Structural Engineering: Concrete Structures Research, Design, Use and Failure Investigations: (1268)
Expertise
Professional Engineer in Texas.
Forensic study of concrete components and structures: Design, use, wear and concrete failure mechanisms.
Registered Engineer in Ghana
Construction materials expertise with primary focus on all types of concrete technology and concrete structures.
Concrete repair and restoration and associated research and development.
Oil well cementing materials and systems.
Expert witness for litigation involving architecturally structures, particularity those made from concrete.
Experience
Independent Consultant, Houston, Texas 1991 - 2000
Limestone Products (Ghana) Ltd., Takoradi, Ghana, 1994 - 1996
Southwestern Laboratories, Inc., Houston, Texas, 1989 - 1991
Law Engineering, Houston, Texas, 1986 - 1988
Dowell Schlumberger, Inc., Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1982 – 1986
Repair and Rehabilitation of Concrete Structures
Conducted condition surveys, non-destructive tests and laboratory tests after explosion in the kitchen of a hotel in Galveston, Texas. Recommended rehabilitation materials and methods based on test results.
The dome on the 90-year old Civil Court Building in Houston was to be repaired. Inspection of the structure, non-destructive tests and laboratory tests were performed and recommendations for repair work made.
Evaluation of concrete structural elements of Coker plants at refineries in Houston and New Orleans. Recommended materials for repairing the structures and wrote specifications to perform the work.
Material Evaluation
Evaluated limestone deposits in Ghana for Portland cement production.
Evaluation of concrete samples at a refinery in Argentina.
Evaluation concrete pedestals for structural integrity at the construction of power generation plant in Cuiaba, Brazil
Quality Control of Products
Ascertained quality of fly ash from two power plants in Arkansas and Texas.
Evaluated quality of clinker at a cement plant and recommended means to improve on quality of product.
Research and Development
Fly Ash, Tulsa, Oklahoma - Directed research on Class “C” fly ash for use in cementing oil wells under varying temperature and pressure conditions. Developed products based on research findings. Co-author of patent on product developed.
Developed a foamed inorganic binding materials for use as underground support and removal of hazardous ions in the underground waters of a superfund project. Co-author of patent on the product developed.
Formulated a 16,000 psi grout as a substitute for marble blocks used by client to evaluate drill bits at a manufacturing plant.
Forensic Work
Investigation of causes of cracks in concrete foundation.
Consulting service in litigation case involving pre-mature deterioration of asphalt concrete pavement.
Expert Witness
Provided expert testimony in court in the case of cracks in concrete foundation.
Laboratory evaluation of defective materials. Attorney: Bill Joseph
Provided expert testimony at a deposition in the case of cracked structural elements of a condominium.
Evaluated testimony and helped attorney prepare for deposition involving burns sustained by a worker as a result of contact with fresh concrete.
Environmental Assessment & Remediation
Site evaluation and removal of asbestos from a high rise office complex in Dallas, Texas (Mockingbird Towers).
Building survey for asbestos containing materials in a high rise office complex in Houston, Texas (Dresser Tower).
Analysis of lead-bearing deposit on a masonry wall near waste deposit site.
Honors & Publications
D.Sc. Awarded by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, 2005
Professional affiliations: American Institute for Chemists (Fellow); American Concrete Institute; American Society for Testing and Materials; American Academy of Forensic Sciences; Ghana Institution of Engineers (Fellow)
Studies of Low Porosity Concrete Designed for Bridge Deck Applications
Investigating the Causes of Deterioration of a Concrete Structure on the Texas Gulf Coast - A Case Study
Determination of Silica Fume in Unhydrated, Blended, Dry-Packed Mixture and Hydrated Mortar
Patents: CO2 - Enhanced Hydrocarbon Recovery with Corrosion-Resistant Cement; Method for Underground Support and Removal of Hazardous Ions in Ground Waters
Education
MBA, University of Houston
Ph.D., Purdue University
M.S., Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague
B.S., University of Science and Technology, Kumasi