Alexander R. Danto

Experience

Zander Danto is involved with various projects, including seismic evaluations and retrofits, failure investigations, condition assessments, nondestructive evaluations, and structural analysis of existing and historical structures. His structural investigations often include litigation consulting. Since joining WJE in 2021, he has performed seismic retrofits of historic structures, condition assessments, and evaluations of existing buildings using visual and nondestructive testing methods, and has analyzed numerous structures spanning modern and archaic construction materials.

 

 

 

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS

Seismic

• Historic Structure - Alcatraz Island, CA: Seismic retrofit for historic unreinforced concrete building
• Crystal Cove Beach Cottages - Laguna Beach, CA: Development of new foundation system to resist seismic loads on historic beach cottages
• Apartment Complex - San Francisco, CA: Development of conceptual repair plans for an apartment complex severely damaged in a gas main explosion

 

Failure/Damage Investigations

• Apartment Complex - Las Vegas, NV: Investigation of post-tensioned concrete podium slabs following large superstructure fire; determination of extent of damage to the concrete, post-tensioning, and mild steel within the concrete elements
• Medical Office Building - Las Vegas, NV: Investigation of claims of faulty construction in post-tensioned slabs
• Office Building - Santa Clara, CA: Documentation and investigation into the cause of slab uplift failure in subterranean parking garage
• 9441 Las Tunas Drive - Temple City, CA: Investigation into collapse of wood-frame commercial building facade
• Fast Food Restaurant - Lafayette, CA: Investigation into claims of seismic damage to building finishes and facade

 

Nondestructive Evaluation

• Water Treatment Plant - Santa Clara County, CA: Investigation of reinforcing deficiencies in newly constructed water treatment plant structures
• Apartment Complex - Burlingame, CA: Investigation of leaking basement walls to document quality of construction and identify causes of the leaks
• Warehouse - Brisbane, CA: Identification of  reinforcement in concrete slab to confirm as-built construction for structural analysis and locate destructive sampling away from reinforcing bars

 

Structural Analysis/Computer Applications

• Medical Office Building - San Mateo, CA: Analysis of composite concrete beams and slab to determine the reduced structural capacity caused by construction error in slab thicknesses
• Historic Structure - Mesa Grande, AZ: Design of new roof and diaphragm system for a protective canopy structure

 

Historic Preservation

• Historic Structure - Santa Barbara, CA: Seismic retrofit and roof replacement of a historic adobe structure focusing on returning the structure to a historically accurate representation
• Historic Structure - Lebec, CA: Seismic analysis of a historic adobe structure to determine seismic vulnerabilities
• Historic Structure - Sausalito, CA: Repair of damaged lintels in basement to maintain the function of the structure

 

Litigation Consulting

• Steel Fracture Investigation - San Francisco, CA: Litigation support on builder’s risk claim into steel plate girder fracture in transit facility
• Landslide - Sausalito, CA: Investigation into landslide causation and structural damage
• Housing Development - Maui, HI: Litigation support for construction defect claims for wood-frame townhome complex

Professional Affiliations

Structural Engineering Association of Northern California, co-vice chair of Younger Member Forum

Education

University of California, Berkeley
Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, 2019
Master of Science, Structural Engineering, Mechanics, and Materials, 2020