bridge Engineer responsible for the technical and production aspects of bridge and transportation structural design. Role included coordination with civil design of roadways and interface with structures. Projects included single cell precast box culverts, a precast arch bridge, prestressed concrete girder bridges and a prestressed spread box beam bridge. Spans ranged from 10 meters to 150 meters, in single and multiple spans. The bridges spanned rivers, creeks, roadways, railroads and designated wetland areas. Abutments and piers were reinforced concrete founded on spread footings or piles.

Meadow-Burke - Tampa, Florida, USA – 2000 to 2001

Regional Engineering Manager for concrete tilt-up construction buildings for national and international projects for a concrete products manufacturer. Responsibilities included supervision of staff, scheduling, production and invoicing. Provided resolution of unique engineering designs and routinely coordinated project requirements with all facets, including owners and contractors.

Kisinger Campo Associates, Tampa, Florida, USA - 2000

Structural Engineer performing bridge inspection and load rating analysis for new and existing bridges for safe load capacity and posting recommendations. Work also included report review and engineering support for the inspection efforts. Clients included FDOT Districts 1, 4, 6, 7 and Turnpike, as well as Tampa International Airport, Southwest Florida Water Management District and local government such as the City of Tampa.

URS Greiner - Tampa, Florida, USA – 1999 to 2000

Structural Engineer for preliminary design of a two span steel plate girder bridge within an interchange reconstruction in Florida, which included 11 bridges. The superstructure was designed for minimum structure depth in order to reduce adjacent construction. Provided design review and constructability evaluations. Also Structural Engineer for steel plate girder shop drawing review for a portion of expressway ramp bridges. The bridges were curved girder bridges for the Florida Turnpike. Also Structural Engineer for 8 precast segmental concrete bridges within a major interstate interchange in New Mexico. The project included curved multi-level crossings, totaling over 8,600 feet of bridge work. Also Structural Engineer providing review of post-tensioning detailing, bridge geometry and reinforcement.

Teng & Associates - Orlando, Florida, USA – 1998 to 1999

Project Manager for various bridge and marine projects in Florida. Conducted District-wide Bridge Inspections throughout several FDOT districts, responsible for the field inspection, evaluation and report preparation of bridge structures throughout the district. The projects included the structural inspection for numerous fixed bridges from long span trusses to multiple pile bents, concrete slabs, concrete culverts, as well as the mechanical and electrical inspection for eight movable bridges. The scope provided mechanical inspection of bascules, a vertical lift, open gearing, hydraulic systems, underwater inspection, underside inspection of bridges from a barge mounted high lift, and PONTIS report input. Additional inspections were provided for numerous Control Structures in Orange County, Florida, which involved field inspection and hydraulic evaluation of dam structures in Orange County. The structures included sluice gate, vertical gate and Amil-type gate structures. Structural and mechanical deficiencies were noted and repairs recommended. Other projects included rehabilitation of the Lake Monroe Seawall in Sanford, Florida: This project involved several phases of reports, from initial field evaluation of the wall condition, to a design study, to construction documents. Nearly two miles of existing concrete bulkhead was studied, and repair and replacement recommendations provided, which included presentation to the Mayor and Commissioners, as well as coordination with USACE.

Teng & Associates - Chicago, Illinois, USA – 1987 to 1998

Project Manager and Structural Project Engineer for numerous projects in the Midwest. Projects were highway and railway bridges, highways, roadways, civil works, industrial buildings and commercial buildings. Award winning projects include the relocation of Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, and the O’Hare Airport People Mover in Chicago. Projects included:

Project Manager and Structural Project Engineer for the reconstruction of Damen Avenue from 33rd Street to Blue Island Avenue, Chicago: The project included repairs to 1,200 feet of existing retaining wall, a new 4-span steel bridge, 6-span steel bridge, three integral abutment slab bridges, a three-span spliced bulb-tee girder bridge over the Chicago River, mechanically reinforced earth retaining walls with ground improvements, and new sheet piling cofferdam and embankment. The three-span bridge over the Chicago River was also provided with an alternate bid for a composite steel girder system.

Project Manager for facility rehabilitation at Glenview Naval Air Station in Glenview, Illinois: Provided inspection and rehabilitation for several hangers and facility buildings on the Naval Base.

Project Manager for the I-55 Eastbound bridge over Archer Avenue, Chicago: Provided the design of the steel superstructure and deck for a four span curved girder structure.

Structural Engineer for the reconstruction of I-55 from Western Avenue to Wood Street, Chicago: Provided foundation analysis and caisson designs for pier and abutment elements along the expressway ramps and the Damen Avenue interchange. Project included structural design and geometrics for a SPUDI interchange bridge over I-55.

Structural Engineer for portions of a suspended atrium for a suburban Amoco Oil office center near Chicago: The framing was suspended from the ceiling beams with rods and included a stair.

Structural Engineer for structural and light gage steel modifications during construction of a Crate & Barrell store in Park Meadows, Colorado: Field modifications were required due to site conditions and interfacing with existing portions of the mall.

Structural Engineer for the field inspection of a single span deck beam bridge in Deerfield, Illinois: The precast beams exhibited significant deterioration with exposed strands. Field conditions, as well as repair and replacement options including costs were reported.

Structural Engineer providing review of shop drawings for the USPS center in Forest Park, Illinois: Included concrete mix designs, foundation work and structural steel framing.

Field Inspector for the construction of nine bridges along I-57 near Matteson, Illinois: The project included construction engineering services for new structural steel, steel repairs, redecking, concrete deck overlays, approach pavements, concrete repairs, abutment extensions and slopewall replacement.

Structural Project Engineer for the Lake Shore Drive Relocation Project in Chicago: This award winning project involved a three span steel bridge over active commuter tracks, four unique integral abutment cast-in-place concrete bridges, an integral abutment deck slab bridge, conventional retaining walls, mechanically reinforced earth retaining walls, dynamic compaction ground improvements, and architectural precast elements and supports throughout. Roadway and Bridge geometrics were unique and complex.

Structural Project Engineer for evaluation of slab cracking at the new United States Postal Service facility in Chicago: The project included field inspection of cracking in slabs, condition reports and repair recommendations for at grade slabs and elevated parking and loading dock slabs.

Structural Project Engineer for a Building Condition Report, Vandalia, Ohio: Provided the structural and civil inspection and report portions for a three story office complex to assist the Owner in business development decisions. The report cited the existing conditions, deficiencies, and a layered priority system for repairs and improvements and associated costs.

Structural Project Engineer for the design of one bridge and the rehabilitation of two bridges on Exchange Street in Will County, Illinois: The project involved design of a new integral abutment bridge and widening and redecking of two other bridges.

Structural Design Engineer for the I-355 extension for the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority: This project involved the design of two structure options for the 6,600 ft. bridge that will cross the Des Plaines River Valley in Lemont, Illinois.

Structural Project Engineer for a roof support system over a gun range at the new United States Postal Service facility in Chicago: The project included design of a unique hanging structural system to support the concrete roof of an existing gun range, which was being incorporated into the lower level of the new postal facility structure.

Structural Engineer for the preliminary design and TS&L for a bridge on Zurich Road in Joliet Township, Illinois: The project involved design of a new three span bridge over an active freight track to replace a deteriorated timber structure.

Structural Project Engineer for the design of two bridges on Center and Peotone Roads in Will County, Illinois: The project involved design of two new integral abutment bridges to replace existing deteriorated structures.

Structural Design Engineer for the North Ashland Avenue moveable bridge rehabilitation, Chicago: The project included redecking and existing steel repairs for the main moveable span, and replacement of the approach span girder and deck systems.

Structural Project Engineer for a sewer meter facility and deep access shaft on a section of M-59 through the City of Utica, Michigan: The project included structural design of a sewage metering vault and a deep access shaft for main sewer inspection and maintenance, as well as numerous sewer vault structures. Also included was coordination review of the plans for ten bridges and three miles of retaining walls, prepared by another consultant, for integration with the civil and roadway plans.

Structural Engineer for the rating and evaluation of the VanBuren and Polk Street Viaducts, Chicago: The project included inspection, evaluation and rating of the existing structures, non-destructive load testing to verify rating results, and recommendations for replacement including life-cycle costs.

Structural Project Engineer for numerous sewer system projects in the City of Chicago: These projects included structural design of a wide range of sewer vault structures, connections to sanitary district flood tunnels, utility support structures, and development of temporary sheet piling systems to support adjacent bridge piers of an active freight rail bridge during sewer construction.

Structural Design Engineer for the rehabilitation of several double-leaf movable bascule bridges in downtown Chicago: The project included evaluation, rating, steel repairs and redecking details for the existing structures.

Structural Engineer for the Green Bay Road Improvement project for the City of Evanston: The project included retaining wall modifications, embankment studies for an adjacent commuter rail, and miscellaneous landscape and handrail elements.

Structural Project Engineer for the rehabilitation of a light rail line section from Lawrence to Leland Avenue, Chicago: In addition to design, the project involved structural investigation of the elevated track, design and construction staging of a retaining wall and embankment to replace an elevated track section, provisions for future remodeling of the passenger station, reconstruction of a timber passenger platform and profile adjustments to the existing track.

Structural Design Engineer for the rehabilitation of the Lake Street Viaduct, Chicago: The project included replacement of the lower level roadway portion of a two-level three-span structure over active commuter tracks, while maintaining an active light rail transit structure on the upper level.

Structural Engineer for the evaluation of the existing Wacker Drive roadway structure, Chicago, for proposed 25 ton limestone obelisks as part of a streetscape beautification: The project also involved design of repairs and modifications to the existing structure.

Structural Design Engineer for a $60 M replacement of 22 commuter rail bridges on the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company’s Line: The project included complete design of 8 new bridges, four miles of new track alignment and profile, three miles of new retaining wall, and reconstruction of station platforms and signal bridges.

Structural Design Engineer for the widening and rehabilitation of a portion of the Tri-State Tollway for the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority: The project included widening and redecking of 8 bridges, design of a new bridge crossing over the tollway, drainage design, retaining walls, and maintenance of traffic.

Structural Project Engineer for the replacement of the 63rd Street Incline light rail structure, Chicago: The project involved design and construction scheduling of 600 feet of steel superstructure along a curved alignment, coordination with trackwork, track signalization and electrical traction power feeds and relocation at an adjacent power substation. Removal of the existing track access and final connection of the new track was accomplished in a single weekend closure. On site engineering support during the weekend closure was provided.

Structural Design Engineer for an exterior oil tank support, containment and retaining wall structure for a healthcare laboratory: The project included coordination with existing facilities and local authorities.

Structural Design Engineer for a retaining wall system at a commuter terminal station in downtown Chicago: The project included both drainage and retaining wall system studies to alleviate an existing flooding problem and replace an existing deteriorated retaining wall system. Provided structural design of 1,000 feet of retaining wall at a grade separation between two railway tracks.

Structural inspection and evaluation for replacement of a three span bridge providing access to a private residential area in north suburban Chicago: The project included structural and economical options for load restrictions, repairs, and replacement.

Development of TS&L for the deck widening of the Glenwood-Lansing Road bridge over the Calumet Expressway for a Cook County Forest Preserve District bicycle path: This project involved addition of steel girders, pier and abutment widening, and coordination between agencies to match roadway and bicycle path alignments.

Structural Engineer for the design of a 40-foot span girder roof structure carrying Dearborn Street over a remodeled light rail commuter subway platform at the Adams/Jackson Station, Chicago, Illinois: The project included evaluation and modifications of the existing subway structure.

Field inspection of three structures along I-55 near Joliet, Illinois: The project included development of TS&Ls for the three bridges.

Structural Engineer for the rehabilitation of four commuter bridges on the Rock Island District line, Chicago: In addition to bridge inspection and design, the project required design of temporary track runarounds.

Structural Design Engineer for the light rail passenger terminal station and canopy, retaining wall and pedestrian bridge on the Southwest Transit Project Midway line section, Chicago: The project included design for the passenger terminal station with dual canopy platforms; the Midway Tower, a 3-story, 1,600 s.f. structure; and a new triple-track transit line section including a 1,600-foot sound barrier wall and a 1,100-foot retaining wall. The pedestrian bridge is a 1,200-foot, movable walkway which connects the new terminal station to the Midway Airport Terminal.

Structural Design Engineer for numerous retaining walls for new facilities: This work included clients such as the United States Postal Service, Federal Express and American Airlines.

Structural Project Engineer for the inspection and bridge condition report for the Cicero Avenue bridge: This structure is a double-leaf movable bascule bridge, carrying Cicero Avenue over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, Chicago, Illinois.

Structural inspection, preparation of Bridge Condition Report, and rehabilitation design of three I-74 bridges: As part of the inspection, a delam-tec survey of the bridge deck was completed to determine extents for patching or replacement of bridge deck.

Structural Engineer for three pedestrian bridges and three terminal passenger stations on the new Automated Guideway Transit System at O’Hare International Airport: This award winning project featured 170 foot enclosed truss pedestrian bridges and 8,000 s.f. enclosed passenger stations, as well new terminal vestibule structures and connections to the existing terminal buildings.

Structural Design Engineer for the light rail Automated Guideway Transit System at O’Hare International Airport: Provided analysis for the steel superstructure design of the track crossover sections. Rail ties were precast concrete.

Structural Design Engineer for light rail bridge and retaining wall design on the Southwest Transit Halsted/Archer line section, Chicago: The project included design for replacement of three bridges, rehabilitation of two bridges, new retaining walls and modification of existing retaining walls.

Sargent & Lundy - Braidwood Power Plant, Illinois, USA - 1985 to 1987

Field Engineer for the construction of a nuclear power plant. Provided field engineering for modifications to piping support systems. Coordinated work in the field with the contractor, implementing changes on the spot. During the last six months of this assignment functioned as lead engineer for the over-night shift in the containment building.

Sargent & Lundy Engineers - Chicago, Illinois, USA – Summer internship 1978 to 1984

Draftsman and designer for the preliminary design section for power plants: Provided drafting revisions and layouts for general plant arrangements, piping and instrumentation drawings, as well as site plans for proposed power plants and modifications to existing facilities. The last two summers were spent with the structural engineering group to provide office verification of field changes to piping support systems and structural framing.

UNIVERSITY FACULTY POSITIONS

Assistant Adjunct Professor, University of Illinois - Chicago, 1987 to 1988

ORGANIZATIONS AND AWARDS

Structural Engineers Association of Illinois Board of Directors, 1989 to 1991

Contact this candidate