Articles

Technical Sessions - August 2018

MORNING SESSION @ 11:00 AM (GEO-INSTITUE)

Topic: Evolution of Earth Retention Systems

Speakers: Chris Robertson & DoHyun Kim, P.E.

Mr. Robertson is the Vice President of Business Development for Oscar Orduno, Inc. and is responsible for coordination of the preconstruction team and the pursuit of new projects that fit the company's design/build and bid/build approach for temporary earth retention systems, underpinning of structures for support of excavation, and permanent retaining walls. Mr. Robertson has a Bachelor's Degree in Construction Engineering Technology from Texas Tech University and he began his career as a general contractor in the DFW area. In 2007 Mr. Robertson was hired by a design/build contractor specializing in earth retention systems and specialty retaining walls where he had opportunities to utilize and adapt conventional earth retention techniques to fit the changes in building practices and the challenges of increasingly tight project sites. Mr. Robertson joined Oscar Orduno, Inc. shortly after the company was formed in 2014 and he continues to focus on improving conventional earth retention techniques while applying his experience in the industry to provide innovative solutions for the growing Texas construction market.

Mr. Kim is a professional engineer registered in Texas and currently working as a Design Engineer in the Geotechnical Structural Engineering department in Orduno Design Services, LLC. Mr. Kim's career covers a wide range of geotechnical and construction materials engineering projects within Texas and Oklahoma, working previously in geotechnical consultant businesses. Mr. Kim has two Masters Degrees with Geotechnical Engineering from the Texas A&M University and Yonsei University in South Korea, and a Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineering from Kyungpook National University in South Korea. With expertise covering earth retention system, transportation and infrastructure projects, including powerplants, wastewater plant foundations and pipeline projects, as well as mid to high rise building foundation design.

AFTERNOON TECHNICAL SESSION @ 1:10 PM (STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING INSTITUTE)

Topic: Probabilistic performance assessment and maintenance of deteriorating structural systems: a life-cycle perspective

Speaker: Dr. Samantha Sabatino

Dr. Sabatino is currently an Assistant Professor of structures and applied mechanics at the University of Texas Arlington within the Civil Engineering Department. She was born and raised in New Jersey and has a long history of enthusiasm for mathematics, science, and engineering. To this end, she earned two bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and civil engineering at Vanderbilt University in 2009. Following her undergraduate studies, Dr. Sabatino enrolled in a civil engineering master’s program at the University of Mississippi. Upon completion of the M.S. degree in 2011, she began her Ph.D. studies at Lehigh University in structural engineering. After defending her dissertation and graduating with her doctoral degree in Spring 2017, Dr. Sabatino moved to Arlington, TX to begin her career as an Assistant Professor teaching introductory level civil engineering courses such as Statics and Structural Analysis.