EXPERTISE // PEOPLE

Conrad Paulson

Principal

 
Experience

Conrad Paulson joined WJE in 1982 and has conducted a wide variety of engineering projects. His projects include structural failure investigation, post-earthquake reconnaissance, seismic structural evaluation, investigation and repair of distressed structures, field load testing of structures, and structural laboratory testing. Mr. Paulson is nationally recognized in the fields of historical structural metals and steel bar reinforcement.

Mr. Paulson is a voting member of American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Committee on Specifications, chair of Specification Task Committee TC 7 - Evaluation and Repair (including seismic evaluation and retrofit) which maintains AISC 342 Seismic Provisions for Existing Structural Steel Buildings, and a voting member of TC 8 - Design for Fire Conditions. He is a voting member of American Concrete Institute Committee 318-B - Reinforcement and Development and of Committee 318-1R - Resolution of Anchorage and Development; and an associate member of ASCE/SEI 41 - Seismic Rehabilitation. He has published articles and lectured on earthquake engineering, historical structural systems, and mechanical reinforcing bar splices.

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS

Collapses

  • The Okonite Company - Santa Maria, CA: Investigation of partial collapse of structural steel roof framing system
  • Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) - CA: Construction formwork collapse investigation
  • City of Chicago, Law Department - IL: Fatal partial structural collapse of multistory masonry building under construction

 

Historic Preservation

  • Heceta Head Lighthouse - Florence, OR: Review and assessment of prior repairs to structural cast iron
  • The Marquette Building - Chicago, IL: Structural investigation and design for vertical expansion
  • The Rookery - Chicago, IL: Structural investigation of historical structural framing and foundation systems

 

Failure/Damage/Fire Investigations

  • 442 West Ocean Boulevard - Long Beach, CA: Structural investigation of mat foundation slab damaged by severe hydrostatic uplift
  • National Institute of Standards and Technology - Gaithersburg, MD: Assessment of structural steel recovered from World Trade Center disaster site
  • E.R. Rubin - Philadelphia, PA: Structural investigation of fire damage to thirty-eight-story, steel-framed high-rise building

 

Seismic

  • Hesketh-Henry - Auckland, New Zealand: Litigation support for collapse of Canterbury Television Building during 2011 Christchurch earthquake
  • 12142 Ventura Boulevard- Los Angeles, CA: Structural assessment, development of retrofit design, and construction period services for nonductile concrete structure
  • Aloha Stadium - Honolulu, HI: Seismic and wind structural safety review of existing stadium and design of structural upgrades
Professional Affiliations

American Concrete Institute (ACI)
American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI)
Structural Engineers Association of California and of Southern California (SEAOC and SEAOSC)

Registrations

Civil Engineer in CA
Professional Engineer in IA, IL, KS, and VA
Structural Engineer in IL

Education

Illinois Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, 1979

University of Texas at Austin
Master of Science, Engineering, 1982