Wind Engineering

Argos Engineering's principal, Dr. John Pratt, has earned 32 United States patents during his 36-year career in the Aerospace Fastener and Latching Mechanism business. He has served as Chairman of several domestic and international committees dealing with aerospace hardware and design allowables. During this time he has led the development of many aerospace systems, including the terrorist-proof cockpit door decompression latches used on half of the world's fleet of commercial transport aircraft. Other successes include the Composi-Lok I and II and Visu-Lok II blind bolts, and cylindrical-body Wedge Lock product lines.

As Chairman of the Industrial Fasteners Institute Technical Committee for Aerospace Fasteners, Dr. Pratt helped lead efforts to draft FAA-TSO-C148, and subsequently received the first FAA approvals under that regulation. Dr. Pratt also served as International Chairman of ISO / TC20 / SC4 / WG8, the organization for standardization of aerospace rivets, blind fasteners, lockbolts, and threaded pin-collar fasteners (i.e., Hi-Lites). In this capacity many of today's standards for metric aerospace fasteners were established.

Dr. Pratt's expert experience includes testimony in several patent infringement and products liability suits, as well as extended testimony before the Federal Trade Commission.

Areas of Expertise

Fasteners

Latches

Decompression Mechanisms

Aircraft (and other vehicle) Structural Analysis

Aircraft Explosive / Rapid Decompression

Wind Loading on Buildings

Products Liability

Patent Infringement

Services Provided:

Litigation Consulting

Deposition and Trial Testimony

Inspections

Testing

Structural Analysis

New Product Development

A licensed Professional Engineer with over 26 years of experience in Civil/Structural Engineering & Construction Forensics Consulting, Construction Project Management and Education. He has been retained by insurance companies, law firms, construction, energy, mining, technology & manufacturing industries, governmental and educational institutions, engineering and architectural firms, and individuals. Has provided consulting to plaintiff/defendant cases; testimony & trial experience.

• Expert Consulting & Witness; Insurance Claim, Peer Reviews, Legal Support

• Buildings, Structures & Materials: Residential, Commercial, Institutional & Historic; Bridges, Towers, Stacks/Chimneys, Containment Vessels, Tanks, Grain Silos, Conduits & Pipelines, Retaining Walls, Foundations, Slabs & Pavements; Concrete, Steel, Composite, Wood, CMU, Brick Masonry & Adobe

• Design, Construction, Integrity, Repair & Retrofit Issues

• Construction Defects & Accidents; Defective Concrete; OSHA Standards

• Code Compliance; Seismic Resistant Design; Errors & Omissions; Standards of Care

• Damage & Failure Investigation; Due Diligence; Non-Destructive Testing; Analysis/Report

• Vibration, Explosion, Impact, Earthquake, Wind, Fire, Hurricane & Flood Damage Investigations

• Pile Driving & Demolition Damage to Adjacent Facilities; Cracking & Settlement

• Dynamic, Stress & Thermal Analysis; Finite Element Method; Product Design; Failure Simulation/Reconstruction

• Slip, Trip & Fall Accidents

• Intellectual Property & Patent Infringement

Dr. James Rice has over 35 years of technical and managerial experience in both industry and academia. He has a strong technical background in broad areas of mechanical engineering ranging from fluid mechanics and heat transfer to basic design. Dr. Rice’s primary expertise is in computational methods and simulation in mechanical engineering. His mechanical engineering practice has focused in particular on the development and application of these methods to a diverse range of applications in industry, and has also used these methods in his litigation support activities.

Dr. Rice has extensive experience as an expert witness in patent litigation involving issues in Mechanical Engineering. Over the last ten years, he has provided litigation support in more than 30 cases including approximately 25 patent cases. This experience has included the preparation of numerous expert reports, depositions, and trial testimony for both plaintiff and defense attorneys. His litigation support activities have also included testing and analysis as required to support his opinions.

Dr. Rice is the author of over 30 technical publications and has consulted for over fifty companies. He has conducted over 200 seminars and short courses in the U.S., Europe, and the Orient, and has been an invited speaker at international engineering conferences.

Expertise:

Computational Methods Heat Transfer / Thermodynamics Turbomachinery Combustion Fluid Mechanics

Finite Element Analysis Mechanical Design Intellectual Property Prior Art Review Infringement & Invalidity

Industries and Applications:

Automotive:

Vehicle Aerodynamics Passenger Compartment Flow Underhood Flow & Heat Transfer Intake & Exhaust Manifolds Intake & Exhaust Valves Engine Cooling Jackets

Power Steering Components Cooling Fans Fuel Delivery Systems Ejectors Control Valves Torque Converters

Power Generation: Valves Fossil & Nuclear Heat Exchangers Thermal Stratification Separation Systems Combustion Systems

Electronics: Enclosures Heat Sinks Natural / Forced Convection Hard Drive Flow Motors

HVAC: Duct Systems and Components Valves, Fittings Flow & Temperature Distribution Particle Dispersion

Turbomachinery: Pumps Compressors Blowers Fans

Aerospace:

Aerodynamics

Wind tunnels

Rotor Loads

Sam S. Vacek, P.E. is a Structural & Architectural Engineer with 32 years of experience in Structural Design, Failure Analysis, Explosions and Construction Monitoring of Commercial and Residential Structures. He has extensive familiarity with the International and Uniform Building Codes, OSHA and others including: AASHTO and ICBO.

Mr. Vacek has a thorough knowledge of Computer Aided Design, Analysis and Programming, supported by his detailed evaluations and state of the art computer modeling and color graphics.

Areas of Expertise:

Single & Multi-Family Residences

Schools

Office Warehouses

Shopping Centers

Restaurants

Commercial & Medical Office Condominiums

Hospitals

Bridges

Towers & Retaining Structures