Buildings - Morteza Mirshekari

NAVFAC SW, NAB Coronado New Club & Catering Center, Coronado, CA

Technical reviewer for the geotechnical evaluation performed for development of a new 6,000-square-foot Club and Catering Center facility at the Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) in Coronado, California. The investigation included soil boring and SCPT soundings to characterize subsurface conditions, which primarily consisted of artificial fill, marine bay deposits, and dense old paralic deposits. Groundwater was encountered at approximately 9 feet below ground surface.

Key hazards evaluated included liquefaction potential, dynamic settlement, seismic ground shaking, and tsunami risk due to the site’s proximity to active fault zones and San Diego Bay. A site-specific ground motion hazard analysis was performed using both probabilistic and deterministic methods per ASCE 7-16 and UFC 3-301-01 to develop seismic design parameters. Results indicated high liquefaction susceptibility and estimated post-liquefaction settlements of up to 5 inches. To mitigate the risk of differential settlement, proposed alternatives included ground improvement techniques and auger cast-in-place piles.

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First Presbyterian Church Improvements Project, San Diego, CA

Lead Engineer for the First Presbyterian Church Improvements project. The project consisted of the design and construction of elevated courtyard patio decking supported on column foundations, the addition of a courtyard elevator, and the design and construction of a pedestrian bridge. Atlas explored the subsurface conditions by advancing multiple borings and performing the associated laboratory testing. The geotechnical recommendations included design parameters for shallow foundations and micropiles, seismic parameters per CBC 2022, excavation characteristics of the subsurface materials, temporary excavation/shoring design parameters, remedial grading, and preliminary pavement structural sections.

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UC Riverside Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Facility, Riverside, CA

Lead geotechnical engineer for geotechnical exploration for the proposed five-story academic building to support the design-build delivery of the project. The site investigation included borings, SCPT, and percolation testing. Subsurface conditions included undocumented fill and old alluvial fan deposits. Recommendations addressed seismic classification, infiltration feasibility, and preliminary foundation design input for design-build bidding.

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San Diego American Indian Health Center, San Diego, CA

Lead geotechnical engineer for the investigation supporting design and construction of a six-story health center with four underground garage levels. Subsurface materials included undocumented fill, very old paralic deposits, and San Diego Formation. Recommendations addressed deep excavation, shoring design, seismic parameters, and use of shallow or mat foundations on competent bedrock.

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Monroe Street Pool Renovation, Carlsbad, CA

Technical reviewer for the updated investigation for a major pool renovation and expansion project. Borings and associated laboratory testing were performed to assess fill, very old paralic deposits, and Santiago Formation. Percolation testing was also performed to address the infiltration rates of the subsurface sediments. Recommendations included shallow and mat foundation design, retaining walls, Cast-In-Drilled-Hole (CIDH) piles for light poles, evaluation of expansive soils, infiltration feasibility, pipeline bedding, backfill, and modulus of subgrade reaction, and preliminary pavement sections.

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SBCUSD, Mechanical Upgrades at Three Elementary Schools, San Bernardino, CA

Lead geotechnical engineer for the subsurface investigation and design recommendations for mechanical yard upgrades at Emmerton, North Park, and Bonnie Oehl Elementary Schools. The investigations included soil borings and sampling, concrete coring, and environmental sampling to evaluate subsurface conditions and potential hazards. Subsurface soils primarily consisted of fill underlain by alluvial fan deposits with dense silty sands and sandy silts. Groundwater was not encountered at any of the sites. Key evaluations included seismic design per ASCE 7-16, liquefaction and fault rupture potential, and expansive soil mitigation. Recommendations addressed shallow foundation design, slab-on-grade construction, remedial grading, and environmental screening of on-site soils.

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NAVFAC SW, P855 Training Tank Forensic Testing, NAB Coronado, CA

Lead engineer for the forensic investigation of a recently constructed training tank and underwater viewing room at NAB Coronado exhibiting signs of water intrusion. The study included a water tightness test per ACI 350.1-10, crack mapping, Schmidt hammer testing for in-place concrete strength, ground penetrating radar (GPR), and impact echo testing to identify potential internal voids and delamination. Key observations included water loss determination per day, localized concrete cracking and moisture intrusion, and non-destructive concrete strength measurements. GPR and impact echo testing identified areas of potential voids and poor concrete integrity, aiding the structural assessment of the viewing room and training tank.

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U-Haul Facility, Santa Fe Springs, California

I led the engineering efforts pertaining to the geotechnical analyses and design for this six-story, at-grade U-Haul facility in the SoCal area. The engineering services provided in this project included geotechnical foundation design, lateral earth pressure calculations, site-specific ground motion hazard study, liquefaction analysis, pavement design, and earthwork recommendations.

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U-Haul Facility, San Bernardino, CA

Lead geotechnical engineer for the investigation supporting expansion of an existing U-Haul facility in San Bernardino. The scope included borings, SCPT soundings, laboratory testing, and infiltration testing to characterize undocumented fill and axial-channel deposits. Geotechnical recommendations included remedial grading, spread footing and mat foundation options, CIDH piles for pole structures, infiltration feasibility, and seismic design per ASCE 7-16.

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U-Haul Facility, Apple Valley, California

I managed and led the engineering efforts pertaining to the geotechnical exploration, laboratory testing, and geotechnical analyses and design for this U-Haul facility in the SoCal area. The engineering services provided in this project included a seismic ground motion study, geotechnical foundation design, lateral earth pressure calculations, and earthwork recommendations.

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Veterans Affairs Long Beach Medical Center, Long Beach, CA

I performed the seismic analyses in support of partial demolition/reconstruction and renovation of a number of buildings in this VA hospital in Long Beach, California. The ground motion study included (1) a site-specific ground motion hazard analysis per ASCE 7-16 for the features proposed to be constructed in the new phase and (2) a seismic analysis per ASCE 41-17 (Publication for the Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings) for the parts subject to renovation, resulting in seismic parameters for different hazard levels (i.e., BSE-2N, BSE-1N, BSE-2E and BSE-1E).

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Ulysses S. Grant High School Modernization, Van Nuys, CA

I performed the seismic ground motion study for the Ulysses S. Grant High School Modernization project in Van Nuys, California. The ground motion study included (1) a site-specific ground motion hazard analysis per ASCE 7-16 for the features proposed to be constructed in the new phase and (2) a seismic analysis per ASCE 41-17 (Publication for the Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings) for the parts subject to renovation, resulting in seismic parameters for different hazard levels (i.e., BSE-2N, BSE-1N, BSE-2E and BSE-1E).

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OCSAN Headworks Rehabilitation and Expansion, Fountain Valley, California

The project consisted of design and construction of more than 10 structures of different size, as part of the rehabilitation and expansion of the headworks facility at the Orange County Sanitation District. The proposed facility is supported on more than 500 precast, pre-stressed concrete piles. The services provided during the construction phase included pile driving observation and PDA testing to corroborate the design capacities.

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Las Viudas Lots – Twin Dolphin Resort, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico

The proposed residential developments in this project are situated west of the Las Viudas beach area in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The planned development area included steep slopes that ascend westerly from the beach up to a rock pinnacle at an elevation of approximately 250 feet above mean sea level (MSL). The geotechnical engineering services I provided in this project included a rock/soil slope stability evaluation for the 80-foot pinnacle adjacent to the proposed developments and a rock fall hazard evaluation (CRSP) and the associated mitigation recommendations.

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NJEDA Taxation Building, Trenton, NJ

The new Taxation Building of New Jersey Department of Treasury is an eight-story building with a total footprint of 27,000 square feet. The building is founded on steel H-Piles equipped with rock driving shoes. My contribution to this project included geotechnical axial/lateral design of the steel piles (LPILE), structural controls of the piles including the allowable moment, shear, and axial loads within the piles (SP Column) as well as buckling of the steel piles during a liquefaction event.

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University Center for Stevens Institute Technology, Hoboken, NJ

The University Center for Stevens Institute of Technology includes a three-story podium structure, approximately 48,000 square feet in footprint and two towers with 18 and 21 stories above the ground. The proposed building is founded on a system of shallow and deep foundations (i.e., steel caissons socketed into the underlying competent bedrock). My contribution to this project included geotechnical axial/lateral design of the steel piles (LPILE), settlement assessment under the proposed foundation system (PLAXIS), and seismicity evaluation.

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William Paterson University’s New Residence Hall, Wayne, NJ

The new residence hall building at the William Paterson University is a four-story building with a footprint of approximately 25,000 square feet. My involvement in this project included slope stability analysis (SLIDE) and an assessment of seismicity and liquefaction hazards at the subject site.

Valiasr Commercial Complex, Tehran, IR

I performed the geotechnical design of a 50-foot excavation stabilization in support of the commercial development in Tehran, Iran. An excavation support system comprised of concrete cast-in-place soldier piles, soil nails, ground anchors, and surface shotcrete was used to stabilize the deep excavation. PLAXIS was used in this project to complement the engineering analyses.

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Tehran’s Grand Mosalla, Tehran, IR

Tehran’s Grand Mosalla is an Iranian national building consisting of a concrete structure with a maximum height of 230 feet. The structure is founded on a group of cast-in-place deep foundations. I served to provide an advisory opinion on the interpretation of the field/lab testing program and the design of deep foundations.

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Senior Apartment Units, Marina Del Rey, CA

I managed and led the engineering efforts pertaining to the geotechnical exploration, laboratory testing, and geotechnical analyses and design for this waterfront apartment complex in Los Angeles County, California. The geotechnical engineering design/analyses comprised of geotechnical pile design, ground motion study, liquefaction hazard evaluation, and lateral spread assessment.

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