Concentrated discharge resulted in sinkhole and undermining of wall foundation.

This 25’+ high wall failed within months of construction. It was reconstructed and failed a second time. Why?  Inadequate global stability assessment due to designer’s lack of understanding of site soils.

Lack of stabilization and uncontrolled runoff above the wall resulted in washout of wall and foundation soils.

Undermining of foundation support soils resulted in failure of the wall.

Since May 2015, when GTA hired Mike Whiteman as the Director of Safety, our EMR (Experience Modification Rate) has dropped below 1.00, and our OSHA Total Incident Recordable Rate has been lowered by 0.14.

One of the newest initiatives Mike has developed for GTA, which is sure to lower these rates even further, involves our “Near Miss Program.” A near miss is any type of accident in which a person was not injured, or any circumstance which increases the potential for an injury, if not avoided. The reporting of near misses is a vital component in promoting safety and reducing injuries.

In the trending and tracking world of safety “Near Miss” reporting is crucial and provides multiple benefits. It is used as a valuable leading indicator to identify reoccurring scenarios of poor judgement, and the day and/or time patterns when events are most likely to occur. It can also help to project expected number of first aid and OSHA recordable incidences. With this information, Mike can identify areas of concern in GTA’s safety program to focus future educational programs for the staff in these areas.

In an effort to further entrench the value of and encourage staff to report near misses, GTA has designed a “safety sticker” which is given to staff who report their near misses. Previously, near misses were reported infrequently. Since the establishment of this new incentive, which started in January 2016, near miss reporting has increased 75% from 2015.

It is all about safety in motion…our ongoing effort to keep our staff safe.

Robert Howard, E.I.T.
Associate
COTS
Quakertown, PA Office
RHoward@gtaeng.com

We are pleased to announce that Robert Howard, E.I.T., has been promoted to the position of Associate in our Quakertown, Pennsylvania office.

With 27 years of experience, Rob’s responsibilities include management of construction observation and material testing services (COTS) performed by the office, overseeing the quality assurance and quality control on a variety of commercial, academic, and residential projects; on-site project management and representation; providing training and supervision of field and lab technicians; reports and special inspection letter preparation; and preparing proposals and budgets for a variety of construction projects and work scopes.

Rob received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Drexel University. As member of the Pennsylvania Aggregate and Concrete Association (PACA), he provides class instruction for the ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician-Grade I Certification. Rob serves as the 2016 Vice Chair of the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC) Lehigh Valley Council and is an active member of their Regional Business Development Committee. Rob also serves as the Chair of GTA’s COTS Committee which works to provide increased safety awareness; uniform hiring, training, and testing guidelines; a forum for group discussion, problem solving and member opinion in decision making; team building strategies; and training for future leadership for our 16 offices.

GTA was established in 1985 and specializes in geotechnical engineering, geoscience and environmental consulting, and materials testing engineering. GTA has a staff of more than 300, including 19 in our Quakertown office.

Originally published in Maryland Building Industry
Association’s (MBIA’s) Build Maryland, Sept/Oct 2016 magazine.

Written by: Andy McKeen, P.E.

What is considered a stable slope? A slope with a factor of safety (FOS) of less than 1.0 is considered unstable. The FOS is a measure of the ultimate strength of a system to the actual applied load. So when the applied load is greater than the overall strength, the slope will fail, and the FOS will be less than one. In engineering practice, a slope with a factor of safety of 1.2 to 1.5 is considered stable. What attributes to the stability? There are many factors that contribute, but primarily the soil weight, strength, groundwater, and the overall slope geometry.

GTA is honored to receive Lennar Maryland/Delaware Division’s Land Development Trade Partner of the Year Award.

The award was presented on December 21st by Lennar Vice President, Joe Fortino, and accepted by GTA's Greg Sauter, P.E., V.P./Geotechnical Engineer/Construction Observation and Testing Manager on behalf of the firm.

Lennar Division President, Ryan Houck, expressed his sincere appreciation of GTA’s staff and the valued services that GTA provides to Lennar in all facets of land development acquisition and during construction.

Robert Dykstra, P.E.
Vice President
Geotechnical Engineering
Construction Observation
and Testing

NYC Metro Office
(201) 641-1850
RDykstra@gtaeng.com

Geo-Technology Associates, Inc. is pleased to announce the promotion of Robert Dykstra, P.E., to Vice President. 

Rob Dykstra is Vice President responsible for work performed out of GTA’s New York Metropolitan office, which he opened in 2014. Rob is a New Jersey and New York licensed geotechnical engineer, with 27 years of experience, who specializes in providing value-based geotechnical solutions to problematic soils and construction challenges. He provides responsive project management and geotechnical engineering, as well as technical assistance and oversight to field personnel during drilling and construction operations and testing for residential, commercial, and institutional projects in NY City and NY State (dba GTA Engineering Services of NY, P.C.), and in northern New Jersey, and southern Connecticut. He is particularly knowledgeable of the New York Metropolitan area market and geology. He has obtained certification from the American Concrete Institute as a Concrete Laboratory Technician Level II.

His responsibilities include coordination of subsurface exploration operations, lab testing, and preparation of geotechnical exploration reports, as well as, the design of driven piles, micro-piles, and underpinning, support of excavation walls and other structures. He also provides project management and technical oversight of construction observation and testing, including concrete, masonry and structural steel services for the New York office. Rob’s field experience includes monitoring, testing, and evaluation of the placement/suitability of controlled fill, foundation soils, underpinning, slope stabilization measures, retaining walls, drilled shafts, micro-piles, driven piles and other various geotechnical and construction monitoring activities.

Rob earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Calvin College in Michigan, and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Rob was the geotechnical Project Manager for the geotechnical design of the 21-story Riverwalk 7 residential building on Roosevelt Island; a 42-story hotel in Manhattan; the VUE, which is a 7-story residential building in Hackensack, New Jersey; as well as numerous other projects throughout New York’s 5 boroughs, northern New Jersey, Long Island, and lower New York State. He is currently managing the special inspection services for the $280,000,000 Ambulatory Care Pavilion, a multi-story medical facility on the Valhalla Campus of Westchester Medical Center in New York.

A recently-constructed micro-bioretention facility which is holding water due to clogging and saturation of the planting media. It was determined that the proportions of the silt and clay within the planting media were at or just above the specified ranges.

A micro-bioretention facility in which the planting media has been clogged by runoff from nearby stockpiles and exposed subgrade prior to paving.

A related concern is that even properly designed and constructed facilities require more maintenance than the old SWM ponds and the construction of so many facilities on large developments will create the need for significant maintenance in the future (maintenance that could be the responsibility of private homeowners and could be relatively invasive or costly). Property owners, HOAs, and private residents are not necessarily prepared to handle (or will not know how to perform) this maintenance. This could result in the failure of many of these facilities and significant maintenance costs. ESD facilities that don’t function properly would likely result in the creation of “swampy” areas, which could draw mosquitos and create perched water pockets.

Only time will tell if these concerns materialize and a large number of ESD facilities begin to under-perform. In the meantime, the following steps should be taken to reduce the likelihood of these issues:

• Retain a qualified geotechnical engineer to perform a proper evaluation of the subsurface conditions. Many design professionals and County agencies have interpreted the MDE requirements for quantity or locations of explorations differently. In reality, the boring locations should be recommended by the geotechnical engineer based on site geology and other site-specific issues. It is a good idea to run the proposed scope by the appropriate County reviewer to verify compliance with the County’s interpretation of the requirements. If infiltration techniques are being considered, in-situ infiltration testing should be performed and supplemented by laboratory testing as appropriate.
• The project designer should understand geotechnical recommendations and other site constraints and incorporate them into the facility design. The function and design of many systems, particularly pervious pavements, are poorly understood or implemented by many designers. Each type of facility has different design constraints and the ESD device selection is highly dependent on the subsurface conditions, such as soil types and depth to water. It may also be appropriate to modify or augment the standard details by adding underdrains or revising the inflow or outflow features based on site-specific constraints. Details of each proposed facility should be clearly depicted on the plans and all materials to be used, as well as maintenance requirements, should be clearly specified.
• Proper construction sequencing is important to avoid problems. If planting media is placed prior to construction of adjacent pavements, sediment in the runoff from surrounding soils can clog the media. Furthermore, the construction of houses and nearby ESD facilities should be coordinated such that the construction of footings doesn’t impact a previously-constructed facility, or the construction of a facility will not undermine a previously built footing. Design of adjacent retaining walls should also take into account the fact that excavations will periodically be required in the ESD facility for maintenance.
• A qualified engineer (ideally, the geotechnical engineer that performed the subsurface evaluation) should be on-site to observe the construction and test the materials being used in the ESD facilities. The gradation of the planting media should be carefully evaluated prior to placement. We recommend that the silt and clay content of this material should be maintained at the lower end of the accepted range to minimize the likelihood of clogging. Also, the contractor should be sure to remove any sediment remaining in the facility excavation prior to construction and should be careful to avoid excessive compaction of the facility subgrade. The on-site geotechnical engineer should evaluate the subgrade prior to construction and, if overly compacted, should recommend that the contractor tills or aerates it prior to construction.

Of course, the potential for headaches and cost overruns can be reduced by retaining qualified civil and geotechnical engineering consultants to work together to perform an appropriate SWM facility design.

John P. Moscati
Associate
Construction Observation
and Testing Services

Charlotte, NC Office

We are pleased to announce the addition of John P. Moscati as Associate of GTA Associates, Inc.’s (GTA) Charlotte, North Carolina office. With over 14 years of experience in the engineering and construction industry, John is responsible for managing construction observation and material testing services, as well as developing new clients and project opportunities in the Carolinas.

John’s role includes overseeing the quality assurance and quality control on a variety of commercial, residential, and institutional projects; on-site project management and representation; providing training and supervision of field and lab technicians; reports and special inspection letter preparation; and preparing proposals and budgets for a variety of construction projects and work scopes.

John received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology – Earth Sciences from State University of New York College at Buffalo. He is Board Member of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in Charlotte and is a passionate volunteer year-round with the foundation.

GTA Associates, Inc. (GTA), a subsidiary of Geo-Technology Associates, Inc. (GTA), performs environmental consulting, geotechnical engineering, and construction observation and materials testing services throughout North and South Carolina.

There are steps that you can take to prevent this scenario from happening to you. These steps start before the concrete is ordered, continue the day of placement and include the days and weeks following placement.

PRE-POUR
When contracting a concrete company, make sure your contract includes details about the mix design, finishing and curing the concrete. All of these contribute to the appearance and durability of the concrete. It is also wise to hold a pre-construction conference to discuss materials and procedures when you have large highly visible concrete pours planned.

Water cement ratios and admixtures matter. A water to cement ratio, weight of water divided by weight of cementitious material in a mix, of 0.45 is recommended. Higher water to cement ratios, more water, result in less durable concrete. Air entrained concrete is a must for exterior concrete or concrete that will be exposed to freeze-thaw cycles during construction. Air entraining admixtures create small regularly sized and spaced air bubble in the mix. The air bubbles in the concrete allow a place for water and ice crystals during freezing and thawing. If air entrainment is lacking, internal pressure in the concrete builds and the durability of the concrete will be a problem.

Finishing concrete too early or too late can both have a detrimental effect on the concrete’s surface. If the concrete is floated or troweled before the bleed water comes to the surface, water can be trapped under the surface leading to delamination. If the concrete is finished too late, the paste that is moved by the trowel may not bond to the rest of the concrete well. Making sure you get experienced finishers, and when possible, finishers certified by the American Concrete Institute (ACI), can make a difference in the final product.

Curing the concrete is often overlooked but very important. If the water evaporates from the surface of the concrete before the surface hardens, it can negatively impact the surface. This is especially true of concrete mixes that use fly ash or other non-Portland cementitious material. If the hydration of the non-Portland cementitious material stops, the surface may not harden even if water is added later. You should make it clear to the contractor that you expect the concrete to be cured properly through the use of curing compounds, membranes, or wet curing.

You should also consider having the concrete placement and curing observed and tested by a material testing technician who is certified by ACI, WACEL, NICET or MARTCP. Make sure your testing firm knows that you are just as concerned about finishing, curing and the appearance of the concrete as you are about the strength of the concrete.

POUR DAY
If you are on site the day of the pour, check the concrete tickets to make sure that the correct mix is being delivered and that air entrainment is used for exterior concrete. Note if the contractor adds water to the concrete. Adding water prior to placement will change the water to cement ratio, unless the batch plant withheld some of the mix water. Adding water to the surface of the concrete during placement will have a negative impact of the surface. If you are not on site, the certified materials technician should notify you if the contractor adds water.

Prior to the concrete being finished, you should look for some water, bleed water, to come to the surface of the concrete and the water should start to dissipate. If the floating or troweling starts before this happens, talk to your concrete finisher. Again, the materials testing technician can help with this.

Make sure the concrete company has a curing compound, plastic sheeting, or burlap to protect the concrete from evaporation after the concrete is floated and troweled. The burlap may need to be rewetted regularly to be effective. Water can also be ponded on the surface after the finishing is complete. When freezing is possible, make sure that they have blankets or other means of protecting the concrete. The blankets can also protect the surface from evaporation.

MAINTENANCE
Never use deicing salts of any kind on concrete that has not cured. ACI recommends that concrete be allowed to achieve a compressive strength of at least 3000 psi before it is exposed to deicing salts. This will likely take 28 days unless you are using a higher strength concrete. Where the appearance of the concrete is more critical, it would be wise to wait a couple of months before exposing the concrete to deicing salts. Sand can be used for traction during this time. There are also compounds that can protect the surface, if you need to use deicing salts on the concrete earlier. Never use Ammonia Sulfate or Ammonia Nitrate as a deicer, they are too corrosive.

If you keep these steps in mind, you are likely to have attractive, durable concrete for years to come.

Benjamin Dinsmore, P.E.
Vice President
Geotechnical Engineering
Construction Observation
and Testing

Laurel, MD Office
(410) 792-9446
BDinsmore@gtaeng.com

We are pleased to announce the promotion of Benjamin T. Dinsmore, P.E., to the position of Vice President of GTA.

As a Vice President with GTA and licensed Professional Engineer in Maryland with 21 years of experience, Ben is responsible for managing the Geotechnical Engineering group in GTA’s Laurel, Maryland office. In this role, he coordinates and oversees drilling and other subsurface exploration operations, laboratory testing, and engineering evaluations, and prepares geotechnical exploration reports for a wide range of projects.

Ben routinely provides geotechnical recommendations for large residential developments, all aspects of retail/commercial developments, and designs foundations to support high-rise buildings. He also performs slope stability evaluations, designs retaining walls, underdrain systems, micropiles, and other structures in support of these developments. He is particularly knowledgeable of the Baltimore and Maryland-National Capital area market and geologic conditions and associated challenges. Ben provides technical assistance and oversight to field personnel during drilling and construction operations and testing for a variety of infrastructure, government, commercial, and residential projects. His field experience includes monitoring, testing, and evaluation of the placement/suitability of controlled fill, foundation soils, reinforced concrete, structural steel, pavements, slope stabilization measures, retaining walls, micropiles, and other various geotechnical and construction monitoring activities.

He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Bucknell University, in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania in 1998. He also attended graduate school at the University of Maryland with a focus in Geotechnical Engineering. He is a member of the following professional and industry organizations: American Society of Civil Engineers, Washington Building Congress (WBC), Maryland Building Industry Association (MBIA).

Ben’s team of eight engineering professionals is actively working on several large residential developments in the rapidly growing Prince George’s County, several high-rise buildings and mixed-use developments in Baltimore, and all jurisdictions in between.

Gregory J. Doyle, LEED AP
Associate
Due Diligence Consulting

NYC Metro Office
(201) 641-1850
GDoyle@gtaeng.com

We are pleased to announce that Gregory J. Doyle, LEED AP, has joined GTA as an Associate of the firm.

Greg heads up GTA’s lender services due diligence division and the environmental group at our NYC Metro office, and has over 23 years of experience in the inspection and assessment of commercial real estate including office, retail, multi-family and industrial facilities. He is responsible for providing and managing Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), Property Condition Assessments (PCAs), Records Search with Risk Assessments, Transaction Screen Assessments, Third Party Reviews, and seismic and zoning studies for lenders, developers, property owners, engineering firms, and contractors throughout the region. Greg has also been charged with expanding GTA’s due diligence division nationwide.

Previously, Mr. Doyle worked for IVI International, Inc. / CBRE, Inc., where during his 23 years with the firm, he helped grow and manage the company’s assessment due diligence division. His roles included Department Manager, Senior Business Systems Analyst and Vice President – Quality Assurance / Quality Control.

Mr. Doyle has conducted and managed assessments in accordance with ASTM Standards, USEPA’s All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI) Rule, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD Guidelines and other client specific scopes of work. He has self-performed over 800 Phase I ESAs and been the technical reviewer on thousands of environmental assessments conducted throughout the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. He has conducted and overseen lead-based paint and asbestos surveys, underground storage tank assessments, wastewater treatment and disposal system design, asbestos air monitoring and asbestos abatement management; Project Management for Phase II investigations consisting of designing sampling plans for soil and groundwater investigations and remediation oversight; regulatory review of Phase II, III & IV reports to determine risk of contaminant plume migration; designed Asbestos & Lead Based Paint Operations & Maintenance (O&M) programs; and conducted air quality dispersion modeling from point source releases. Additionally, he has performed thousands of third-party reviews of Phase I, II, and III reports. He has worked on State Hazardous Waste Sites and National Priority List (NPL) sites; some of the most contaminated properties in the U.S. He has also managed day-to-day office operations and provided quality control along with training, mentoring and technical advisement to the field and reviewer staff.

Mr. Doyle’s vast experience and technical knowledge enable him to provide recommendations tailored to the specific needs of individual real estate transactions which often results in resolution of potential environmental issues early in the transaction timeline, providing great client outcomes.

Greg received his Bachelor of Science degree in Atmospheric Sciences / Meteorology, with a minor in Technology in Society from State University of New York (SUNY), Stony Brook, NY. His education includes additional environmental studies at Rutgers University and New York University. Greg is a US Green Building Council, L.E.E.D. Accredited Professional; a member of ASTM Committee E50 on Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action; and a member of Environmental Bankers Association.

Shepard S. Winckler
Associate
Due Diligence Consulting

Laurel, MD Office
(410) 320-0805
SWinckler@gtaeng.com

We are pleased to announce that Shepard S. Winckler has joined GTA as an Associate of the firm.

Shep brings 25 years of experience in environmental consulting to GTA, where he will manage projects and clients in GTA’s largest office. Throughout his career, Shep has served private real estate owners and developers, multi-family housing operators, REITs and pension fund investors, property managers, commercial lenders, attorneys, insurance companies, telecommunications carriers, and local governments. Shep has managed and performed transactional due diligence, environmental investigation, and remediation at over 1,000 sites throughout the United States, with primary focus on the eastern states. His work has included Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs); removal and closure of underground storage tanks (USTs) and associated contaminated soil and groundwater; performing site investigations to characterize the extent and severity of soil, surface water, groundwater, and soil vapor contamination; operation and maintenance of subsurface remediation systems and equipment; and characterization and management of hazardous and regulated wastes for proper disposal.

Additionally, Shep has managed and performed microbial (mold) assessment and remediation, indoor radon and volatile organic compound (VOC) sampling and mitigation, asbestos survey and abatement, lead-based paint survey, and lead-in-drinking water sampling in hundreds of multi-family apartment and commercial properties.

He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Geosciences from Pennsylvania State University, and he is a member of Geoprofessional Business Association and Maryland Building Industry Association.

Donny Sousa, CWI
Associate
Construction Observation & Testing Services

Somerset, NJ Office
(908) 358-3508
DSousa@gtaeng.com

We are pleased to announce the Promotion of Donny Sousa to Associate of GTA.

With more than 25 years of experience in the construction industry, including 10 years with GTA, Donny manages the construction observation and testing (COT) services department at GTA’s Somerset, New Jersey office. As an Associate with GTA, Donny is responsible for quality assurance and quality control on a wide variety of COT projects, as well as Special Inspections for structural fill placement, footing subgrade bearing capacity, concrete placement, reinforcing steel, structural masonry, structural steel bolting and welding, spray-applied fireproofing, and exterior insulation finishing system (EIFS) for our various clients across the NY/NJ area. Donny provides training, mentoring, and oversight of field engineering technicians and laboratory operations. Additionally, he assesses field problems and provides technical assistance on various commercial and residential projects.

Donny’s construction expertise began in the concrete industry. He has hands-on expertise in the concrete construction phase of projects, from working as a foreman at a concrete company to starting his own contracting company prior to joining GTA. He is able to assist clients with troubleshooting concrete and earthwork construction while providing cost-effective solutions without sacrificing quality.

Donny is an active member of his local communities where he grew up in Elizabeth and Newark, New Jersey and strives to make a difference in development projects utilizing GTA’s resources.

Donny is an active member of the International Code Council (ICC), American Concrete Institute (ACI), American Welding Society (AWS), American Wall and Ceiling Institute (AWCI), New Jersey Dept. of Community Affairs (DCA), New Jersey Building Officials Association (NJBOA), and Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).

John L. Wirth, P.E., was a founding father of Geo-Technology Associates, Inc. (GTA) and the first president of the company. As company president, John spent countless hours ensuring the company’s success. John’s leadership, engineering knowledge, ethics, dedication, and business acumen laid the foundation of the success of GTA, which is now a 375-person firm with 15 offices in seven states. John’s tenure was from 1985 until 2000 when he retired.

In addition to John’s leadership at GTA, he was highly involved in local community sports. Over the years, John coached over 30 different teams, impacting hundreds of youth participants in softball, basketball, and football. He also served on the Fallston Recreation Council Board and as the Fallston Recreation Softball Commissioner. While his children attended Fallston High School, he took on the role of Cougar Boosters President.

After losing a battle with a rare form of cancer, John died at the age of 64 on April 3, 2017. GTA was compelled to honor the memory of the man who laid the foundation of the firm’s success. What better way to memorialize John Wirth than building a structure on the grounds where he spent much time in the love of sports and community?

GTA contacted the Fallston Recreation Council with their ideas, and submitted plans for two dugouts at the Fallston Recreation Complex. With approval by the Rec Council, Harford County Parks & Recreation and Planning & Zoning, construction was the next step. Craig Rodano, P.G., and Tom Wirth, P.E. (John’s son), both Executive Vice Presidents of GTA, worked evenings and weekends over a three-month period to complete the two concrete dugouts.

The dedication was held on May 18, 2019, opening day of the Fallston Rec’s Softball Program. Softball Commissioner, Laurie Mace, whom John also coached, introduced the Wirth family who was in attendance. Tom Wirth, who continues to serve the Fallston Rec Council, said a few words to commemorate his dad’s dedication to the Fallston program.

If you knew John, it will warm your heart and put a smile on your face as you drive along Mountain Road (Route 152), in Fallston, where if you look towards the rec fields you will see the words, “John Wirth Field,” on the backside of a green colored dugout.

Tim Fowler
Associate
Construction Observation & Testing Services

Frederick, MD Office
(301) 682-5226
TFowler@gtaeng.com

We are pleased to announce the promotion of Timothy P. Fowler to Associate of GTA.

With more than 24 years of experience in the construction industry, including 12 years with GTA, Tim is responsible for managing GTA’s Frederick, Maryland office with regards to daily operations, business development, and community involvement, and GTA’s projects with regards to problem identification and resolution as they apply to geotechnical, construction, and environmental issues.

As an Associate with GTA, Tim is responsible for managing quality assurance and quality control on a wide variety of construction observation and testing projects, as well as Special Inspections for residential, commercial, and government projects across the MD/DC/VA area. His experience has included management and field inspection and testing of controlled fill, stormwater management facilities, chemical stabilization, asphalt placement and coring, pervious concrete testing, foundation inspections, cast-in-place concrete, slope stabilization, retaining walls, sediment and erosion control (NPDES inspections), and other various geotechnical and construction monitoring activities. Additionally, he provides training, mentoring, and oversight of GTA’s field engineering technicians, management and office staff, and laboratory operations.

Tim is an active member of American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM); WACEL’s Certification Exam Committee; Frederick County Chamber of Commerce; Frederick County Builders Industry Association; and Maryland Construction Network.

Michael W. Derr, PE
Vice President
Geotechnical Engineering

Quakertown, PA Office
(484) 294-0878
MDerr@gtaeng.com

As a Vice President with GTA and licensed Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey with 20 years of experience (17 with GTA), Mike is responsible for geotechnical design and consultation services during the planning and construction of residential, commercial, academic, retail, industrial, and public projects. Additionally, his responsibilities include overseeing quality assurance and quality control; providing training and supervision of field and laboratory staff; overseeing the Quakertown soils and concrete laboratory; and preparing reports, drawings, proposals, and budgets for a variety of design and construction projects.

Mike routinely provides geotechnical design and/or manages construction special inspections and testing of modular block retaining walls, temporary shoring and slopes, reinforced soil slopes, mechanically stabilized earth walls, pavement design, shallow and deep foundations, foundation underpinning, ground modification and stabilization, groundwater studies, and subsurface explorations associated with stormwater best practices. He has experience with projects located within sinkhole prone geology, requiring specialized sinkhole and subsurface stabilization methods.

In addition, Mike is certified as a Special Inspector by The City of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspection and by the New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs. Mike is also an American Welding Society Certified Welding Inspector.

He received his Bachelor of Science degree in business management from Colby-Sawyer College in 2002 and his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Drexel University in 2006.

Mike is a member and past president of the Lehigh Valley Chapter of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and a member of American Welding Society, Lehigh Valley Engineering Council, and Delaware Valley Geo-Institute. He was named “Young Engineer of the Year,” in 2016, by Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers, Lehigh Valley Chapter.

He is currently overseeing several large residential, commercial, and industrial projects in Pennsylvania.

Donny Sousa, CWI
Vice President
Construction Observation & Testing Services

Somerset, NJ Office
(908) 358-3508
DSousa@gtaeng.com

Donny Sousa has been promoted to Vice President of GTA. With 26 years of experience in the construction industry, including 11 years with GTA, Donny is responsible for managing the construction observation and testing (COT) services department at GTA’s Somerset, New Jersey office. He provides quality assurance and quality control on a wide variety of COT projects, as well as Special Inspections for structural fill placement, footing subgrade bearing capacity, concrete placement, reinforcing steel, structural masonry, structural steel bolting and welding, spray-applied fireproofing, and exterior insulation finishing system (EIFS) for our various clients across the NY/NJ area. Donny provides training, mentoring, and oversight of field engineering technicians and laboratory operations. Additionally, he assesses field problems and provides technical assistance on various commercial and residential projects.

Donny’s construction expertise began in the concrete industry. He has hands-on expertise in the concrete construction phase of projects, from working as a foreman at a concrete company to starting his own contracting company prior to joining GTA. He is able to assist clients with troubleshooting concrete and earthwork construction while providing cost-effective solutions without sacrificing quality.

He received an Associate in Business degree from Union County College in 2000. Donny is an active member of his local communities where he grew up in Elizabeth and Newark, New Jersey and he strives to make a difference in development projects utilizing GTA’s resources.

Donny is an active member of the International Code Council (ICC), American Concrete Institute (ACI), American Welding Society (AWS), American Wall and Ceiling Institute (AWCI), New Jersey Dept. of Community Affairs (DCA), New Jersey Building Officials Association (NJBOA), Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), and NAIOP New Jersey.

He is currently overseeing GTA staff for several large commercial, retail, and residential projects located in within 10 New Jersey counties along with assisting our NY Metro office on various projects.